While this is not the first book in the Stella the Stargazer series it certainly allows you to read it first and not feel like a stranger. Unlike other series it also doesn't reiterate everything from the pervious novels which I found refreshing.

At the start Stella, who writes a column at her local paper, is upset because her friend and student Elena has not shown up after leaving a particularly disturbing message for Stella. Once Stella begins to worry and have a few psychic interludes she realizes that Elena is not merely late but in trouble and she sets off to find her.

She calls the Holman house where Elena is a housekeeper and nanny to a disturbed little boy Steven, whose mother has died and will only reach out to Elena. Steven is also obsessed with the idea that a vampire has taken Elena and is equally terrified that one will get him as well. Then Stella calls the Dustbunnies, the service that Holman has hired Elena through to no avail.

The owner of the Dustbunnies begs Stella to look after Steven until Elena or a replacement can be found as Steven likes her. She accepts the position to look into Elena's disappearance. Little does she know that no one will help her. Holman and the Dustbunnies refuse to place a missing person's report, the police can't do anything because Elena supposedly left a note and Holman and his friends refuse to answer any questions.

Is this the end for Elena? Can Stella sniff out where she has gone? You can be sure that this book will have a satisfying ending. This was a very quick read but a good one. I guess it is true - good things do come in small packages!

At the Holman home, she meets Steven Holman, a frightened child, who firmly believes that Elena has been abducted by vampires. Stella begins to investigate the disappearance of her friend and soon has several viable suspects if foul play has occurred. However, trying to obtain information is difficult amidst Elena's Mexican community and Stella does not yet realize how much danger she has placed herself in from someone who does not want any amateur sleuth to find out the truth.

DEATH OF A DUSTBUNNY is a fun to read cozy that includes bumps in the night elements. Stella and the support cast are an eccentric enough ensemble that readers will take pleasure in their exploits. Though Christine T. Jorgensen's story line is a bit weak (Stella needs to add logic to her repertoire), fans of American cozies with a pinch of woo-woo will relish the latest Stella the Stargazer story.

Harriet Klausner

Jane adopts the name Stella and immediately gets in over her head. Stella begins receiving letters from the lovelorn - and one letter in particular touches her heart (as well as her psychic senses). Looking for Lochinvar wants to find a love to die for - something that Stella would like to find as well. Stella (and Jane for that matter) also has a penchant for sexy lingerie and goes to her favorite shop Little Nothings to celebrate her new job. Then she has a vision of death and the next day her favorite designer goes missing.

Not only does sexy Detective Stokowski think she did it but the list of suspects contains way too many of her friends and neighbors. Did Stella do it during one of her "fits" or is someone trying to frame her?

Not only is Christine's writing style quick, playful and fun (as are the characters) but the plot moves well and is enjoyable. I must say I simply LOVE Stella's pet chameleon Fluffy. These books certainly won't change your life but they will make it a bit more enjoyable.

Starting her life out as George Jorgensen, she never quite felt that she fit in and became a loner by inclination. One striking issue in the book, however, is that she came from an extremely loving and supportive family who always unconditionally accepted her as she was, both before and after her metamorphosis. Not every transgendered individual is as lucky as Ms. Jorgensen appears to have been with respect to familial relationships. Perhaps it was because her parents were of Danish descent, and Scandinavian people tend to be more accepting of these issues.

Relentlessly upbeat, the book is a flattering and politely idealized memoir, as if anything too dark were exorcised from its pages. The chapters which cover Ms. Jorgensen's time in Denmark, where her change took place, are somewhat superficial and non-clinical. There is no real indication of any personal struggle or self-doubt with respect to her decision to undergo a life changing transformation. One has to remember, however, that this book was originally published approximately thirty five years ago, when the public's sensibilities on such issues were far more delicate.

What does come across in this autobiography is that Ms. Jorgensen had the courage to make a decision that for the time was somewhat unique and cutting edge, as there was virtually no literature available for the general public on transexualism, and gender identity studies were still in their nascent stage. Ms. Jorgensen essentially paved the way for others by bringing to the public consciousness issues that had not before been the subject of public discussion. In bringing these issues into the public domain, she was subject to a torrent of abuse, as well as discriminatory practices, and seemed to be the endless butt of jokes. She took these problems in stride, however, and always managed to have the last laugh. Laughter, indeed, appears to have been the best medicine.

Ms. Jorgensen, an attractive natural blonde, who personified the stereotypic feminine ideal of the time, became an entertainer. Given her notoriety, her career options were limited, as she gathered a crowd whenever her identity became known. Playing the hand that was dealt her, she parlayed her notoriety into a successful club act, digressing into acting. She managed to make a success of herself, living a life that was interesting, but hardly scandalous. While this is an intriguing memoir, it is not an in depth profile of Ms. Jorgensen. The reader comes away knowing about Ms. Jorgensen, rather than knowing her. Still, all in all, it is a worthwhile read.

Starting her life out as George Jorgensen, she never quite felt that she fit in and became a loner by inclination. One striking issue in the book, however, is that she came from an extremely loving and supportive family who always unconditionally accepted her as she was, both before and after her metamorphosis. Not every transgendered individual is as lucky as Ms. Jorgensen appears to have been with respect to familial relationships. Perhaps it was because her parents were of Danish descent, and Scandinavian people may tend to be more accepting of these issues.

Relentlessly upbeat, the book is a flattering and politely idealized memoir, as if anything too dark were exorcised from its pages. The chapters that cover Ms. Jorgensen's time in Denmark, where her change took place, are somewhat superficial and non-clinical. There is no real indication of any personal struggle or self-doubt with respect to her decision to undergo a life changing transformation. One has to remember, however, that this book was originally published approximately thirty five years ago, when the public's sensibilities on such issues were far more delicate.

What does come across in this autobiography is that Ms. Jorgensen had the courage to make a decision that for the time was somewhat unique and cutting edge, as there was virtually no literature available for the general public on transsexualism, and gender identity studies were still in their nascent stage. Ms. Jorgensen essentially paved the way for others by bringing to the public consciousness issues that had not before been the subject of public discussion. In bringing these issues into the public domain, she was subject to a torrent of abuse, as well as discriminatory practices, and seemed to be the endless butt of jokes. She took these problems in stride, however, and always managed to have the last laugh. Laughter, indeed, appears to have been the best medicine.

Ms. Jorgensen, an attractive natural blonde, who personified the stereotypic feminine ideal of the time, became an entertainer. Given her notoriety, her career options were limited, as she gathered a crowd whenever her identity became known. Playing the hand that was dealt her, she parlayed her notoriety into a successful club act, digressing into acting. She managed to make a success of herself, living a life that was interesting, but hardly scandalous. While this is an intriguing memoir, it is not an in depth profile of Ms. Jorgensen. The reader comes away knowing about Ms. Jorgensen, rather than knowing her. Still, all in all, it is a worthwhile read.

When the price for crickets rises to eight cents a head, Stella the Stargazer wonders why she left her secure but boring job as an accountant. Though bordering on poverty, Stella realizes that becoming an astrological columnist for the Denver Daily Orion was needed for her sanity. Still she needs extra cash so that her spoiled pet anoles, Fluffy and Lips, continue to dine on gourmet crickets. Stella accepts a job as an assistant director at the Magic Circle Theater. She quickly understands that her main task is to intercede between the owner, Barbara Steadman and everyone else because the boss drives them crazy.

Stella's job radically changes when she finds Barbara barely alive as she hangs from a prop. The prime suspect is Barbara's teenage son, but Stella thinks the lad is just the fall guy. She begins her own investigation and quickly concludes that the real culprit will do anything to shut down this theatrical group, including eliminating a particular stargazer.

DEAD ON HER FEET, the latest Stella amateur sleuth tale is a humorous tale that does not take its characters seriously yet still provides an enjoyable twisting mystery for readers. That ability to mix a jocular, offbeat cast inside an intelligent who-done-it demonstrates the talent of Christine T. Jorgensen. Stella's column and her boy friend add to the enjoyment. This particular novel is one of the more entertaining books in one of the better series that the genre offers.

Harriet Klausner