Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) [Paperback]

Sue Ann Jaffarian (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Odelia Grey Mysteries | Publication Date: February 8, 2009

Booby Trap is book four in this award-winning series starring the plus-sized, middle-aged, and whip-smart Odelia Grey.

Could Dr. Brian Eddy, plastic surgeon to the rich and famous, possibly be the Blond Bomber serial killer? Odelia would never have suspected the prominent doctor of killing the bevy of buxom blonds if she hadn't heard it directly from her friend Lillian — Dr. Eddy's own mother — over lunch one day.

Newlywed Odelia decides to stick her big nose into the case. But this mystery gets even messier than Odelia's chicken parmigiana sandwich, with everything from homeless kittens to Mob connections. Even with the help of her husband Greg and dog Wainwright, friends Zee and Seth, Detective Dev Frye, and her boss Mike Steele, Odelia discovers just how difficult — and dangerous — it'll be to bust this killer.

"Gutsy, smart, and loveable, [Odelia Grey] is the perfect take-no-prisoners heroine for today's woman." — Camryn Manheim, Emmy-winning actress

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Jaffarian's bodacious fourth mystery to feature bighearted, plus-sized Odelia Grey (after 2008's Thugs and Kisses), Odelia's distraught friend, Lillian Ramsey, asks the paralegal's help in proving her famous cosmetic surgeon son, Brian Eddy, is not the Blond Bomber, a serial killer who for the past year has been plaguing Southern California. Odelia—with the aid of her wheelchair-bound husband, Greg Stevens, and the cooperation of her attorney boss, Mike Steele—discovers that both Brian and his celebrity interior designer wife, Jane Sharp, appear to be connected to the four female victims, each of whom had the word whore printed on her torso. The neatly constructed plot begins zigzagging around tough guy Gordon Harper, whose ex-wife, ex-stripper Crystal Lee, was one of the Bomber's victims. Leavened with lively humor, the action builds to a wickedly satisfying windup. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

A recently married paralegal from Southern California, Odelia Grey describes herself as “a short, two-hundred plus, cranky, middle-aged woman with medium brown hair and freckles.” She is also the head of Reality Check, a group that offers advice and support “to anyone who feels they don’t fit into what society considers normal.” In this fourth novel in the series, Jaffarian returns to the theme of her first mystery—foul play tied to sexually oriented online chat rooms. One of Odelia’s friends thinks she has chatted online with the serial killer known as the Blond Bomber and wants Odelia to check out her suspicions. Oh, and by the way, the suspect is the woman’s own son, plastic surgeon Dr. Brian Eddy. The novel jumps between charming scenes portraying the everyday life of the Reality Check friends and over-the-top descriptions of online sex chatters. Fans who enjoyed earlier volumes, in which Odelia’s keen legal mind drove the mystery, may be less pleased with this second excursion into unsavory online sex. The cast of supporting characters is definitely worthy of more serious development in forthcoming books. --Judy Coon

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK; 1 Original edition (February 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738713503
• ISBN-13: 978-0738713502
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #758,983 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian, is a middle-aged, plus size paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles with her two cats, B and Raffi. She writes mysteries and general fiction, as well as short stories.

In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational and humorous speaker.

Want to receive HOT FLASHES, Sue Ann's newsletter? To subscribe, just send an e-mail to [e-mail] with "Add Me" in the subject line. HOT FLASHES is distributed 3-5 times a year via e-mail. And rest assured, your e-mail information is never sold to or shared with anyone.

You can visit Sue Ann at her website: www.sueannjaffarian.com and follow her on both Facebook and Twitter.

(Photo by Innis Casey Photography)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ms. Jaffarian has me trapped, January 30, 2009

By 

A.H. Ream (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

Just when things seem to be going heroine Odelia Grey's way -- her home life is settled, her boss's arrogance is down to a low roar, even the dog and cat are getting along -- an elderly friend drops a bomb. Her son, a prominent plastic surgeon, has unexplained connections to a string of women who've turned up dead, all murders attributed to an unknown serial killer dubbed the Blond Bomber. Odelia, as usual, is in the thick of it, but this time her wheelchair-bound hubby is her partner in crime. Their relationship continues to evolve, which keeps this laugh-out-loud series fresh. Odelia is a woman you want to spend time with. Wherever she's headed, I'm along for the ride.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FUN & MORE FUN, March 8, 2009

By 

Pamela A. Poddany "Book Freak!" (Toledo, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

BOOBY TRAP

Having read the other three books in this series, I was happy when BOOBY TRAP was released. It does not disappoint!

Odelia Grey tries to have a normal life as a happy newly wed, living the good life with her hubby, cat and dog, working at a job she loves, having friends; more or less having it all.

What she can't do is stay out of is trouble. A new friend of hers, Lil, who she met on-line, has confessed to Odelia that she thinks her doctor son is none other than the dreaded serial killer, known as the Blond Bomber. Lil asks Odelia to start an investigation to find out if her son is the killer.

Odelia is off and running, working hard to find out the truth behind the murders of young women. She mets all sorts of characters, good and bad, and many from previous books. Under Ms. Jaffarian's wonderful writing skills, the book is one that you can't put down.

Odelia and her husband Greg are people you would want to meet and know. The writing is fun and fast paced and while you think you have figured out who the killer is, Ms. Jaffarian writes with such skill that this reader was left guessing and then finally surprised.

Read the series and have some fun. They should be read in this order --

TOO BIG TO MISS
THE CURSE OF THE HOLY PAIL
THUGS AND KISSES
BOOBY TRAP

and being released in 2010, CORPSE ON THE COB.

These books are great! Check them out and enjoy.

Thank you!
Pam

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Feisty Heroine and a Fun Mystery That Kept Me Guessing Til The End, February 22, 2009

By 

Rachel Kramer Bussel "Cupcakes Take the Cake ... (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Booby Trap (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

(Note: There are some plot details here.) I used to read a lot of mysteries, but hadn't in a while, and was missing them. I saw a post on Twitter by Mystery Books about Booby Trap and immediately snapped up a copy of it, then spent the next few days with my head buried in the book. I love plus-size narrator/sleuth Odelia Gray - she's feisty, funny, bold, brave and caring. Sue Ann Jaffarian has created a memorable heroine and a fast-paced mystery.

This book centers around the Blond Bomber, a serial killer targeting hot blonde babes. She starts out with a shocker; her friend Lil asks her to investigate her own son, who she suspects of being the killer. Odelia agrees, even though her husband and friends are wary of her getting involved in another murder investigation. The more she finds out, the wilder the twists and turns of the case take, from Internet chat rooms to smuggling. Odelia doesn't so much go undercover as volunteers herself for everything from getting outfitted in a boudoir-worthy costume to making phone calls and meeting the people in the case.

This was my first book by Sue Ann Jaffarian, but definitely not my last. I look forward to reading the rest of Odelia's adventures. What I especially liked was that even though Odelia is the primary sleuth, the supporting characters are unique and fascinating in their own right, from her husband Greg (who's in a wheelchair) to the homeless neighbor who helps solve the case. Bravo to Jaffarian for making Odelia such a gutsy heroine and for creating a mystery that kept me highly entertained.