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Wollie Shelley Mystery #4
A Date You Can't Refuse
Wollie Shelley isn't happy about taking the job as a "social coach" at MediaRex, but the FBI makes her an offer she can't refuse. If she agrees to infiltrate the company, they'll guarantee that her schizophrenic brother will have a home at the federally subsidized halfway house he's come to love. So Wollie launches into teaching three foreign celebrities how to cope with the customs of Beverly Hills, improve their English, and become Oprah–ready. And when a coyote–chewed corpse appears in the MediaRex compound, Wollie realizes that her colleagues are concealing some serious secrets of their own.
14 pages, Audio CD
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Harley Jane Kozak
18 books108 followersHarley Jane Kozak is an American actress and author. She was born Susan Jane Kozak in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Dorothy (Taraldsen), a university music teacher, and Joseph Aloysius Kozak, an attorney. She was raised in Nebraska and attended New York University.
Kozak has written four novels: Dating Dead Men (2004), Dating Is Murder : A Novel (2005), Dead Ex (2007), and A Date You Can't Refuse (2008) all of which feature greeting card designer and amateur sleuth Wollie Shelley, a woman with very eccentric friends and family. Dating Dead Men won an Agatha Award for best first novel in 2004.
Kozak lives in Agoura Hills, California. She has been married twice: a brief union in the early 1980s (1982–1983) to actor Van Santvoord and a second marriage from 1997-2007 to an entertainment lawyer Gregory Aldisert. She has three children with her second husband: daughter Audrey Valentine (b. 9 March 2000) and twins Lorenzo Robert and Giana Julia (b. 30 May 2002).
After the birth of her children Kozak retired from acting almost completely and has devoted her time to her family and writing.
Kozak has written four novels: Dating Dead Men (2004), Dating Is Murder : A Novel (2005), Dead Ex (2007), and A Date You Can't Refuse (2008) all of which feature greeting card designer and amateur sleuth Wollie Shelley, a woman with very eccentric friends and family. Dating Dead Men won an Agatha Award for best first novel in 2004.
Kozak lives in Agoura Hills, California. She has been married twice: a brief union in the early 1980s (1982–1983) to actor Van Santvoord and a second marriage from 1997-2007 to an entertainment lawyer Gregory Aldisert. She has three children with her second husband: daughter Audrey Valentine (b. 9 March 2000) and twins Lorenzo Robert and Giana Julia (b. 30 May 2002).
After the birth of her children Kozak retired from acting almost completely and has devoted her time to her family and writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
August 23, 2017
A great vacation read. This is a fun, humorous series about a greeting card designer in Hollywood who gets herself into lots of predicaments with her pseudo detective work. If you like Janet Evanovich, try this series.
March 26, 2011
Kozak's books are always fun with interesting characters, and I do mean characters. Sure there are dead bodies and tension but things never get too dark.
August 22, 2016
Want to laugh out loud? Harley Jane Kozak and her character, Wollie Shelley, will help you do that. Kozak gives Janet Evanovich a run for her money in this fun mystery read. (I listened to it while hiking, and the narrator, Deanna Hurst is the absolutely the perfect voice of Wollie...and the rest of the cast).
September 11, 2011
Fun finale to this small series of mysteries. They were definitely more on the frivolous side, but I enjoyed the heroine so much and found her so relatable, I just had to keep picking up the next book in line.
July 6, 2011
I enjoyed the characters in this book. I like Wollie a lot but I really liked Yuri and the group of people she was working with. And the murderer surprised me. I didn't want it to be any of them.
January 10, 2010
I love this series. I hope this isn't the last one!
May 11, 2009
My favorite so far of the Wollie mysteries. A cast of strange characters from Eastern Europe and several subplots keep the story lively.
November 20, 2009
Couldn't wait for this one to be released. It telegraphed a bit more than the other two books with a nice, neat little twist on the end.
March 15, 2011
Fantastic ! The BEST yet ! I've enjoyed all four of her books, and leading up to this one - - what a surprise !! GREAT fun read !!!
October 24, 2012
A fun, lighthearted read. I'll be reading more Wollie Shelley mysteries.
April 6, 2013
I have absolutely loved this mystery series and am sad she is done writing about Wollie and her antics. Smart and funny! Now if I could find my own Simon!
April 12, 2009
PLEASE tell me there's another one after this! Loved it!!
~Tori
~Tori
October 6, 2018
I'm a fan of madcap, and I'm a HUGE fan of Harley's. I met her a number of years ago, and she signed my copy of this book.
But this one... it didn't do it for me. It was too over the top, to the point that it stretched from fun into almost a satire of the characters populating it. And given today's political climate and what's happening around the world, it came with a bit too much foreshadowing of a reality that's steadily coming to be.
But this one... it didn't do it for me. It was too over the top, to the point that it stretched from fun into almost a satire of the characters populating it. And given today's political climate and what's happening around the world, it came with a bit too much foreshadowing of a reality that's steadily coming to be.
April 4, 2022
Harley Jane Kozak was an actress for a time on my beloved soap, The Guiding Light. Reading Kim Zimmer's book about her career as an actress, much of it on The Guiding Light, led me to this book. If you really enjoy Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, you will probably like the Wollie Shelley books-- they have the same vibe.
July 15, 2017
As great as the first three, which is rare.
August 23, 2017
Interesting and different, but too long & also a bit improbable for what the heroine managed to accomplish. I do love a happy ending, but overall I was glad to finally reach the end.
November 17, 2017
Definitely my favorite so far in the series.
September 26, 2018
2.5 stars
Stupid, but fun. Very much in the same vein as the Stephanie Plum series. Also good on audio.
Stupid, but fun. Very much in the same vein as the Stephanie Plum series. Also good on audio.
August 17, 2019
I want more!
November 24, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of characters that made you be a little afraid of them but also liking them. Ending was a surprise for me. Liked the setting in California.
March 15, 2021
Another Winner
Another Winner. More complex and intriguing than the others, but still a good time! So sorry this was written 11 years ago and there isn't another one .
Another Winner. More complex and intriguing than the others, but still a good time! So sorry this was written 11 years ago and there isn't another one .
June 28, 2021
Fun, but only if you like the main character.
July 13, 2021
Looks like the last book in the series! An enjoyable light read. All the main characters are back again! I am disappointed this is where the series ends but I had fun enjoying all the adventures!
July 18, 2021
Cute story about young woman who gets involved with FBI investigation while juggling a relationship and a quirky brother. She can’t quite juggle fast enough.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2023
A strong end(?) to the series. Best constructed plot so far, and interesting side characters.
July 16, 2023
Fun! At times my head swam at everything that was going on. Not too violent. And nothing is at it seems. Keeps you interested.
July 16, 2010
A Date You Can’t Refuse is the fourth installment of Harley Jane Kozak’s mysteries involving Wollie Shelley, who is described on the back cover copy as a “serial dater,” presumably because she often ends up dating Mr. Wrong.
Writing is a second career for Kozak, who grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her first career is in acting. Born Susan Jane Kozak she took her stage name from the motorcycle and began her career on a soap opera and eventually appeared in such A-list movies as Arachnophobia and Parenthood.
Wollie Shelley is a greeting card artist. She’s a good artist but not financially successful. To complicate matters, her brother – who is mentally ill and in a halfway house – has been threatened with eviction.
Reluctantly, Wollie (short for Wollstonecraft, after Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th Century feminist) accepts an undercover assignment from F.B.I. agent Bennett Graham. She is to be a Social Coach for a company called MediaRex. In exchange, Graham promises to make sure her brother is allowed to remain in the halfway house.
A “Social Coach,” as it turns out, is a combination of chauffeur and etiquette coach. Her pupils are visitors from Eastern Europe who must be introduced to American customs. The F.B.I. thinks something nefarious is going on. Wollie’s job is to plant three bugs, each in a specific area of the house, and to report on anything out-of-the-ordinary that might be said or done at the compound.
The story makes many twists and turns on its suspenseful path to a surprise ending. Wollie is endearing as the narrator, revealing much about herself. She doesn’t have the makeup to be a spy – she must even be coached by her friends Joey and Fredreeq on how to lie – but she is committed to taking care of her brother.
The quirky characters whom Wollie coaches provide much of the humor. There is Zbiggo, the burley over-sexed boxer who spends much of his time unconscious and a good portion of the rest of his time getting into trouble. And Felix, who wrote a book called Jesus Made Me Skinny, and is in this country for an operation to remove the folds of skin left hanging on his body when the fat melted away.
Other mysteries in the Wollie Shelley series are Dating Dead Men, Dating is Murder, and Dead Ex. A Date You Can’t Refuse is an excellent novel. I highly recommend it.
Writing is a second career for Kozak, who grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her first career is in acting. Born Susan Jane Kozak she took her stage name from the motorcycle and began her career on a soap opera and eventually appeared in such A-list movies as Arachnophobia and Parenthood.
Wollie Shelley is a greeting card artist. She’s a good artist but not financially successful. To complicate matters, her brother – who is mentally ill and in a halfway house – has been threatened with eviction.
Reluctantly, Wollie (short for Wollstonecraft, after Mary Wollstonecraft, the 18th Century feminist) accepts an undercover assignment from F.B.I. agent Bennett Graham. She is to be a Social Coach for a company called MediaRex. In exchange, Graham promises to make sure her brother is allowed to remain in the halfway house.
A “Social Coach,” as it turns out, is a combination of chauffeur and etiquette coach. Her pupils are visitors from Eastern Europe who must be introduced to American customs. The F.B.I. thinks something nefarious is going on. Wollie’s job is to plant three bugs, each in a specific area of the house, and to report on anything out-of-the-ordinary that might be said or done at the compound.
The story makes many twists and turns on its suspenseful path to a surprise ending. Wollie is endearing as the narrator, revealing much about herself. She doesn’t have the makeup to be a spy – she must even be coached by her friends Joey and Fredreeq on how to lie – but she is committed to taking care of her brother.
The quirky characters whom Wollie coaches provide much of the humor. There is Zbiggo, the burley over-sexed boxer who spends much of his time unconscious and a good portion of the rest of his time getting into trouble. And Felix, who wrote a book called Jesus Made Me Skinny, and is in this country for an operation to remove the folds of skin left hanging on his body when the fat melted away.
Other mysteries in the Wollie Shelley series are Dating Dead Men, Dating is Murder, and Dead Ex. A Date You Can’t Refuse is an excellent novel. I highly recommend it.
August 29, 2016
A Date You Can't Refuse is the final book in the Wollie Shelley series. It is a stand alone but please read the other books first, or this one will put you off the series.
Our protagonist Wollie, after jury service, is offered a job by the acquitted defendant, Yuri Milos, an eastern European. The reason she accepts is the FBI! They blackmail her into taking the job so she could spy on Yuri for them. Her co-operation guarantees her schizophrenic brother a place at the federally subsidised halfway house that's his home.
Our 6' tall blonde sleuth is a good egg and well measured. Well, perhaps not in the romantic department. I enjoyed seeing Wollie use her artistic talents for other than greeting card design. It was gratifying to see that her brother's character had developed. Her uncle and two best friends make a strong supporting cast. They are colourful and funny, which contrasts well with Wollie's straight-laced personality. As usual, there is humour spread throughout the book.
It took me a while to finish the book. It read like a spy spoof, and the story was far-fetched. Wollie was inherently likeable until this book. Now she appears to have lost her backbone and be at everybody's beck and call. Including having sex anywhere possible with a 'partner' who she suspects is also sleeping with another woman, for his job.
Sadly eastern Europeans are written in the mould of the stereotype, and there is more than a whiff of nationalistic paranoia. The story is jerky. At its conclusion, I had unanswered questions, not least why was Wollie having unprotected sex in a nonmonogamous relationship and why was the book titled A Date You Can't Refuse?
I would not rush to read this unless you're a die-hard Wollie Shelley fan. I would put it on the 'to read' list but only for the sake of completion.
Connect with me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/imjussayin2
Book Rating
Sexual Content: 15
Language: U
Violent: 15
Would I read again? No
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre.
Our protagonist Wollie, after jury service, is offered a job by the acquitted defendant, Yuri Milos, an eastern European. The reason she accepts is the FBI! They blackmail her into taking the job so she could spy on Yuri for them. Her co-operation guarantees her schizophrenic brother a place at the federally subsidised halfway house that's his home.
Our 6' tall blonde sleuth is a good egg and well measured. Well, perhaps not in the romantic department. I enjoyed seeing Wollie use her artistic talents for other than greeting card design. It was gratifying to see that her brother's character had developed. Her uncle and two best friends make a strong supporting cast. They are colourful and funny, which contrasts well with Wollie's straight-laced personality. As usual, there is humour spread throughout the book.
It took me a while to finish the book. It read like a spy spoof, and the story was far-fetched. Wollie was inherently likeable until this book. Now she appears to have lost her backbone and be at everybody's beck and call. Including having sex anywhere possible with a 'partner' who she suspects is also sleeping with another woman, for his job.
Sadly eastern Europeans are written in the mould of the stereotype, and there is more than a whiff of nationalistic paranoia. The story is jerky. At its conclusion, I had unanswered questions, not least why was Wollie having unprotected sex in a nonmonogamous relationship and why was the book titled A Date You Can't Refuse?
I would not rush to read this unless you're a die-hard Wollie Shelley fan. I would put it on the 'to read' list but only for the sake of completion.
Connect with me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/imjussayin2
Book Rating
Sexual Content: 15
Language: U
Violent: 15
Would I read again? No
My rating system (* = star)
0* Could not finish this book (waste of time)
1* Finished the book but didn't like it.
2* Finished the book it was okay.
3* A good read worth your time.
4* An excellent read often with a novel concept or unusual plot.
5* A magnificent read. A prominent example of the genre.
October 14, 2009
I like this author's writing style, her quirky humour and heroine Wollie. Read the books in order.
Extract:
Extract:
"Since you don't yet have a contract for this comic book project, it's not income-producing. Nor is your greeting card business giving you a living wage."
"Yes, thank you for pointing that out."
"You need a job. Have you any other prospects?"
"No. Work for some Belarusian entrepreneur with three wives and become a secret agent for you. That's it."
"Cooperating witness."
"Yes. CW," I said. "That's right. It's all coming back to me now. Look, I'd rather sling hash or work retail for minimum wage and here's why: I have no physical courage. I'm not athletic, I can't lie well or keep secrets, I'm not especially curious, I don't even slow down to watch traffic accidents. And I wasn't a Girl Scout, so I can't change a tire or do Morse code. I have none of the traits you look for in your spies— "
"Cooperating witness. Your duties for us would require little risk or ingenuity. You would simply overhear conversations. Note family dynamics. Look around the property. You may not have an appetite for this work, Miss Shelley, but you do have a brother."
That got my attention. "Yeah? So?"
"Living in a facility that's subsidized by federal funds. I don't imagine it's easy, coming up with the monthly fees that keep Percy at the facility."
January 2, 2011
The fourth installment of series featuring Wollie Shelley, off-beat greeting card designer left me angry with Harley Jane Kozak! You know it must be good when the reader gets that emotionally involved, right?
I was mad because I knew there wasn't another Wollie book forthcoming I the near future because I read that Harley is writing an international political thriller at the moment. And she left us (and Wollie)hanging!
This time out, we find Wollie sort of living with G-man Simon in his extravagant condo - until he tells her she has to make herself scarce because of the case he's working on. Now conveniently someone - the defendant in the case for which she has been a juror for the past three weeks - offers her a job which includes room & board. On top of that another FBI agent wants her to take the job so she can work for him as a confidential witness. Which makes taking the job LESS attractive to Willie the non-spy. But he's as persuasive as the prospective boss, and Wollie takes the job, which entails babysitting foreign celebrities in the US for a media make-over.
As it always does with Wollie, hilarity and murder ensues, much to Simon's chagrine.
I didn't laugh aloud *quite* as much with this one as the first book or two, but Harley's plots are getting better, I think. Well worth the read.
I was mad because I knew there wasn't another Wollie book forthcoming I the near future because I read that Harley is writing an international political thriller at the moment. And she left us (and Wollie)hanging!
This time out, we find Wollie sort of living with G-man Simon in his extravagant condo - until he tells her she has to make herself scarce because of the case he's working on. Now conveniently someone - the defendant in the case for which she has been a juror for the past three weeks - offers her a job which includes room & board. On top of that another FBI agent wants her to take the job so she can work for him as a confidential witness. Which makes taking the job LESS attractive to Willie the non-spy. But he's as persuasive as the prospective boss, and Wollie takes the job, which entails babysitting foreign celebrities in the US for a media make-over.
As it always does with Wollie, hilarity and murder ensues, much to Simon's chagrine.
I didn't laugh aloud *quite* as much with this one as the first book or two, but Harley's plots are getting better, I think. Well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews