The Thin Woman (Ellie Haskell)

Ellie Simmons really wants to be thinner. But with her love of food, it wasn't going to happen any time soon. Then she gets an invitation to go see her family and is not sure what she should do. All she knows is that if she goes she must have a date. Ellie decides to hire an escort from an escort service but after meeting her date, Bently T. Haskell, she is about to regret it. They show up at Merlin's Court, only to have her cousin making eyes at Ben and her Uncle Merlin show up in odd places. An unexpected death and puzzle to solve is enough to put Ellie over the edge. She almost loses her appetite for food but Ben's cooking while they solve the puzzle helps her out. Can Ellie she trust anyone around her? My favorite character was Ellie. I could really relate to her struggles to lose weight and how society looked at her. She didn't let it get her down. Ellie had to persevere through everything in order to help solve the puzzle. She really had to work hard and make things work or she would not get an inheritance. Ellie was a true fighter and I loved how things worked out for her in the end. Now, now that she needed it but she really wanted it . My other favorite character was Dorcas. She was there to help solve the puzzle. She may have come towards the end of the book but her part was important. Dorcas filled in bits and pieces to things at the end that made everything seem right. The storyline and the characters of The Thin Woman were real to me. Ellie had to learn to change her habits towards food and embrace who she was becoming in order to earn her inheritance. The struggle that Ellie had with her family was interesting. I never knew families could be so dysfunctional. I could see that the struggle in this book had a purpose. It showed that life is a struggle but you need to keep going, the answer could be just around the corner. I really loved this book. Dorothy Cannell is a wonderful writer and she makes things so real to life. I had a difficult time putting it down. The twist and turns in the book were unpredictable and made the plot interesting. The surprise towards the end was worth the entire book. Cannell had me on the edge of my seat in one part and the next laughing my head off. This author is one amazing writer. I really enjoyed what she had written and I look forward to reading more books by her in the future. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery and not knowing who committed all the crimes. Reviewed by Krista For BBW Reviews

I hate to admit this, because it's nothing against the book at all. I absolutely love this book but for the life of me I can never remember the name. I know what it's about and about when I read it so I search my library for the name each time. The story is so entertaining and fresh. What's funny is I have read other books in this series and for some reason never knew this was one of the first in it's series. Please don't think it's a bad part on the book because it's not it's my brain.Ellie like many women in her same situation wants to impress her family because they kind of give that attitude of I'm better than you because she's plump and single. Ellie decides her best bet is to have someone attractive and male on her arm when she visits them this time around. So she calls on Eligibility Escorts and enter one Bentley Haskell. He's a bit abrasive, but he fits the bill as far as being nice to look at and perfect to play the single girls long time beau. Bentley is a trained chef, but has taken up writing an ADULT/Graphic novel. Once cornered with her family though Ellie makes Bentley not just her Beau but her fiancée in a very humorous moment. So as the weekend ends Ellie goes home with confidence she's gotten away with her lie and can go about her business.Then her uncle dies and he gets one over on the family by stipulating that he is leaving Ellie and Bentley his entire fortune and castle home if they both accomplish two things in the next 6 months. Ellie's supposed to lose weight and make herself over. Bentley is supposed to write a full length book, but it has to be free of blasphemy which is going to be difficult because the book he's been writing will not do at all. The mystery begins as people disappear and Ellie and Bentley are being targeted by a mysterious person who wants them to fail and will do anything to make sure they do. This story is funny and fresh. I love it. The audio version is abridged but very well read by Amanda Donohoe. I'm glad I discovered this book was part of the series I had already come to love because it's a great beginning for it.

whatever it is about this novel that makes it such an addictive, thrilling and hilarious read is impossible to put your finger on...i can't really describe what it was that made me pick up this book and not put it down until page 100. i am by nature a reader of new books, typically those of the trendy-independent bookstore-new-york-press-artsy-cover variety, but this book will engage anyone who comes across it. ellie is the book's overweight protagonist and her wry, self-effacing outlook on life is sure to strike a comedic chord within anyone who's ever felt a twinge of body image concern. over the course of the book ellie, an interior designer, struggles with remodeling a dilapidated and ancient castle, with her lack of appetite control, and most of all with her impossible partner in crime, bentley haskell. you'll reread this one.

I am a bit fussy about mysteries and don't give five stars lightly. I want believable plots, an interesting story, strong characters and a good mystery, and found all of these within the pages of this fine novel. This was a wonderful, fun read with a satisfying ending. The cover states that this book ws named one of the century's 100 favorite mysteries by the Independent Mystery Bookseller's Association, and it does deserve such an accolade. The only thing that could have improved it would have been some recipes!

Someone lent me *Thin Woman* several years ago. I can't think why I didn't rush out and buy my own copy (must have been during my poorer days). I snapped it up when I saw it last week. I meant to be good and go to bed early, but I had to peek the way Ellie has to sample a box of chocolates. Four chapters weren't enough, but I REALLY had to get some sleep. It was a struggle to put the book down. It's so funny. I'm even more overweight than Ellie (although, thank God, I do not have a cousin like Vanessa), so I understand some of the difficulties she faces with food and clothes. (Ellie, that purple silk caftan wasn't so bad -- try walking into a fat ladies' fashions department and finding most of the clothes are patterned with huge flowers such as one sees on slipcovers for sofas and chairs -- a not-so-subtle insult about one's size...) I like Ellie a lot. She's endearingly imperfect. It didn't matter that I already knew the answer as to whether she would win th! ! e bet, the man, and the fortune. I just enjoyed the words -- in fact, an hour or so after I finished it, I reread the last chapter. This is a good book to take the edge off a crummy day. Ann E. Nichols