Customer Reviews

Foreign Body: A Tory Bauer Mystery

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

OK, I admit that I was already a Kathleen Taylor fan. Had I not been, FOREIGN BODY would have made me one.
This is a tour de force for Ms. Taylor. Her descriptive skills are at their best as Tory Bauer, her protagonist, doesn't even go outside her own café in Delphi, South Dakota to get involved with another mess. The question is: Is it a suicide or is it murder? Tory and her best friend wannabe-lover, wealthy-librarian Neil Pascoe, try to sort the pieces of a puzzle involving the local Luthern minister, a visiting teen-age choir, and a local scalawag.
As Ms. Taylor fits the pieces together, she builds her characters so completely that, when one finishes the book, he feels as though he is actually acquainted with the town and it's cleverly drawn citizenry.
The Tory Bauer series was already one of the best in the contemporary mystery genre. FOREIGN BODY only builds Ms. Taylor's reputation as a master storyteller and skilled writer.
When is Kathleen Taylor going to get her much-deserved Edgar Allen Poe Award?

Kathleen Taylor has done it again! This 6th Tory Bauer mystery is her best yet. I read it entirely in one sitting and am anxiously waiting for a seventh in the series.

One title in the series, "Sex and Salmonella," is still out of print. For new readers to the series, you'll want to read this one, too. Start whining to the publishers for a re-issue!

Tory Bauer, waitress, part owner of a small cafe in Delphi, South Dakota and reluctant crime solver has fallen into another sticky situation. A young girl has attempted suicide in the Delphi Café and Tory is off in search of answers. I found a few problems with this, the sixth and most recent of the Tory Bauer Mysteries. I have always enjoyed Tory's introspective breaks in previous novels. They are often humorous and surprisingly insightful. But I think Ms. Taylor went a little overboard with this particular gambit in the first part of the story. It seemed to take too long to get to the meat of the tale. By the time Tory sits down with her friend, Neil Pascoe (they are a perfect match!), to discuss recent events, the story begins to move along at a more satisfying pace. There were several writing errors throughout the book. A few examples: In one sentence, the word make was used in place of the word may. "...lost on the our vast grid...". "...that it would to be up to me...". There were so many of these small errors it was a distraction. The print on several pages was faint and washed out looking. For people with normal vision, this probably doesn't pose a problem, but my eyesight is less than good and I had some difficulty with it. The story is a very good one and I enjoyed catching up with the folks in Delphi. It is a Not To Be Missed addition to this excellent series. I'm sorry to be so critical here, but I am hoping that word will get back to the publisher that Taylor's books deserve better editing and more attention paid to the actual printing process.

This has not been an uneventful year for Tory Bauer and that is the biggest understatement of the century. In a period of seven months, she has become involved in six homicide investigations, began and ended an affair with a married man, and became the co-owner of the Delphi Café when her mentor and friend passed away. The new co-owner is a former stripper who drives her nuts and she fears to becoming romantically involved with her best friend because if things go wrong, she will lose a relationship she deeply cherishes.

Just when it looks like her life might be getting back to normal, a girl dies in the Delphi's café. Leaving a note behind, the girl, in her letter, accuses the Reverend Clay Deibert of molesting her. The Reverend is married to Tory's cousin Junior and she does not believe Clay would do anything so horrendous. She intends to prove this and winds up getting involved in another murder investigation.

FOREIGN BODY is a laugh out loud amateur sleuth novel that will appeal to anyone who likes an Agatha Christie like mystery with a twist of humor. The lead and supporting characters have all appeared in previous works in this series so readers will feel as if they are revisiting with old friends. Kathleen Taylor has a dry sense of humor, which comes out at unexpected turns in the voices of the characters and helps make FOREIGN BODY an enjoyable reading experience.

Harriet Klausner

How could this be happening again? Another dead, or to be more exact, almost dead body in the Delphi Cafe. This is definitely not good for business and poor Tory Bauer, overweight, over forty waitress and now co-owner of the only eating establishment in town can't believe she's calling 911, yet again. It seems that one young Swedish female member, Annelise, of the European Traveling Lutheran Youth Choir has decided to attempt suicide in the cafe by taking an overdose of aspirin, leaving behind a scandalous note that blames this desperate act on Delphi's own Reverend Clay Diebert, for molesting her. To make matters even worse, though rushed to the hospital in Aberdeen, Annelise dies, Clay's wife, Junior is Tory's first cousin, about ten months pregnant and convinced that he's been having an affair with someone, an old Delphi nemesis, Weasel Cleaver is out of jail and back in town wreaking havoc, the cafe's in real financial trouble and about to go under and if that's not enough, another dead body is found in the Reverend's office closet. Now Tory is on the case, trying to sort this mess out and as usual, when she begins asking questions and peeking into the lives of Delphi's finest citizens, secrets and lies start popping up all over town..... Kathleen Taylor has done it again, written another fast paced, entertaining page turner that begs to be read in one sitting. Her engaging plot and crisp, witty and often irreverent writing are only outdone by her wonderful cast of quirky, wacky characters and you're sure to be laughing out loud at their antics and her vivid side-splitting scenes. This is the sixth installment to a terrific series. If you're new to Tory and company, start at the beginning with Funeral Food and read them all. If you're already a fan, you won't be disappointed this time out. Enjoy!

"I've always wondered how fictional sleuths manage to view the continual mayhem with equanimity. I mean, you never saw Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple turning primly away from those who unexpectedly ingested cyanide. Kinsey Millhone didn't run for the can with a hand clamped over her mouth every time she came across a gunshot wound. Even Cecil Younger, a sort of ordinary small-town guy, seemed able to view bodily remains with a calm resignation that was more sad than anything else. They were able to see the unspeakable and process the unimaginable and unravel the Gordian Knot every ten months or so (depending on publishing schedules,) and most of them seemed no worse for the wear (well, Cecil got battered about a bit, but he persevered too.)
I suppose that the operative word here is FICTIONAL.
Writers can make up whatever they want, and their poor creations have no choice but to deal with the overflow. That's how it works in fiction. Characters discover bodies, they investigate deaths, and they solve mysteries and then enjoy a bit of downtime between each installment.
In real life, you'd never expect to find an overweight, widowed, café owner in a small plains town, unfortunate to have tripped over (in one way or another) six bodies (several at her place of business) in less than seven months.
I doubt you'd expect her to have been able to solve the underlying mystery of each of those deaths in short order while simultaneously trying to sort out her decidedly messy personal life and support herself in the trailer-house manner to which she'd become accustomed.And you'd certainly not expect her to have to face the whole process again barely a month after the last grizzly discovery.
If I was reading the story of my life, I'd have a hard time believing it myself.
Welcome to my world."

That's how Tory Bauer, reluctant and self-effacing heroine of Kathleen Taylor's excellent mystery series, describes herself in the newest visit with her and the folks in Delphi, South Dakota. I think she's a hoot! Clever and snappy! There is enough "background" information to start with this one, but why? Enjoy them all in order! Do you want fries with that? ;-)

PS: A Note to Ms Taylor's publishers: What in the name of Heavenly Frozen Bodies are you thinking?!? Bring Back Tory! Now! Right Now!

Another wickedly humorous mystery by the amazing Ms. Taylor. She is one of the few authors I preorder new books from as soon as they are announced, then eagerly count down the days until they arrive. I can not wait to see what Tory, Neil, Del and all the others have in store for them next. Bravo!

I love Kathleen Taylor's books. I was very upset that Romantic Times Magazine gave this book a 2 rating claiming that there was no mystery until the middle of the book and the antics of the characters were just too much to stand. I read this book and loved it like I have all of her Tory Bauer books. This book did have a mystery from the very beginning and a good one that kept you guessing and wondering until the very end. The characters are like old beloved friends that even if there wasn't a mystery I would keep coming back just to visit with them and enjoy Kathleen Taylor's writing style. I can't wait for the next one and I hope she keeps them coming for years and years (maybe a mystery at the old folks home where Tory and Niel will be living?). A highly recommended and enjoyable read.

I HAVE KNOWN KATHLEEN FOR OVER 30 YEARS( WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL) AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD KNOW AN AUTHOR AS GOOD AS HER. HER BOOKS ARE FUNNY AND KEEP YOU READING UNTIL THE END. A FRIEND FROM SCHOOL MAILED ME THE WHOLE SERIES AND IT TOOK ME 3 DAYS TO FINISH THEM ALL, BUT THE LAST ONE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT YET. ALL I CAN SAY IS "YOU GO GIRL!!!!" KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

Kathleen Taylor mixes a dry wit and enthusiasm for the potential drama of small-town living in the sixth installment of the Tory Bauer mysteries. There were several typos in the edition I read, but it didn't detract from the joy of reading Taylor's latest. This series has become one of my favorites.

The characters are appealing and have a way of finding their way into and out of jams while simultaneously dishing up a slice of Midwestern living that even the most cynical of city folk will be able to enjoy.

I am hoping that this is the latest of many Tory Bauer mysteries yet to come. She has many more stories to tell.