Corpse Suzette

To get totally caught up on the Savannah Reid series, I picked up Corpse Suzette by G. A. McKevett from the library the other day. And as per normal, the characters and story line didn't disappoint... This installment centers around a luxury spa and a missing plastic surgeon. Savannah's partner, Tammy, won a contest for a complete makeover and surgery session for her cousin Abigail. Abby is quite overweight and bitter, and really wants no part of this. She grudgingly goes along with everything, but the big name plastic surgeon goes missing the day before the big event. The surgeon, Suzette Du Bois (and the source of the title pun), is nowhere to be found, and San Carmelita detective Dirk Coulter doesn't know if he's investigating a missing persons or a homicide case. Without the star surgeon, the spa is sure to go under, and everyone working at the spa looks like a potential suspect if Du Bois is indeed dead. Savannah has to balance her identity as a private detective and a (phony) reporter to get staff to talk with her, and each new revelation points to a different likely killer. But things really get complex when Du Bois' cheating husband, a very likely suspect, turns up dead himself. The missing Du Bois could now be a killer herself, and there's no telling where she might be and why she left... This particular story had an ending I certainly didn't see coming. And I pretty much had to read it all the way through in order to find out "who dun it". The side story running through the whole novel is Abigail's outlook on her overweight body and how it's made her so negative. With Savannah's southern charm and common sense, she's able to break Abigail out of the mental outlook she's trapped in, and actually bring about some very positive changes (without undergoing the knife). That undercurrent is a little preachy at times, but it doesn't get in the way of a pretty good story. A quick read, and one that was good for a few hours of mindless escape...

Savannah and friends are always delightful. This is another mystery taking place in a spa, but has a nice twist at the end. A good summer (or anytime) read.

CORPSE SUZETTE by G.A. McKevett is the eleventh in the Savannah Reid Mystery series. One of the delights of this series is that you can read each book independently of the others and still understand the characters and situations. Savannah, transplanted from Georgia, is a police officer turned private investigator in San Carmelita, California. Her wit and southern wisdom are a hit in this series. Police detective and close friend Dirk Coulter and Savannah share information, stakeouts, food and adventures in this series, along with her vegetarian assistant, Tammy. Do you have the feeling that food is important in this series? It is, but it's not a story with recipes. Savannah and Dirk simply enjoy eating. Voluptuous or a little overweight, depending on your point of view, Savannah likes herself and good food. She can't understand why women would diet and torture themselves with surgery to slim down. When Tammy invites her heavyset cousin for a visit after winning a makeover contest for her, Savannah's world takes a new turn. Tammy has asked Savannah to host Cousin Abigail at her home because Tammy doesn't have room. Abigail is touchy about her weight situation and more than a little ornery. When Abigail suddenly decides to cooperate and claim her prize, everyone is suspicious of her motives; especially after Suzette Du Bois, the plastic surgeon at San Carmelita's new luxury spa, disappears. Sure that Ms. Du Bois is dead, Savannah and Dirk take on the missing person case along with various employees at the spa, including Du Bois' ex-husband who swears she's hiding because she stole money from him. Then there's Myrna Cooper, receptionist at the spa, who has a permanent look of surprise on her face from too many anti-aging procedures. Include a snippy publicist and ambitious style consultant and you have quite an interesting group of suspects. And don't forget Abigail, who didn't really want the makeover in the first place. When one of the suspects is murdered, things begin to escalate. Savannah would like nothing more than to solve the case and settle down with a friendly strawberry margarita and a snack. But business comes first. Ms. McKevett creates a flock of interesting characters, and manages to create a Hitchcock"esque" ending as this case is resolved. If you're looking for memorable characters, a fun and interesting story with a touch of humor, try Savannah Reid in CORPSE SUZETTE by G.A. McKevett. (Kensington Books, May, 2006, ISBN #0-7582-0462-0)

I just love the interaction between the characters in these books. Savannah ends up solving a mystery (or a couple of them) at a Spa. The mystery is light, but not to light, with lots of Southern charm. A big plus is that you don't have to read these books in order (imho), but once you have read one, you will have to read all of them. Highly recommended.

San Carmelita private detective Savannah Reid is allowing her assistant's cousin Abigail to stay at her apartment while they both get a complete makeover at Emerge, a high class spa. Abigail is not easy to get along with because she hates her Junoesque body while Savannah who is also overweight is comfortable with hers. Abigail's' makeover is halted when one of the owners Suzette DuBois disappears baffling the police who are not sure a crime occurred and if one did was it a homicide. Emerge's other owner, Suzette's former husband Sergio D'Allesandro, hires Savannah to find his ex wife because he insists she took one and a half million dollars form his bank account. After doing some investigating with her friend Police Detective Dirk, they find Sergio's body at Emerge. Toxicology affirms what Savannah suspected that he was murdered. She and the police seek the missing Suzette, who each feels is either the killer or the next victim. G.A. McKevett writes a sparkling witty and exciting whodunit that is low on gore but big on clues so fans of cozies and armchair sleuths will fully appreciate. The heroine seems like a real person with her acceptance of who she is physically as a big athletic woman and her need for justice. Once again Savannah stars in a totally exciting mystery. Harriet Klausner