Larger Than Death

Josephine Fuller is just getting back on her feet and enjoying her new job. She takes some time off to visit her friend Nina, only to find out that Nina was murdered. Jo is not about to let this case be unsolved and thanks to Nina's will she has names to research. Even the idea of getting killed does not deter her. Jo wants justice for her friend. Josephine Fuller is full in every way, not only in size but also in character. She is recently divorced and doing her best to move on with her life. She never could picture the tragedy that would strike and she feels guilty. Yet she perseveres and wants to make sure she finds Nina's killer and ensure that he/she does not hurt another woman of size. She also does not look down on anyone no matter what they look like or the size of thier clothes. My other favorite character is Maxine. She is the manager of the apartment building that Nina lived in. She is also a woman of fullness. She is so sweet and loving to everyone. I could not get over how often she had mood swings, but when you are an emotional person that happens. There were quite a few plus size character but they didn't let the their size get them down. They loved themselves for who they were and were confident in it. I appreciated how real the characters were all of them. A couple of examples are Val (a gay man), to Joan (a plus size woman), and Mulligan who was Nina's boyfriend before she was murdered brutally. I really liked Josephine because she made a point of telling whomever she met that she liked the way she looked and was not going to change. I read this book in one day because I had to see what would happen as Jo went on her many adventures seeking out the truth. She is a true heroine because she did what she thought was right. Now at times, I thought Jo was crazy because there was always the chance of her getting killed but she pursued things in spite of it. Nina had so many friends and I was sad to see that she was killed. You have to be able to accept who you are no matter what you look like and this book depicted that in a real way. It left me really refreshed and wanting to pick up and read the rest of the books in this series. Reviewed by Krista For BBW Reviews

OVERALL: Not a bad read. Definitely DO NOT have to force yourself past the first chapter or two. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to a friend.SPECIFIC: I enjoyed the characters and the presentation of them. The storyline was easy to follow and enjoyable. The "who-dunit" wasn't easily detectible, but surprising. The author did manage to keep my interest with other goodies once it was discovered.

I am not a mystery fan. I found Larger Than Death enjoyable because of the liveliness and clarity of the writing. This book is easy to read, and entertaining. The characters are all a bit odd, which is to say that they are portrayed honestly, and it is their humanity and idiosynchrasies which provide most of the amusement. I appreciated the references to religious cults and body acceptance. The murder mystery kept me guessing, but what kept me reading were the little subcultures: the philanthropy foundation, the apartment house, the religious group, the diet guru and his followers. It wasn't easy keeping track of the characters and plot lines, but it was rewarding.

Larger Than Death is an entertaining way to spend a couple night's reading. The femme sleuth, Jo Fuller, is a full-figured woman whose best friend, also full-figured,has just been murdered. Jo vows to find the killer, but along the way several other victims fall prey. They don't fit the profile of previous victims, which now throws Jo for a loop.A cast of lively secondary characters adds color to the storyline. The one thing that keeps me from a 5-star review is the fact that about 1/2 way through the book, I'd pretty much figured out the culprit. That aside, I've ordered Ms. Murray's second book and am looking forward to reading it.

Jo Fuller is a heroine for all of us who wish we had been born when women were supposed to look like women, ample curves were in, and voluptuous was a preferred adjective. Jo, however, has come to terms with herself and her size and is happily enjoying a new job and her new status as a divorcee. She doesn't take put downs from others regarding her size-- the commonest one being a put down/compliment, "You'd be a knock-out IF you lost weight." She has a comeback ready and waiting. The plot thickens(no pun intended)when Jo arrives for a visit with a dear friend and finds that the friend has met a horrible end. Jo's anger fuels her search for answers and despite some rather implausible plot elements--a killer who seems to be preying on fat women, the involvement of a commune, and a child whose existence has been kept secret, the story flows along smoothly. I have to admit I was hooked from the first page and accepted all of these events as being quite plausible while I was involved with the story. Fans of authors Chris Rogers and Virginia Lanier might especially enjoy spending a few hours with Jo. Good plotting and a great heroine.