Part of marketing any book is a kind of bait and switch

Indeed. And once I've bought a book with 5 heaving bossoms and barely got a kiss on the cheek, I resolve to never buy a book from that author or that line again. When I was 14 Harlequins were perfect for me. By the time I was 17, I'd quit reading them. Don't show me a cover meant for a 47 year old and then give me a 14 year old YA book. I'm not interested.

A man spending $200 on one garment would, presumably, really pay attention to that garment, it being a considerable percentage of his yearly clothing budget.

I've known too many men that hew to the "fashion? what fashion?" stereotype (and, who knows -- more women might try it, if there weren't more of a perceived penalty for us) for me to agree with that presumption. Not to mention the ones who do pay attention and are just wrongheaded crackpots and end up looking like crap anyway (not a gender-skewed issue at all).

wrongheaded crackpots

There are many of these on this earth. Still and all, I would posit that a $200 anything deserves some attention and care. I spent weeks working myself up to buying my new computer, and have still not settled in my mind that the bike I am thinking about is The Perfect Bike that I shall love and cherish till the end of my days.

$5 t-shirt, I feel no remorse about dripping shmutz on it the first day I wear it. $200 Evening gown? I will employ a shmutz-avoidance field generator.

I would posit that a $200 anything deserves some attention and care

You can posit, but I don't think that your positing will affect the thousands of men that buy suits because they have to wear them to work, and really don't care how they look.

I worked with a guy that wore a bright purple (like, Prince would decline wearing it -- Barney bright) suit two or three times a week. Customers would ask me about it. I never worked out if he was one of those that didn't care, or if he did care, and this was what he really wanted to be wearing.

I worked with a guy that wore a bright purple (like, Prince would decline wearing it -- Barney bright) suit two or three times a week.

Oh. Oh dear.

I don't know what's more egregious -- wearing a hideous purple suit, or wearing the obviously same suit 2-3 times a week. At least he needs a closetful in rainbow colors, you know?

(like, Prince would decline wearing it -- Barney bright)

Have to wonder if the guy was color blind. I had a teacher once who was and all blues and yellows looked the same to him, various shades of tan.

Have to wonder if the guy was color blind

Not the red/green sort. I remember discovering it for the network tech who was (I have no idea how he got past 30, with TWO COLOUR BLIND BROTHERS and never noticed), so I was hyper-aware in that job of who could read router lights and who couldn't.

I will employ a shmutz-avoidance field generator.

Have you got one of those that repels milk from tiny bottles used ton feet kittens? The stuff that dribbles all over my shirt?

It's only a ten-dollar GAP shirt, but I loves it, I do, and I wish no milk on it, and want your field generator.

So here's another question.

If you were reading a mystery, even if it was one with a romantic angle (i.e. the people solving the murder fall in love), would you be completely turned off if the victim was a nice older woman (actually a children's book author) whom everyone in town loved?

My theory is, nice people get murdered, too. And in this case, what with no one having a motive, and her having no family left to fight over her will, I thought it would be interesting to figure out who did kill her, since it's not obvious. Why would someone kill her, etc?

Am I nuts?