Customer Reviews

Biggie and the Devil Diet: A Mystery

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nancy Bell never disappoints. This cozy muystery series is so charming, but if you haven't read the preceding books , please postpone this one until its turn comes around. You'll probably find yourself reading these books in a Texas drawl which will make the whole experience even funnier because Bell's humor is southern and her turn of phrase is just perfect. These books are such relaxing and pleasant reads that you'll hate when the last page comes. J.R., the 12 year old narrator, is well ajusted despite being taken from his mother, " a nervous type", after the death of his father who was Biggie's son. His adventures with the warm, wonderful and clever Biggie are just plain old fun. Biggie's cook/housekeeper Willie Mae and her husband Rosebud add tremendously to the stories, and Willie Mae's menus will have you drooling all over yourself. Then, of course, there's J.R.'s best friend,the spunky Monica Sontag, who only has half a head of hair because she was set too close to the fire when she was a baby. On top of all that, there are the townspeople of Job's Crossing, all of whom are diverse and quirky. This series is a real winner, and I hope it continues for a very long time.

I've read all 6 books in this series, in order. They're all nice cozies, and easy to read. I'd give this book at least 4 stars too, if it weren't for the fact that the plot in this one is a shameless rip-off of Agatha Christie's "They Do It With Mirrors".

If it were only how the murder was done, it could just be coincidence -- two creative minds getting the same idea. But the entire setup is the same -- a large number of buildings for a group of resident teenagers with problems, one of the spouses using too much of the other one's money to keep the place going, a problem teenager with a parent fixation, and on and on.

Did the author and the editors really think that readers today aren't familiar with Agatha Christie's books?

When J.R.'s father died and his mother proved unable to care for him, Biggie took him into her heart and home in Job's Crossing. He's going to take his best friend to the school dance but before that can happen, some excitement comes to the small bucolic town. Biggie's first love, Rex Barnwell and his young wife open up a camp for overweight girls. In all good conscience, Biggie is forced to tell J.R. and Rex they are grandson and grandfather, respectively.

When the duo visit Rex, they are forced to stay overnight due to a bad storm. That same night somebody shoots and kills Rex. Biggie is determined to find out who the killer is and Officer Red Upchurch is reluctantly getting used to her involvement in homicide investigations. He encourages her to see what she can find out.

BIGGIE AND THE DEVIL DIET is the perfect cosy to snuggle up with on a cold winter's night. Biggie, her grandson, and the small Texas town where the story takes place will beguile readers. J.R. narrates the tale so everything is seen from his perspective. This makes for a pleasant change from books that are told from an adult's viewpoint.

Harriet Klausner

It is such a pleasant escape to go to Job's Crossing, Texas, and spend a little time with Biggie and J.R., to go down to the tea room and schmooze with the patrons--maybe have a piece of chocolate pie. The plot isn't too much, as mysteries go, but who cares? The characters and the atmosphere are what a reader needs after all the bloody violence of mysteries that top the best seller lists. I'm not usually a great fan of "cozy" whodunits; still, from time to time they are the perfect antidote. Nancy Bell knows her place and people well, and I enjoy going with her.