The Curse of the Holy Pail

Sue Ann Jaffarian has captured cleverness and wit in this larger-than-life mystery series. This book, The Curse of the Holy Pail, is the second in the fast-paced and funny series featuring plus-sized Odelia Grey. Move over, Stephanie Plum, Odelia can eat your lunch! Odelia Grey is a Big Beautiful Woman who works as a paralegal and solves twisty mysteries with a lotta style. Through the well-constructed plot involving family, boss, boyfriend, old TV shows and a rare and collectible lunch box with a now-dead owner, Odelia navigates the sparkling waters of murder and comic mayhem in full sail. She will keep you on the funny edge of mystery and wanting more when it's solved. I have it on very good authority that the third Odelia Grey is in progress, and I can't wait for it. Way to go, Sue Ann Jaffarian!

This book is excellent reading for everyone who enjoys a good murder mystery but beware, don't try to figure it out! SueAnn Jaffarian knows how to twist and turn the story around making you guess the final outcome up to the very end of the book. I suggest you also get the first book (Too Big To Miss) so you know who you are dealing with - a cleaver, big-sized snoop who can get herself into trouble at the drop of a cookie. The Holy Pail continues the adventures of Odelia Grey and her acrimonious pursuit of whatever gets in her way!Read On and have fun!

I really liked "Too Big To Miss" and have been waiting for another book by this author. "The Curse of the Holy Pail" was more than I had anticipated. Ms. Jaffarian has really come into her own, and this book has a depth and width that was wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Ran through it in three days!!! It was very clever, well written. I thought it was a great follow up to the first book, was very consistent. It was funny, clever, loved that Mike Steele. That is loved to hate him!!I highly recommend this book. If you are a lover of the mysterygenre, you'll love this. Not the same, but the flavor of Grafton or Evanovich. Thanks for reading.

Heroine: Abundant Sassy, classy, large and in charge. That's corporate paralegal Odelia Grey for you in a nutshell. But if you crave a little more information on her you might be interested to also know that she owns a green pet cat named Seamus. (Yes, really!) And her curiosity, impulsiveness, and a knack for being in the right place but at the wrong time, lead her into some hair-raising situations. Fortunately Odelia's a sharp cookie and can think her way out of most predicaments, and for those she can't get out of on her own she has a great group of friends to provide back-up.What worked for me: I had a blast taking a joy-ride in Odelia's head. She's very perceptive and has a great sense of humor. The mysteries keep you guessing, but aren't so difficult as to be off-putting to non-mystery buffs. Her gentleman friend Greg was quite yummy and his appearance in the story offered a nice touch of romance for fans of that genre. Size-wise Odelia is middle-aged, quite short and rather round. She's been working for a long time at accepting herself, and her support group Reality Check has been very helpful in making that happen. I'm glad that Odelia is starting to speak up for herself and is learning not to be cowed by clothing sales clerks afflicted with superiority complexes!What didn't work for me: I didn't mind it because it's both a cause dear to my heart as well as an integral part of the story, but some folks who aren't into the size acceptance movement might feel uncertain about that part of the first book. However, size is not the main issue in the second story. And it's certainly no reason not to pick up this excellent series. I hate cliffhangers in series, but that's what keeps people coming back for more!Overall: Packed with clever humor, vibrant prose, sympathetic characters, and brilliant mysteries, the Odelia grey series is the total package and is highly recommended for fans of mystery and romantic suspense. Warning: there are some steamy scenes here and there in this story.If you liked the Odelia Grey mystery series, you might also enjoy the Southern Sisters mystery series, the Josephine Fuller mystery series, the Stephanie Plum mystery series, "Death by Dessert", "The Gumshoe Girls", "Lady Blue", "Teacher's Pet", "Love by the Pound", "Etta Mae's Little Theory" or "Good in Bed".

People are killed for many reasons - money, love, drugs, hate - but not many people are killed for a lunch pail, even if it is a one of a kind from a cancelled TV show from the 60's. In Odelia Gray's latest adventure, she feels compelled to investigate the murder of wealthy businessman Sterling Price, who was killed shortly after she was in his office picking up some papers for the law firm she worked for. Price was showing her his prized lunch pail collection, even giving her a Zorro pail, when he showed her the jewel of his collection, Holy Pail, which was the prototype for a lunch pail for the Chappy Wheeler show, an old cowboy show that was cancelled when its star was murdered. Shortly after Odelia left, Price is found dead and the Holy Pail is missing. Odelia, who really liked Price, begins nosing around and stirs up more secrets than she thought one family could have. At the family home after the funeral, she comes across his ex-fiancé cuddling up to both his son-in-law and his son and finds out that his daughter was plotting to take over his company. Odelia decides that maybe this is a family she really doesn't want to get to know any better. But when her office is trashed and searched and her home is searched as well, she realizes that someone thinks she has the Holy Pail and that, if she doesn't want to be victim number 2, she needs to find both the murderer and the lunch pail. Add in the complication of her boyfriend proposing, her boss getting attacked and having to spend time with her dad and his family, and you have the makings of a very delightful cozy.This is a fun book; even though you have murder and mayhem, you still sense it doesn't take itself too seriously underneath, and you will find yourself laughing out loud at some of the situations Odelia finds herself in and giving her advice on how to handle people and events.