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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
This series is getting better and better., February 27, 2001
This review is from: Large Target: A Josephine Fuller Mystery (Hardcover)
I liked this book a lot more than its prequel, "Larger Than Death," and I'm hopeful that the next title will be even better. Jo Fuller, the plus-sized heroine, has all the makings of a wonderful series sleuth, but her potential is not yet realized in this over plotted yet under-developed mystery. Still reeling from the unexpected death of her best friend, Jo returns to work investigating and recommending grant recipients for her wealthy employer, Alicia Madrone. This time, however, Mrs. Madrone asks Jo to investigate the estranged daughter of an old family friend, Sally Rhymer. Sally is fearful that her daughter has fallen in with people who will take advantage of her (a "new age" group that provides grief counseling). Jo's investigation becomes complicated when Sally's ex-husband, the Admiral, is kidnapped. A lot goes on in this book, and most of it holds together pretty well. A side plot involving a previous employee of Mrs. Madrone's is simply extraneous. The main problem is that the vast majority of the characters are under-developed stereotypes that border on campy. Mrs. Madrone is aged, eccentric, and in a wheelchair. Her devoted servant Ambrose is fastidious, red-haired, and gay. All the military characters (and there's a lot of them; the story is set in San Diego) are dangerous or sexist (or both). There's a foreign, lesbian artist habitually panting in her lover's ear. Even Jo, although confident and witty, seems sketchily drawn. Murray inadvertently makes Jo's weight her defining characteristic, even though the character herself would hate to be so defined. Two things kept me from enjoying this book more. (1) As in the previous novel, Jo remains romantically involved with her dead best friend's lover (granted, he seems pretty conflicted about this). I think the point of their relationship is supposed to be that large people can be overtly sexual, but I find the relationship to be off-putting. The friend has been dead only one month. (2) Murray is unnecessarily disdainful of the "new age" group without providing sufficient cause. San Diego abounds with such groups, and it misrepresents the city to make them seem sneaky and shady for no good reason (i.e., a reason that has to do with the plot of the book). Nevertheless, I enjoy reading mystery authors who are learning their craft and getting better all the time, as is Lynne Murray. I look forward to the next entry in this series.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty Good, August 21, 2000
This review is from: Large Target: A Josephine Fuller Mystery (Hardcover)
Lynne Murray brings us the second Josephine Fuller mystery, the first being Larger Than Death. If you are wondering about the reoccurring word "Large" in the titles, there is a reason for it. Josephine Fuller is a plus size bombshell investigator of sorts, and all through the mystery the subject of her weight is acknowledged, in both Josephine's spoken thoughts and by others. I have read other plus size mysteries and this one is a little more serious about the weight issue than those I have read. Anyway, back to the mystery, Josephine is back in sunny San Diego and ready to go to work. She is doing some investigating for Alicia Madrone, a rich woman who gives out charitable grants, but before she does, she wants to know everything about beneficiary. In this case the beneficiary is a group that Mrs. Madrone's friend's daughter is helping. In fact the mother, Sally, feels her married daughter is spending too much time at the hospital with dying patients and not enough with her husband and daughter. Josephine is introduced to this well to do, slightly snobbish family at a party, and a memorable party it is. Later two of the people Josephine has met, meet up with murder and kidnapping. After a close call, Josephine decides to further her field of investigation and find out why someone wants her to give up this family and go home. During the mystery she has an out-of-town visitor, has to deal with some personal issues, and worries about the permanence of her job. During the party scene, Josephine's defensiveness and quick wit revealed. It's also where I met many characters at once and found myself confused, and later even more characters are introduced, which made me back track and reread the ones already mentioned. The mystery was pretty good. I started putting two and two together quite a ways into the story line, but Lynne's skill at creating doubt is very professional. The characters were well written, but it was hard to remember everything about each one of them so, like I said there was some backtracking. I do like Josephine. She is independent, smart and sassy. She's very up front, calls it as she sees it, and makes no apologies. Large Target is a great mystery with an impressive story line that takes a quick mind to keep up with it.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Uplifting amateur sleuth tale, April 2, 2000
This review is from: Large Target: A Josephine Fuller Mystery (Hardcover)
Josephine Fuller is a philanthropic troubleshooter who judges the worthiness of candidates to receive a charitable grant from wealthy society matron Alicia Medrone. Josephine knows that her being big sized makes much of the population uncomfortable so they try to ignore her presence. This enables her efficiently and effectively to perform her job. She also considers her boss a friend and never hesitates when Alicia asks for a favor. The daughter of Alicia's best friend is spending a lot of time away from her husband and daughter while caring for dying people. Josephine is to determine whether Amy is behaving rationally. From almost the start, Josephine realizes that Amy and her family don't even approach what most people would consider normal behavior. While meeting with Amy at the Feather Heart Project, a non-profit organization helping dying people and their families, Josephine learns that someone kidnapped Amy's father, a lecherous and retired admiral, and is demanding a million-dollar ransom. Later, the two women find the murdered corpse of the admiral's friend and business partner. Josephine begins to make inquiries in order to protect Amy and ease Alicia's mind even though that means becoming involved in another situation that will put her in deadly danger. Lynn Murray has created a fascinating lead character that maintains a positive self-image despite society's disapproval of oversized individuals. It is Josephine's healthy confidence that hooks the audience especially when the amateur sleuth helps other people. The mystery is a winner because Josephine turns LARGE TARGET into a fast-paced, exciting and believable story line filled with heart. This is only the second installment in what looks to be another delightful amateur sleuth series that will have a long-term run.
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