A Farewell to Legs (33 page)

“In
A Farewell to Legs
, Cohen hasn’t lost his
magic touch for snappy, believable dialogue, and for perfectly
capturing all the nuances of family life in suburbia. Aaron Tucker
and his family could be your neighbors, if you’re lucky enough to
have particularly delightful neighbors. Once again, there are
laughs on almost every page, but the humor is never forced and the
characters are never over the top. (A certain best-selling author
of humorous mysteries could take lessons from Jeffrey Cohen.) Best
of all, the humor doesn’t overshadow the mystery—Cohen doesn’t
sacrifice plot or suspense while making us laugh. Those who read
For Whom the Minivan Rolls
won’t need any encouragement to
pick up
A Farewell to Legs
. Those who missed Cohen’s
inaugural effort are in for a real treat when they meet Aaron
Tucker, his friends, and his family in this latest entry in the
series. And after reading
A Farewell to Legs
, everyone will
be eager for Aaron’s next adventure!”

—
R
EVIEWING THE
E
VIDENCE
(S
USAN
A
NDERSON
)

“The best thing about Cohen’s books is Aaron Tucker
himself. A non-stop wisecracker who refuses to take anything
seriously, Aaron is the type of everyman whom readers can relate to
and commiserate with. He’s our best friend, our neighbor, or even
our husband. Unlike many of the tough-talking, hardheaded
detectives that perpetuate fiction today, Aaron is someone we could
easily know or be. It’s also refreshing to have our hero be a
stay-at- home dad whose wife makes more money than he does and who
doesn’t seem to think that cleaning up after dinner is beneath him.
The lightheartedness of the book is also a joy. While many mystery
books often leave us frightened of the way the world is today,
Cohen’s books leave us with a smile and a feeling of gratefulness
for what we have. Not only is there a chuckle on every page, but
there’s a smile or a tongue-in-cheek observation in every
paragraph. Cohen has definitely created a goldmine with his Aaron
Tucker mysteries. With each book, he’ll gain more loyal readers
like this one. We can only hope that his hero stays around for a
long time and that his creator graces us with many more books to
come.”

—
B
EST
R
EVIEWS
(A
NGELA
M
C
Q
UAY
)

“I enjoyed
A Farewell to Legs
more than I
expected to. . . The best parts of this book, which was a
very pleasant surprise, and the best parts of its predecessor in
the series, are the pieces dealing with Aaron Tucker’s home
life—dealing with his kids on a daily basis, and what middle-class
life is really like these days. The shlub-married-to-a-goddess
wears thin after a while, but Abby calls him on it in this book,
and does a good job of it. There is less detail in
Legs
about life with a child who has Asperger’s Syndrome than there was
in
Minivan
, but still enough so that the reader knows that
Ethan is even more of a challenge than a ‘normal’ early adolescent
male child might be. And, on his daughter, who’s so close to a
neighbor’s child, Cohen has this kind of relationship down pat, and
writes the hell out of it.
Minivan
is good.
Legs
is
better.”

—
R
EVIEWING THE
E
VIDENCE
(P.J. C
OLDREN
)

“Aaron Tucker is an immensely likable guy, loving
husband, devoted father, and not a super detective, but hey, he
gets the job done. Jeff Cohen’s portrayal of Aaron’s son, a
pre-teen with Asperger’s Syndrome, is at times hilarious, at others
poignant, and in every case accurate. Having some experience with
this in my own family, I really appreciate the way Jeff is able to
enlighten the public about this subject by weaving it into his
story. He knows whereof he speaks. I hope Aaron will have many more
adventures. Keep it coming, Jeff. We need the laughs.”

—
S
HIRLEY
W
ETZEL
, M
YSTERY
M
AGAZINE
O
NLINE
, R
ICE
U
NIVERSITY
L
IBRARIAN
,
AND
A
VID
M
YSTERY
R
EADER

“It’s not often that I gloat, but I recently got an
ARC of
A Farewell to Legs
, and read it before most everyone.
It’s another very entertaining read from Jeff Cohen. This man is
definitely not suffering from a sophomore slump. Jeff writes in one
of my favorite sub-genres, the realistic suburban mystery, with a
stay-at-home dad and a family as well as a mystery to solve.
Legs
deals with a sleazy right-wing politician who is
murdered in his mistress’ bed. The wife went to HS with Aaron
Tucker and asks him to investigate as part of a freelance magazine
assignment that she arranges. Add to the mix threatening notes, a
stink bomb crisis at the school, and a new dog in the house, and
you have a great mystery and a great time figuring out whodunit.
A Farewell to Legs
is another witty winner from Jeff Cohen—a
wry, yet dead-on, look at suburban life combined with a mystery
full of unexpected twists. Definitely pick up a copy of your own
when it comes out in November.”

—
J
EFFREY
M
ARKS
, A
UTHOR OF THE
US G
RANT
MYSTERIES
,
AND
NON
-
FICTION BOOKS ABOUT MYSTERY
WRITERS

“Cohen’s wit sparkles from every page, some lines
provoking mere smiles while others are laugh-out-loud funny.
Wonderful humor, terrific writing, and an intriguing mystery—what
more can a discerning reader ask for? Highly recommended.”

—
G
LORIA
F
EIT
, 4M
YSTERY
A
DDICTS

“Where but in an Aaron Tucker mystery would you find
a dangerous pet lizard, several potent stink bombs, a guy with a
kitchen knife sticking out of his chest, and a primer on how to
register your screenplay with the Library of Congress? Jeff Cohen’s
quirky voice happily returns for a second go-round in
A Farewell
to Legs
, with Aaron once again assuming the role of free-lance
writer/reluctant sleuth. (By the way, there’s no truth to the rumor
that Abby, Aaron’s beloved wife, is really the murderer.)”

—
K
EN
W
ALZ
, T
ELEVISION
P
RODUCER

“Jeffrey Cohen is the Jerry Seinfeld of mystery
writing. Warm, witty and often wise,
A Farewell to Legs
is
great entertainment.”

—
M
ARGARET
“M
EG
” C
HITTENDEN
,
AUTHOR
,

D
EAD
M
EN
D
ON
’
T
D
ANCE
,
D
YING TO
S
EE
Y
OU
,
H
OW TO
W
RITE
Y
OUR
N
OVEL
,
AND A WHOLE SLEW OF OTHER BOOKS

“The last time I reviewed a book by Jeff Cohen, I
got carried away with hyperbole—or so I’ve been told. This time
around, I’m going to be circumspect. I’m simply going to say:
A
Farewell to Legs
is a delightful mystery romp set among the
flora and fauna of suburban New Jersey. My new motto is: calm, cool
and collected. Even when I’m crazy about a book! This second novel
in Cohen’s comically-inspired series expands on the zaniness of the
first (
For Whom the Minivan Rolls
) where Aaron Tucker,
stay-at-home dad and freelance writer extraordinaire, managed to
solve the Madlyn Beckwirth murder. In
Legs
, the oddities of
life among the not-so-rich and not-so-famous are again wittily
exposed, and the lucky reader is led on another merry chase.

“Using humor as his weapon, Jeff Cohen slices and
dices through the pomposities of modern “burb” life. He’s quick to
point out lunacy, often in laugh-out-loud dialogue, where he finds
it. And boy, does he find it! The author is obviously having a
great time guiding us through the wacky world of suburbia. Jeff
Cohen has done what more seasoned writers have always attempted to
do. He has created not only a terrific set of characters, but a
specific world for them to live in; a world fully formed, fully
fashioned and very appealing. Here, the strength of Tucker’s
enviable home life, the hub of all his activities, shines brightly
through the murder and mayhem. (His continuing romance with wife
Abby is particularly delightful.)

“Without preaching or moralizing, Jeff Cohen draws
an engaging picture of a centered man, bemused by life. No sap. No
clichés. No icky sentiment. Even when he is sent unwillingly on an
errand to pick up a little dog from a shelter—a situation where it
is almost impossible to avoid sentiment—Tucker’s observations never
lose their saltiness. Certainly, he is no fool—he knows that real
dangers exist—yet his comfortably warped view of the world always
helps carry the day. Reading this second book in what I hope will
be a long-lived series was like revisiting a good friend. There is
strength, comfort and hilarity (not a bad combination!) in Jeffrey
Cohen’s creation. And therein lies the main attraction of the
series. Do yourselves a huge favor and get your hands on the Aaron
Tucker books. And buy extras for your friends! Trust me, you will
endear yourselves to them. Not to mention, Jeffrey Cohen.”

—
M
YSTERY
I
NK
, Y
VETTE
B
ANEK

“I just finished Jeffrey Cohen’s delightful
A
Farewell to Legs
and I still have a big grin on my face. What a
super book! Once again, Cohen’s wit, pacing, and engaging style
have combined to create a winning mystery. Truly, this was the
funniest—and most fun—book I’ve read since, well, since his last
one! As in his previous book,
For Whom the Minivan Rolls
,
Cohen takes the reader along with the witty and humble
freelancer/at-home dad/sleuth Aaron Tucker, as Aaron dons his
journalist hat and solves yet another ‘unsolvable’ mystery. The
plot has just enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing,
with a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Of course, there are
plenty of smiles, chuckles, and guffaws along the way. At the heart
of the book is the relationship between Aaron and his wife Abby, a
realistic and all-too-rare portrayal of a happy marriage. Throw in
two interesting kids and an accident-prone dog, and what comes out
is a family that the reader wants to spend time with and get to
know even better. If I could buy stock in a person, I’d pick up a
few hundred shares of Jeffrey Cohen. I predict nothing but great
things for this series and for this author!”

—
M
INDY
S
TARNS
C
LARK
,
AUTHOR OF
T
HE
M
ILLION
D
OLLAR
M
YSTERIES SERIES
,

INCLUDING
A
P
ENNY FOR
Y
OUR
T
HOUGHTS
,
D
ON
’
T
T
AKE
A
NY
W
OODEN
N
ICKELS
,
AND
A D
IME
A
D
OZEN

“A very enjoyable. fast-paced romp, with mystery and
humor in equal measure,
A Farewell to Legs
is up to the high
standard set by
Minivan
.”

—
T
HEODORE
F
EIT
, A
UTHOR AND
E
DITOR

“A very enjoyable, interesting, and entertaining
mystery. The plot is complex enough to keep you guessing. The
family situations presented in Aaron’s day-to-day life are so
identifiable. The humor injected by the author makes this book
different from a lot of mysteries. Most folks will love it.”

—
B
ARBARA
W
RIGHT
, M
URDER AND
M
AYHEM
B
OOKCLUB

“If you’re wondering what sort of protagonist Aaron
Tucker is, think William Powell in
The Thin Man
, but with a
modern-day twist: soccer dad, married to a career woman, with
children. Aaron Tucker is not your ordinary soccer dad. He’s out
there solving murders while juggling kids in school, marriage, and
job. This book was filled with plenty of humor. I’m definitely
looking forward to his next outing.”

—
R
OBIN
B
URCELL
, A
UTHOR
,
D
EADLY
L
EGACY

“Prepare to chuckle! Jeffrey Cohen’s second Aaron
Tucker mystery is packed with humor, realism, and exciting twists.
A FAREWELL TO LEGS, a riotously funny cozy, may be my introduction
to Aaron Tucker, but I feel as if I have known him for half of my
life. I’d never heard of Jeffrey Cohen before, but I felt right at
home with this book and now I am anxious to catch up with his
adventures in FOR WHOM THE MINIVAN ROLLS. Using wit, Jeffrey
manages to portray Aaron and his wife, Abby, as any couple should
be. Sarcasm may fill their dialogue at times, but their love for
one another is undeniable. I only wish Jeffrey Cohen could write
faster, as I don’t think I could ever tire of his characters.”