Corpse on the Cob (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) [Paperback]

Sue Ann Jaffarian (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Odelia Grey Mysteries | Publication Date: February 8, 2010

BOOK FIVE IN THE AWARD-WINING SERIES STARRING UNFORGETTABLE  AMATEUR SLEUTH ODELIA GREY

What do you have to lose when you go searching for the mother who walked out of your life thirty-four years ago? I mean besides your pride, your nerves, and your sanity?

Odelia finds herself up to her ears in trouble when she reunites with her mom in a corn maze at the Autumn Fair in Holmsbury, Massachusetts. For starters, there’s finding the dead body in the cornfield—and seeing her long-lost mom crouched beside the corpse with blood on her hands . . .

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Jaffarian's delightful fifth cozy to feature supersized sleuth Odelia Grey (after 2009's Booby Trap), Odelia wanders into a whole crop of trouble when she discovers her long-lost mom, Grace, bent over a dead body in a Massachusetts corn maze. Surely Grace is no killer, but the woman's ornery refusal to speak has plenty of the local folks wondering. There's no mushy reconciliation after 34 years, but Odelia realizes her mom needs her, and she's determined to glean the truth from a growing list of highly questionable characters. Odelia soon gets another shock: the discovery that she has two half-brothers, both cops and neither overly excited to meet her. Enter Willie Proctor (aka Carter)—fugitive, con man, and dependable friend—to keep an eye on Odelia and help return her safely home to California, but not before bringing in Greg, her handsome paraplegic husband, as backup. Jaffarian keeps getting better and better at blending humor, suspense, and romance. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Jaffarian returns to her Odelia Grey series following the release of her first Granny Apples mystery (Ghost á la Mode, 2009). In this fifth novel featuring the plump California paralegal with one of the sharpest minds around, the mystery is a personal one, as Odelia tracks down her mother, Grace, who disappeared from her life 34 years ago. Odelia discovers that Grace is living in the small town of Holmsbury, Massachusetts, and, with great misgivings, decides she must confront her. Odelia travels alone to Massachusetts and accidentally reunites with her mother in a corn maze at an autumn fair. Unfortunately, she comes upon Grace crouched beside a bloody corpse. The surprises continue as Odelia discovers siblings she never knew she had and feels obligated to help them prove their mother innocent of murder. For much of the story, Odelia is on her own, working without the assistance of her various friends and husband Greg. The personal story makes this among the most satisfying novels in the series, but even so, readers will look forward to finding Odelia back in California, solving crimes that arise from her paralegal work. --Judy Coon

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK; 1 edition (February 8, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738713511
• ISBN-13: 978-0738713519
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #754,500 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

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Odelia's Long-Lost Mom Found With Dead Body in Corn Maze..., February 2, 2010

By 

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

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Corpse on the Cob (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

Sue Ann Jaffarian is back, with another riveting mystery that takes us into Odelia Gray's family tree and unlocks quite a few wild branches. Odelia goes to meet the mother who took off when she was 16, and discovers she has two stepbrothers...and that her mother's poised over a dead body in a corn maze. Despite warnings from her husband Greg and friend Dev Frye, she winds up getting involved, both to unravel the mystery of how her family life got so fractured and the murder. Her old friend Willie shows up to help her, and his sassy outlaw attitude is quite fun. Small town life is no less crime-ridden than Southern California, with drug deals going down at the local farm stand and affairs and money the lure for all sorts of bad guys.

This mystery kept me guessing right until the end, and, as always, Jaffarian presents a cast of characters who are complex, shady, and feisty, as well as adding depth to Odelia and Greg's relationship as she defies him and he risks his life to save her (as well as admitting that he has a bit of a fondness for her adventures). In Corpse on the Cob, in addition to the wackiness of a corn maze, Jaffarian asks if being a corpse magnet is genetic, and makes Odelia's personal life and, well, amateur sleuthing life, collide in a major way. I can't say much more without giving it away except that this was one of the best Odelia Gray mysteries yet, and I can't wait to see which corpse she stumbles over next. Also, Jaffarian makes everyone just a little mysterious so I suspected almost all of the characters.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another Strong Showing for Odelia, February 19, 2010

By 

C. Morgan Hunt (Ashland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Corpse on the Cob (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

I've been a faithful follower of the Odelia Grey series since I found the first book in the San Diego library shelves years ago. When I heard the author was branching into a ghost series, then a vampire series, I was concerned the Odelia series might not get the attention it deserves. My concerns were relieved when I read the long-awaited CORPSE ON THE COB. Jaffarian weaves a complex tale of broken (and restored) family ties, married love, greed, and friendship --all yoked together through Odelia's gleeful nosiness. Not only did the plot hold my attention, but Jaffarian's writing sparkles. (How she does this while writing three different series, I don't know.) Never cliched, such vivid descriptions as, "It made my spine feel like curling ribbon run across scissors" and "He hemmed and hawed like an old woman deciding between oatmeal or bran flakes" lend zest to the story. And the more I read of Odelia's relationship with Greg, the more I want them as neighbors. My only criticism is that I wanted more description of the corn maze. Never having seen one, I didn't really get the "I'm there; I can see, smell and hear it" sensation. But that's pretty minor, all things considered. OK... I'm ready for the next Odelia Grey!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A GREAT MYSTERY WITH FUN THROWN IN!!!!, March 20, 2010

By 

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

This review is from: Corpse on the Cob (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)

CORPSE ON THE COB

Sue Ann Jaffarian's Odelia Grey series is a sure fire winner. I was very happy to see her latest sitting the shelf at the library just waiting for me. Odelia is up to her old tricks as she travels out East to meet her long-lost mother. Her mother up and left when Odelia was a teenager. Her reasons are explained in this latest addition to this fun and should-not-be missed series.

Of course, Odelia gets more than she bargains for when she arrives in Massachusetts to finally meet up with her mom and find out just why she left. Murder, mayhem, and mystery seem to find Odelia wherever she goes. And being Odelia, she just can't help but jump into any mess head first and start sinking or swimming.

Odelia's rendezvous with her mom doesn't go easy. Not only is the meeting filled with high anxiety emotion for both women, soon there are problems. These conundrums are not easy -- they include drugs, kidnapping, money, and murder.

Ms. Jaffarian's characters are full blown and life-life -- so human that they seem as if they could be your friends or neighbors. Fans of this series will be happy to be reunited with Greg, Willie, and a host of new individuals that keep the pages turning and the mind wondering what will happen next!

This is a fun series, one I am happy to have found and always look forward to the next installment. They should be read in the following order --

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

Thank you!

Pam