Murder Makes Waves

Patricia Anne (Mouse) and Mary Alice (Sister) are a pair of sisters from Birmingham Alabama who have very little in common aside from their bloodlines and a penchant for getting themselves all tangled up in murder investigations. In this, the fourth entry in this series the two sisters decide to spend a week at the beach where Sister (the rich one) has a condo. Mary Alice is going for a writer's conference and Mouse is tagging along because her husband Fred is going to be out of town on business. It just happens that Patricia Anne's widowed daughter Haley has a week off so she ends up going along, as does another lady who just retired from the same school that Mouse retired from. They plan on a nice girl's week out but then the dead bodies start to pile up and everything changes. Naturally it is the girls who stumble onto the first body and the deceased turns out to be Sister's condo neighbor. In the entries before this one the sisters have tended to get involved in the investigations because a friend of theirs is a chief suspect and that pattern is repeated here. Actually Mouse does most of the investigating because Sister is so caught up in her writing conference that she has little time for snooping. She does use what little time she has to spare well though. Between them, with a little help from Haley, Mouse figures out who did it, which is something of a departure from the norm because the sisters tend to just stumble onto the solution most of the time. The mystery itself also plays a stronger part in this entry than it has in some of the others but despite the author's obvious effort to stay on plot, the fun factor is still very much in play. The dialogue and interaction between the characters in these books is just indescribably good and the humor abounds. My wife read this book before I did and since she usually retires before I do she kept getting out of bed to come and read passages to me. All the while she was laughing so hard that she had to keep wiping away the tears. For example, there is the story that Sister writes for the conference. It is the tale of a wheelchair repossession man and it includes a scene with a little old lady in her chair chasing the guy down the street and beating him with her walking stick. If you don't think that is funny just keep in mind that Mary Alice wrote it as drama not comedy. I assure you that these two sisters will brighten up the gloomiest of days but I must admit that after reading this book I'm kind of glad that I'm an only child.

It is a shame that Anne George passed away a few years ago. I just discovered her Southern Sisters series and eight books are too few for this magical series. It is ESPECIALLY a great series for those who are 30+, but EVERYONE will enjoy them....especially women who have sisters! "Murder Makes Waves" is the 4th book in the series and I found the plot and dialogue to be especially good. I rarely laugh out loud in reading passages, but Anne George is an exception! Retired schoolteacher, Patricia Anne (petite, short, reserved) sibling Mary Alice (boisterous, impulsive, rich, 250+, and a foot taller than her sister), and Patricia Anne's daughter, Haley and good friend Frances escape to the beaches of Destin, Florida to get away from it all. One of the first people they see is their old friend who manages the condominiums - Millicent Weatherby. But Millicent has shed 50lbs., has had a few cosmetic surgeries and looks simply fantastic...until she turns up dead! The sisters are threatened and must work hard to quickly solve this murder. This is a series that you will LOVE. Buy them all at once - you won't regret it!

This is my favorite of the Anne George mysteries. Destin is one of my favorite beach spots, where all the southerners go to relax and read a good book. Enjoyed spending Patricia Anne's vacation with her and her crazy family there, even if they did find a few dead bodies! What's a few bodies among friends? For those who like southern mysteries, try The Desk by Jonna Turner.

Another terrific Southern Sisters Mystery! Join Patricia Anne and 'Aunt Sister' at the beach.Throw in a couple of dead bodies, a whole whack of turtles and a Florida vacation and you have another hilarious, enjoyable read from Anne George.I was first attracted to Anne's stories by the title of her books, but now I keep coming back for the laughs, the who-done-its and the fact that these two sisters feel like part of MY family now.Thanks Anne!

Murder Makes Waves, a book by Anne George, can be evaluated many ways. As a cozy mystery it is quite good. As a book of humor, it is superior. As a realistic portrayal of life in the South, it is surprisingly accurate. It is a rare description of relationships, especially those of a family. The fine language used in the book puts the reader into the setting, into the atmosphere, in an almost unbelievable way. The reader smells, sees, tastes, feels, experiences what George describes. Her pleasing use of figurative language indicates a discerning eye, ear, etc. And on top of all this--it is a great read! Give it a 10! Try it! You'll like it!