Too Big to Miss (Odelia Grey Mystery)

Jaffarian has written an excellent mystery story - I'd give it six stars if I could - but she's done even more than that. She has woven other issues into the story and leaves her readers with something to think about. Other reviewers have adequately covered how Jaffarian examines the issue of discrimination but there is more here to ponder. We also see a revealing picture of families and their various dysfunctions. Mothers' roles are particularly highlighted - Sophie's mother abandoned her; Her stepmother is a nightmare; Glo's mother was a victim. Most interesting though are the three mothers who have every reason to be enemies, but work together to protect a single child.

Mystery readers know the characters Stephanie Plum, Bubbles Yablonsky; they are all slim, perky crime fighters. Are you ready for a new character, a cross-between Bertha Cool and Bridget O'Toole? Author Sue Ann Jaffarian has taken all those characters and rolled them up into one plus size crime fighter. Odelia Grey is middle aged, never married plus size woman living in Costa Mesa, a place "where size does matter." This novel is fun, well-writen and at times touching. Jaffarian knows how to write a good, character and plot driven mystery . When her friend Sophie commits suicide on her web site, Odelia is thrust into a bizarre world she never knew existed. This book held my interest though out. I will be looking foreward to the next Odelia Grey novel.

I could not put this book down, I read it cover to cover, hardly stopping. Odelia Gray is warm, sensitive, and funny. It's a pleasure to read a book that provides such a wonderful, rich character. I have never been inside the head of someone who allowed you to hear her thoughts about her weight, it was eye opening. I've recommended Too Big To Miss to all my friends.

This is a mystery novel by a brand new writer, Sue Ann Jaffarian and, like the author, the lead character, Odelia Grey, is a paralegal in Southern California. Odelia is in her late forties, single, 5'1" and 215 pounds. She's lived a lifetime of prejudice about her size but, as a mature woman, she's not going to take it anymore. She and her circle of friends have a support group and are slowly but surely accepting themselves for who they are and taking a stand against the discrimination against them. Odelia is shocked and upset when the leader of their group, Sophie London, supposedly commits suicide. And she is even more surprised when she discovers that Sophie had a porn website and shot herself in front of her viewers. Besides grief, what's a gal to do? What follows is a tight, well-plotted story, with enough twists and turns to keep me up past my bedtime. I really liked it, and that's saying a lot, because I'm not a big fan of mysteries.However, "Too Big to Miss" goes far and beyond the story. With a sense of both humor and mastery over her material, Ms. Jaffarian has something to say about the politically correct prejudice against fat people as well as the bias against anyone who is different. In the book, there's a romance between Odelia and a paraplegic, Greg Stevens. Gently, we are reminded of the humanity of these characters, while never once forgetting the strong story line of the plot. We root for Odelia in her quest for the murderer, and we also root for her as she breaks stereotypes and establishes a relationship. She's not only a good detective, but also an inspiration to anyone who has ever felt "different". I thank Ms. Jaffarian for writing this book and look forward to her next. Recommended.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a book by a new author that kept my interest from cover to cover. The storyline was both suspenseful and cleaver. As an avid reader of another mystery author (MHC), this book is in the same class! As usual, I tried to solve the mystery before the end of the book, and this book was so cleaverly written, I was fooled up to the very end. I am looking forward to many more stories by Sue Ann Jaffarian and her main character, Odelia Grey - who is Too Big Too Miss!!!