One of my favorite series features plus size Savannah Reid, a southern girl turned Californian who used to be a cop and now works as a private investigator. I found a couple of books in the series that I hadn't read yet, including Corpse Suzette (2006). Back in May I found Fat Free and Fatal--another good read.
In Corpse Suzette, Tammy, Savannah's young computer genius, has company coming--her insecure, grumpy cousin, Abigail. Tammy has a big surprise for Abigail; Tammy won a big makeover for her at a nearby spa. However, Abigail turns out to have a major attitude problem, with a king size chip on her shoulder, and all but alienates everyone she meets. She thinks everyone is making fun of her weight.
Unfortunately, before she can have some of the procedures done, the spa's hotshot surgeon disappears, and her playboy exhusband hires Savannah to find the good doctor--and a chunk of money he claims she stole. Savannah works with Dirk, her former partner, who has been assigned to the missing person case and together they begin the investigation, wondering if it will turn into a homicide case. John and Ryan, the resourceful and drop dead gorgeous former FBI agents, and Savannah's good friends, are back in this book.
As the story progresses, Savannah and Dirk discover more than a few good suspects--and then one of the suspects turns up dead. At the same time, the ugly duckling cousin makes a friend at the spa and he inspires her to try a different approach to her personal style.
All in all, this is an enjoyable series: the characters are often funny, the stories interesting, and the dialogue and description engaging. In many ways, the cast of regular characters is sort of a big family, and many of the books feature a shared meal at Savannah's house, with her fabulous southern cooking described in great detail (definitely not weight watcher approved). I curled up on my bed to read for a couple of hours this morning and it was a good break. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself on a rainy day when you're reading about a woman with a strong sense of herself who loves chocolate and finding the bad guys.
You can find Corpse Suzette in the Mystery section at WPL.
c Waterloo Public Library 2008
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