Thugs and Kisses by Sue Ann Jaffarian

First Line: "Why am I not surprised?"

Paralegal Odelia Grey doesn't know which way to jump. Not only was the class bully murdered at her thirtieth high school reunion, her boss has also gone missing. Fortunately, someone else makes the decision for her as to which case to concentrate on. Now if they could only "decide away" the tangled connections, buyer's remorse, and contract killers that she discovers. Oh well, at least this helps Odelia keep her mind off her foundering relationship with Greg.

If you like fun, suspenseful mysteries with realistic, well-drawn characters, and a wonderful sense of humor, I bid you welcome to the world of Odelia Grey. This paralegal does not fit the Los Angeles area's size 0 body criteria, but she more than makes up for it with her warm heart, her sense of humor, and her sharp detecting skills. 

Odelia's relationship with Greg has hit a snag. He's called an end to it because he doesn't like the way her amateur investigations put her in danger. But if she had her way, she wouldn't lift a finger to help police find Donny Oliver's killer; the class bully was beyond cruel. Moreover, if her law firm wasn't paying her to find her annoying boss, Michael Steele, she wouldn't bother with him either-- she's enjoying the peace and quiet.

Thugs and Kisses contains a good, solid mystery with plenty of tension at the end. It also reveals what happened to Odelia at her high school senior prom, and it's guaranteed to make anyone shrivel up in sympathy. Jaffarian skillfully combines a wide range of emotions with her tight plotting and nuanced characterizations to make a series that's so much fun to read. Odelia walks roughshod over clichés and worn-out expectations and right into your kitchen to share a chat over a cup of coffee. I've come to rely on my fictional best friend Odelia to deliver a dose of smarts, heart, and humor.
   

Thugs and Kisses by Sue Ann Jaffarian

ISBN: 9780738710891

Midnight Ink © 2008

Paperback, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Odelia Grey mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian

First Line: By the age of forty-seven, I had technically broken nine of the Ten Commandments-- although I'm still a bit fuzzy about the whole "graven image" thing.

Sterling Price, client of Odelia Grey's law firm, has been murdered, and most people seem to think it has something to do with the "Holy Pail." Price was a lunchbox collector, and he owned the only Chappy Wheeler lunchbox in existence. Every owner of that particular lunchbox has died, and the curse continues. Price is dead, and the Chappy Wheeler lunchbox is gone.

The police first come to see Odelia in her office; they heard Price had given her a lunchbox on the day he died. Price did, but Odelia shows them that her lunchbox is definitely Zorro, not Chappy. However rumors persist, and Odelia's research turns up an old unsolved murder and a gold digger whose two biggest assets--despite all appearances-- are not her breasts. Soon break-ins, attacks, and more murder has Odelia working fast to save her own skin.

Sue Ann Jaffarian's Odelia Grey is the type of sleuth that gives most of us ordinary women hope. She's breathing down the neck of fifty, and she definitely has more curves than the airbrushed ideals to whom we're supposed to aspire. But guess what? Age and size don't matter. Odelia has a wonderful romantic relationship, and she's the best paralegal in Newport Beach, California. That she also has a bit of the smart aleck in her doesn't hurt either. When trying to assure someone that she isn't going to investigate Price's death, she refers to what happened to her in the first book (Too Big to Miss): "Don't worry about that. I left my amateur sleuthing behind when I got shot. I've only got one good butt cheek left."

But Jaffarian isn't just about humor (although you've got to read her response to readers who insisted she share her favorite cookie recipe as other authors have done in their books. What a hoot!)-- she also writes some first-rate descriptions, such as "With her gray hair and dull, conservative suit, she reminded me of an old armchair discarded by the side of the road." How can such a simple image make me feel so sad?

Characters, humor, description... and the mystery is a good one, too. There are so many suspects and motives floating around that it takes a while to sort through them all. Along the way we learn about lunchbox collecting, the early days of television, and some of the inner workings of Hollywood studios-- all interesting stuff.

I do have to admit that Jaffarian tapdanced all around two of the things I don't like to find when I'm reading crime fiction. Odelia doesn't always give the police information and evidence as soon as she stumbles across it, although-- thank heaven-- she doesn't wait very long. Odelia is also saved from a TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) moment by the addition of a jaw-dropping sidekick. I have the feeling that Jaffarian was winking at me when she wrote those scenes.

What's my reaction? I'm going to wink right back because the next book in the series, Thugs and Kisses, is on its way to me right now. Jaffarian's sense of humor, her storytelling, and her Odelia Grey are winners!

The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian

ISBN: 9780738708645

Midnight Ink © 2008

Paperback, 384 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Odelia Grey mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap

Ho Ho Humbug by Sue Ann Jaffarian

First Line: Suddenly, my life had become a John le Carré novel.

If you like a little murder and mayhem during your holiday season, author Sue Ann Jaffarian has served up two digital Christmas short stories that fill the bill.

Both star plus-sized series character Odelia Grey, a paralegal who solves mysteries in southern California. Do you have to know anything about Odelia before you begin reading? Not at all! (But don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for the books afterwards.)

The first story, "Ho Ho Homicide" has Odelia being acccused of killing Santa at the local mall. The second, "Ho Ho Hell" brings Odelia back to the very same mall with her mother where a near riot breaks out over a parking space.

Both stories are light-hearted fun that highlight experiences we've all had while shopping for gifts. (Well... maybe not that being accused of murder part.) They're perfect for some me time after doing your own shopping. Sit down, put your feet up, sip some hot chocolate, and enjoy reading a few pages. You deserve it!
 

Ho Ho Humbug by Sue Ann Jaffarian

ASIN: B00Q3HW3YK 

Arakel Press © 2014

eBook, 26 pages

Short Stories featuring Odelia Grey

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon


 

Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian

First Line: My weekend was D.O.A. ... dead on arrival.

Odelia Grey is a middle-aged, never married, plus-sized paralegal who has a boss from hell and a family that-- if she had the choice between being beaten up or going to visit her relatives, she just might choose the beating. She's a much-valued employee, and she makes no excuses for her weight, her age, or her lack of husband and children. But she could stand up for herself a little more. In order to do that, she's always looked to her friend Sophie London, a plus-sized activist, to be her inspiration.

But when Sophie sits down in front of a webcam, puts a gun in her mouth, and commits suicide, the bottom drops out of Odelia's life. She's not the only one who will mourn Sophie's death-- many women in Sophie's support group depended on her strength, her common sense, and her humor to help them improve their lives. The more Odelia thinks about it, the more Sophie's suicide just doesn't make sense, and she decides to ask some questions and do a little searching of her own for the truth about Sophie's death. Her quest will take her to some very unlikely places: strip malls, the world of live webcam porn, and some of the wealthier suburbs in southern California.

I immediately liked Odelia Grey. She's sassy and smart and knows when to follow good advice during the riskier parts of her investigation. In summing up herself, she also sums up why cozy mysteries and their sleuths are so popular:

As usual, Zee was right. I wasn't the police or a detective. I was just me, a middle-aged, overweight, nosy woman. I was no more equipped to interview and cope with a conniving murderer than I was to play basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers. But I was hellbent on finding out the truth about Sophie's final hours, and that single-mindedness alone made me a formidable opponent. At least in my fantasy world.

It's funny how just the right amount of determination can make fantasies come true for all of us "just me's", and I like how Odelia's investigation not only finds a killer, but brings her closer to her old friends while making new ones, and gives her the incentive and the strength to attempt to fill Sophie's shoes in the future.

This character is a breath of fresh air. Normally overweight characters have limited roles in crime fiction. They either serve as background for the author to showcase personal disgust or unkind humor, or they could be considered suspects if only they weren't fat (because being fat means they're too lazy to commit murder), or they actually are killers because they were insanely jealous of the thin victim. Odelia Grey is none of these; she's a normal human being most of us would be fortunate to call friend.

Odelia, I'm definitely coming back to read more of your adventures. Oh... about playing basketball? I think you should go ahead and give it a shot. Looks to me like the Lakers need a little help this year, and you've proven that you know how to get things done!

Too Big to Miss by Sue Ann Jaffarian

ISBN: 9780738708638

Midnight Ink © 2006

Paperback, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Odelia Grey mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Paperback Swap