Fit to Die

Fit to Die is a light, fun read from a fun author. There's nothing serious here but for a super escape, take a couple of hoours and just enjoy this mystery. And, don't be mistaken, this is a mystery in several aspects. The characters are well developed and become friends you hope to see again and again. I read each of the books in the series back to back and wait anxiously for the next one. Keep 'em coming!

I have enjoyed other books by this author, and this one lived up to my expectations. It kept me reading, and guessing the ending. I didn't guess right, but that's part of the fun!

James Henry and the Supper Club are back with more fabulous escapades. When arson hits Quincy's Gap, Virginia, putting newcomer Willy Kendrick and Chilly Willy's Polar Pagoda out of business, they investigate. Soon it is discovered that it is murder, not just arson. Plus Witness to Fitness is new to town and Ronnie is a dynamo spokesperson for the gym. The Flab Five decide to join together to lose some pounds. They soon find out the food is tasteless and they are exhausted from the exercise classes, but they keep pressing forward. James struggles with his feelings for Lucy and how to convey them to her. Plus he's busy planning the big fundraiser for the library and caring for his cranky father who has decided to redo the kitchen. How can he manage everything at once? Can the Flab Five uncover the killer without putting themselves in danger? I love this series. James Henry is such a lovable character. The setting is wonderful. The Flab Five are terrific. I devour the books, but I always hate to see them end so soon. I like how the characters are growing with each book. She's done a great job at creating a series that I can't wait for the next book. I highly recommend this book and the series. If you're like me, you'll have trouble putting it down but be sad when it ends!

Fit to Die is the second book in J.B. Stanley's Supper Club Mystery series. It includes the same characters from Carb and Cadavers but it is not necessary to read that one first. A mystery in a series that can also stand alone is always beneficial to readers. Stanley is able to introduce her new readers to the main characters without boring or losing the interest of returning fans. James Henry is the head librarian for his small town library. After a career as a college professor he is forced to return to his home town to care for his father. He is learning to enjoy his new life a bit, likes his job and his new friends. He and his friends have formed a dinner club to try to support each other in their weight loss efforts. Two new businesses in town seem like they will have an effect on their efforts- one positive and one negative. Friendly new comer Willy has opened up a delightful new ice cream shop with many wonderful creations. Next door Veronica Levitt has introduced a diet and exercise program she calls Witness to Fitness. James Henry has an uncomfortable feeling about Veronica and her whole program but is convinced by his friends to join also. When Chilly Willy's is burned to the ground with its night employee still inside it is proven to be arson. James and his friends get involved to help their new friend Willy. The Supper Club mysteries are comfortable cozies. The characters are likable, the plots are complex enough to keep the reader's interest. The daily lives of the main characters add a nice touch of interest- from James simmering romance with fellow dieter Lucy, to his relationship with his father and Lucy's quest to be taken more seriously by the sheriff's department. The on going story lines are easy to follow without having to read each book- but reading both will enhance the reader's emotional involvement with the characters. J.B. Stanley is also the author of the Collectable Mystery series with A Fatal Appraisal and A Killer Collection.

Since solving a murder and forming a diet support group, the "Flab Five" have backslid to the point where members are grazing their way through a warehouse store's free samples and falling back on old Cheetos habits. So they're ripe for the picking when a new diet guru arrives, promising to shape up and save fatties from themselves in only six weeks. While librarian James Henry has his reservations, the other four members are eager to sign on with Veronica Levitt's expensive and very restrictive tactics. War in Quincy's Gap, Virginia is declared when a new gourmet ice cream shop sets up next to the diet shop and when the tempting creamery burns down there's a plethora of suspects, from the diet nazi herself to the doyens who protest the double-entendre t-shirts ("Have you got a Chilly Willy?") that are corrupting the youth. As determined to stick to their diet and exercise routines as they are to discover who attacked the ice cream store, the Supper Club members once again find themselves in the thick of town secrets and tasty temptations. Even readers who have never been on a diet (?!) will find much to enjoy in this follow-up to Carbs and Cadavers. The lure of chocolate as comfort food and emotional eating is sympathetically and realistically portrayed by Stanley, and the Flab Fives' weaknesses are easily relatable for all. The complex relationship between James and his critical father is equally well developed, as is how a wrenching divorce shattered James' confidence and has him fearful of making advances towards a fellow diet club member. Filled with humor, delectable descriptions of "forbidden" foods, and a mystery that keeps readers guessing up until the end, Fit to Die is sure to please all and proves to be a delightful calorie-free treat.