A Girl's Guide to Killing

"Even if you ignore the generally deplorable level of the writing (which is surely an unintentional aspect of the formula), these novels scrupulously observe all the basic chick-lit conventions: the giddy girls in their glamorous jobs, the shopping sprees and fashion makeovers, the gossipy friends, the disastrous dates and the wry comic voice of a heroine so adorable she could be . . . you.

Adding a mystery component does more than give a bubble-headed form a sturdier narrative structure. By challenging the flighty heroine to solve a crime, it offers her the chance both to prove her character and fire up her sex life.

... However stressful her detective chores, the chick-lit heroine can always depend on the loyalty of supportive friends (the customary allotment includes one gay guy and one brassy girlfriend who dresses like a hooker and may even be one). But no matter how successful she is at crime busting, she'll never satisfy her clueless family..."