Foreign Body: A Tory Bauer Mystery

OK, I admit that I was already a Kathleen Taylor fan. Had I not been, FOREIGN BODY would have made me one.This is a tour de force for Ms. Taylor. Her descriptive skills are at their best as Tory Bauer, her protagonist, doesn't even go outside her own café in Delphi, South Dakota to get involved with another mess. The question is: Is it a suicide or is it murder? Tory and her best friend wannabe-lover, wealthy-librarian Neil Pascoe, try to sort the pieces of a puzzle involving the local Luthern minister, a visiting teen-age choir, and a local scalawag. As Ms. Taylor fits the pieces together, she builds her characters so completely that, when one finishes the book, he feels as though he is actually acquainted with the town and it's cleverly drawn citizenry.The Tory Bauer series was already one of the best in the contemporary mystery genre. FOREIGN BODY only builds Ms. Taylor's reputation as a master storyteller and skilled writer.When is Kathleen Taylor going to get her much-deserved Edgar Allen Poe Award?

How could this be happening again? Another dead, or to be more exact, almost dead body in the Delphi Cafe. This is definitely not good for business and poor Tory Bauer, overweight, over forty waitress and now co-owner of the only eating establishment in town can't believe she's calling 911, yet again. It seems that one young Swedish female member, Annelise, of the European Traveling Lutheran Youth Choir has decided to attempt suicide in the cafe by taking an overdose of aspirin, leaving behind a scandalous note that blames this desperate act on Delphi's own Reverend Clay Diebert, for molesting her. To make matters even worse, though rushed to the hospital in Aberdeen, Annelise dies, Clay's wife, Junior is Tory's first cousin, about ten months pregnant and convinced that he's been having an affair with someone, an old Delphi nemesis, Weasel Cleaver is out of jail and back in town wreaking havoc, the cafe's in real financial trouble and about to go under and if that's not enough, another dead body is found in the Reverend's office closet. Now Tory is on the case, trying to sort this mess out and as usual, when she begins asking questions and peeking into the lives of Delphi's finest citizens, secrets and lies start popping up all over town..... Kathleen Taylor has done it again, written another fast paced, entertaining page turner that begs to be read in one sitting. Her engaging plot and crisp, witty and often irreverent writing are only outdone by her wonderful cast of quirky, wacky characters and you're sure to be laughing out loud at their antics and her vivid side-splitting scenes. This is the sixth installment to a terrific series. If you're new to Tory and company, start at the beginning with Funeral Food and read them all. If you're already a fan, you won't be disappointed this time out. Enjoy!

Kathleen Taylor has done it again! This 6th Tory Bauer mystery is her best yet. I read it entirely in one sitting and am anxiously waiting for a seventh in the series. One title in the series, "Sex and Salmonella," is still out of print. For new readers to the series, you'll want to read this one, too. Start whining to the publishers for a re-issue!

Another wickedly humorous mystery by the amazing Ms. Taylor. She is one of the few authors I preorder new books from as soon as they are announced, then eagerly count down the days until they arrive. I can not wait to see what Tory, Neil, Del and all the others have in store for them next. Bravo!

This has not been an uneventful year for Tory Bauer and that is the biggest understatement of the century. In a period of seven months, she has become involved in six homicide investigations, began and ended an affair with a married man, and became the co-owner of the Delphi Café when her mentor and friend passed away. The new co-owner is a former stripper who drives her nuts and she fears to becoming romantically involved with her best friend because if things go wrong, she will lose a relationship she deeply cherishes. Just when it looks like her life might be getting back to normal, a girl dies in the Delphi's café. Leaving a note behind, the girl, in her letter, accuses the Reverend Clay Deibert of molesting her. The Reverend is married to Tory's cousin Junior and she does not believe Clay would do anything so horrendous. She intends to prove this and winds up getting involved in another murder investigation. FOREIGN BODY is a laugh out loud amateur sleuth novel that will appeal to anyone who likes an Agatha Christie like mystery with a twist of humor. The lead and supporting characters have all appeared in previous works in this series so readers will feel as if they are revisiting with old friends. Kathleen Taylor has a dry sense of humor, which comes out at unexpected turns in the voices of the characters and helps make FOREIGN BODY an enjoyable reading experience.Harriet Klausner