Larger Than Death: A Novel [Hardcover]

Lynne Murray (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1997

Meet Josephine Fuller, a queen-sized amateur sleuth out to tip the scales of justice.

Introducing "Jo" Fuller, a woman who's full-figured, full of attitude and always ready to use her sizable sluething skills. Jo's just landed a new job as a philanthropic investigator, checking out potential charities for an eccentric socialite. But just as she gets her feet wet, Joe walks in on a terrible scene. Her best friend Nina--a clothing designer for large ladies--is lying dead in her own apartment.

Could Nina be the latest victim of a killer targeting voluptuous women? Or is the murder personal? When Jo moves into Nina's apartment to settle her affairs and take care of Nina's cat, she encounters a bizarre host of neighbors and an unexpected romance. As fingers point in every direction, Jo races to stop a ruthless murderer from closing in on the big kill.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

A ``person of substance'' is what Alicia Madrone's ad calls for, and a person of substance is what she gets: full-figured Josephine Fuller, who's got just the right attitude (and enough of it) to work as an undercover cop filing reports on prospective recipients for Mrs. Madrone's feminist philanthropy. But the real action comes on one of Josephine's rare days off, when she arrives for a visit with her old friend, Nina West, of Luna Moth Fashions, to find Nina with her throat horribly cut and a notice posted in blood on the bathroom mirror: ``KILL THE WHALES.'' The manifesto seems to link Nina's death to the slayings of four previous queen-sized victims, a serial killer the Seattle police have dubbed Captain Ahab. But Josephine wonders if the killer might be a copycat trading on Ahab's notoriety to make a grab for Nina's inheritance--until she finds out that she herself is the principal legatee, along with a mysterioso called William Turnbow Crain. Venturing to enigmatic Crain's alleged home in remote Twila, Washington, at the will's urging, Josephine succeeds only in provoking another murder, even as suspects- -ranging from a preacher/pornographer out of Nina's colorful past to the Viking bachelor in her basement--are multiplying like the pounds insensitive diet guru Andrew Stack is urging Josephine to check into one of his franchises to shed. Josephine's solid detective work is marred by too generous a use of coincidence in the murder plot. Maybe next time, if Murray (Termination Interview, 1988, etc.) shows her heroine actually on the job, she'll have a case more worthy of her talents. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Review

"Written with a rare and enteraining clarity." --The San Francisco Examiner

"Murray brings a refreshing approach to storytelling." --Booklist

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 278 pages
• Publisher: Orloff Pr; First Edition edition (September 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0964294907
• ISBN-13: 978-0964294905
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,276,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I came to San Francisco to go to college, got captivated by the city, and have not left for long since then. It is the perfect setting for any kind of fiction. It's good ground to conjure up fog and dark nights for paranormal activities in The Falstaff Vampire Files, sunshine on the Bay for the romantic comedy in Bride of the Living Dead, and even as jumping off ground to investigate bit of murder as in the Josephine Fuller mysteries.

I share an apartment with a small group of extremely mellow cats, who are all either rescued or formerly feral.

Aside from novels, I've written humorous short pieces that have appeared in magazines and newspapers. Many of these articles, including the most fun one of all--an interview of Darlene Cates, star of What's Eating Gilbert Grape--available on my website at www.lmurray.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A new and witty female sleuth enters the mystery world, April 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Larger Than Death (Josephine Fuller Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Jo Fuller is a heroine for all of us who wish we had been born when women were supposed to look like women, ample curves were in, and voluptuous was a preferred adjective. Jo, however, has come to terms with herself and her size and is happily enjoying a new job and her new status as a divorcee. She doesn't take put downs from others regarding her size-- the commonest one being a put down/compliment, "You'd be a knock-out IF you lost weight." She has a comeback ready and waiting. The plot thickens(no pun intended)when Jo arrives for a visit with a dear friend and finds that the friend has met a horrible end. Jo's anger fuels her search for answers and despite some rather implausible plot elements--a killer who seems to be preying on fat women, the involvement of a commune, and a child whose existence has been kept secret, the story flows along smoothly. I have to admit I was hooked from the first page and accepted all of these events as being quite plausible while I was involved with the story. Fans of authors Chris Rogers and Virginia Lanier might especially enjoy spending a few hours with Jo. Good plotting and a great heroine.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to like this book, but..., July 29, 2000

By 

Sharon Wylie (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Larger Than Death (Josephine Fuller Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

I admire the feminist politics behind this book. Jo Fuller is plus-sized and not ashamed of it, and when her close friend is found murdered with "Kill the Whales!" scrawled on the mirror, Jo decides to investigate. As any fiction reader can attest, overweight female protagonists are few and far between, and the introduction of such a character should be a refreshing breath of fresh air.

The problem with this book is not that it's heroine weighs over 200 pounds. The problem is that reading it FEELS like reading a book with an agenda, rather than reading a book with a great mystery plot and an interesting heroine. The author is simply too heavy-handed with the message--slim people are depicted as starving, unhappy, and unfailingly rude.

On top of that, Jo's instant (mutual) attraction to her dead friend's lover was repellent to me. You know the old saying about the body not being cold yet? The connection I felt to Jo, with all her wit and charisma, was severed when she gave in to this attraction. And unfortunately, that connection was never regained.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Fun, May 16, 2000

By 

Barbara O'Neill - See all my reviews

This review is from: Larger Than Death (Josephine Fuller Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Larger Than Death is an entertaining way to spend a couple night's reading. The femme sleuth, Jo Fuller, is a full-figured woman whose best friend, also full-figured,has just been murdered. Jo vows to find the killer, but along the way several other victims fall prey. They don't fit the profile of previous victims, which now throws Jo for a loop.

A cast of lively secondary characters adds color to the storyline. The one thing that keeps me from a 5-star review is the fact that about 1/2 way through the book, I'd pretty much figured out the culprit. That aside, I've ordered Ms. Murray's second book and am looking forward to reading it.