Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back (Morgue Mama Mysteries (Hardcover)) [Hardcover]

C R Corwin (Author)

Book Description

Series: Morgue Mama Mysteries (Hardcover) | Publication Date: October 15, 2003

The morgue is that cold and sterile facility where medical examiners do their necessary but, to many of us, dreadful work. Less familiar is its dry and dusty version, usually housed in the bowels of newspaper buildings, where old story clippings are filed away. Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue for more than 40 years. She is gruff and salty, well past the age of retirement, the unchalleneged queen of her ink-stained domain. Reporters call her Morgue Mama--but only behind her back.
Maddy Sprowls' well-ordered world gets turned upside-down when the paper hires 24-year-old Aubrey McGinty for its police beat. Aubrey loses no time in questioning the conviction of Sissy James for the murder of TV evangelist Buddy Wing. Yes, Sissy had quickly confessed to poisoning the famous preacher live on television--and the evidence does seem overwhelming--but the ambitious young reporter doesn't believe Sissy is guilty. Why, then, her claim? Aubrey enlists Morgue Mama's help and together they begin a harrowing search for the truth. Digging into the morgue's file, they soon, and dangerously, uncover enough suspects to fill a church with those who do the devil's work....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In Corwin's witty and engaging caper, the start of a new series, newspaper archivist Dolly Madison Sprowls (called Morgue Mama "behind her back") and a determined cub reporter, Aubrey McGinty, team up to investigate the poisoning of TV evangelist Buddy Wing at the Heaven Bound Cathedral in "the Hallelujah city" of Hannawa, Ohio. Part satire and part social commentary, the story is far from a standard whodunit, since Aubrey, rather than finding the culprit, seems bent only on clearing the name of convict Sissy James, the badly abused ex-girlfriend of a rival preacher. The irrepressible, 67-year-old Maddy (as she prefers to be called), a lonely divorcee clinging to her post as manager of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue, helps Aubrey search the newspaper's records, which yield a multitude of suspects, some amusing and some tragic, but each adding an intriguing dimension to the ever more complex case. Small town politics and office love affairs entangle almost everyone except poor Maddy, whose existence before now has revolved around filing news articles in steel cabinets for brash reporters to paw through. Her matchup with Aubrey brings her and the reader genuine excitement right through the stunning conclusion to this lively adventure.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"In Corwin's witty and engaging caper, the start of a new series, newspaper archivist Dolly Madison Sprowls, called Morgue Mama "behind her back," and a determined cub reporter, Aubrey McGinty, team up to investigate the poisoning of TV evangelist Buddy Wing at the Heaven Bound Cathedral in "the Hallelujah city" of Hannawa, Ohio. Part satire and part social commentary, the story is far from a standard whodunit, since Aubrey, rather than finding the culprit, seems bent only on clearing the name of convict Sissy James, the badly abused ex-girlfriend of a rival preacher. The irrepressible, 67-rear-old Maddy (as she prefers to be called), a lonely divorcie clinging to her post as manager of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue, helps Aubrey search the newspaper's records, which yield a multitude of suspects, some amusing and some tragic, but each adding an intriguing dimension to the ever more complex case. Small town politics and office love affairs entangle almost everyone except Maddy, whose existence before now has revolved around filing news articles in steel cabinets for brash reporters to paw through. Her matchup with Aubrey brings her and the reader genuine excitement right through the stunning conclusion to this lively adventure." -Publishers Weekly

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 327 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press; 1 edition (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590580745
• ISBN-13: 978-1590580745
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,949,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed Thelma and Louise duo nevertheless charms, October 23, 2004

By 

Kristin J. Johnson "Three-time published author" (Hilo, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back (Morgue Mama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

Looks like another church scandal...two warring congregations produced by a schism over speaking in tongues, a beloved television preacher murdered, and Mary Magdalene-type Sissy James (who was having an affair with "I don't speak in tongues" Tim Bandicoot, one of the murder suspects) confessing to the crime...and all this happens before we meet the crusty Morgue Mama---don't call her that to her face unless you're the Hannawa Herald-Union's hottest, most ambitious young crime reporter, Aubrey McGinty, survivor of childhood abuse. Dolly Madison "Maddy" Sprowls, who tends the "morgue," the archives of the Hannawa Herald-Union, hates being called Morgue Mama...but this doesn't stop the bold Aubrey from crawling into Morgue Mama's heart with the words, "Maddy, I don't think Sissy James did it."

Thus begins the adventure for an unlikely crime duo. Their chemistry is intriguing if flawed since Aubrey's too blinded by ambition and youth to see the depths of like Maddy has seen. Still, youth and age and partners in crime make an irresistible combo. The details of Sissy's guilt or innocence, as well as the murder of Jim Bakker-type preacher Buddy Wing, pale next to the timeless clash of crusty but soft-as-meatloaf and mashed potatoes Maddy and young dynamo Aubrey, who seems indifferent to the fate of Dale Marabout, her competition in the crime beat reporter stakes. Yep, youth and great legs in trousers always win over seniority and sagacity...or do they?

Maddy, like the reader, can't avoid Aubrey's allure. The two women newshounds make the most interesting and offbeat too-cozy-for-comfort sleuth duo since Spenser and Hawk. Bring it on, Morgue Mama!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Probably the BEST mystery I've read, November 15, 2004

By 

Dawn Dowdle "Mystery Lovers Corner reviewer" (Lynchburg, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back (Morgue Mama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best mysteries I have read in a long time. The ending really took me by surprise.

Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of the Hannawa Herald-Union newspaper's morgue for more than 40 years. She has gained the nickname Morgue Mama, but no one uses it to her face.

That is until 24-year-old Aubrey McGinty is hired. She is on the police beat replacing Dale Marabout who has been moved to the copyediting desk. He's not too happy about it, though.

Normally Morgue Mama stays in the morgue all day, but her world gets turned upside down with the hiring of Aubrey. Morgue Mama and Aubrey forge a great partnership. Soon they are working together to try to prove that Sissy James did not poison TV evangelist Rev. Buddy Wing. Aubrey believes that Sissy confessed because she is covering up for someone else, or at least believes she is. Plus there was plenty of evidence pointing to her having done it. Still Aubrey does not believe she did.

Plus part of Rev. Wing's congregation split off recently and started their own church under Tim Bandicoot, Rev. Wing's former associate. Spies from each congregation are keeping an eye on each other. Could one of them be the killer?

Aubrey and Morgue Mama have many adventures during the investigation and sometimes end up in danger. Can they prove Sissy didn't do it? Can they find the real murderer among the many suspects? Although the paper doesn't want them looking for the real killer, that is the job of the police.

I hope there will bee more Morgue Mama books. C. R. Corwin has created a terrific character. This book moves along at a quick pace and you won't want to put it down.

I highly recommend this book. I think it should win awards. It is fabulous!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Newspaper sleuths scoop a murderer, April 4, 2004

By 

Lynn Harnett (Marathon, FL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back (Morgue Mama Mysteries (Hardcover)) (Hardcover)

The veteran librarian of the Ohio "Hannawa Herald-Union's" morgue (newspaper archives), Dolly Madison Sprowls, or Maddy, known as Morgue Mama behind her back, teams up with ambitious rookie reporter Aubrey McGinty to prove the innocence of a convicted murderer in this clever debut.

Hannawa, "The Hallelujah City," has a lot of churches, and one of the biggest is the Heaven Bound Cathedral, an evangelical television ministry. The murder of its leader, Buddy Wing, couldn't have been more dramatic - poisoned by a kiss on live TV. At the height of the service Pastor Wing always kissed the cross on his Bible, and on the fateful day it had been painted with poison. Poison in his water pitcher added insurance.

Evidence found at the home of Sissy James, mistress of a rival evangelical leader, prompts the unhappy woman to confess. But Aubrey thinks she confessed to protect someone - maybe her family-man lover. She enlists Maddy to help her ferret out the secrets of the church turn up a generous handful of suspects. Maddy, a sharp but lonely divorcee somewhat past retirement age, welcomes Aubrey's youthful enthusiasm and guts.

Corwin, an ex-reporter, knows the insular nature of small town politicos and their sometimes frictional, sometimes cozy relationship with the local newspaper. Aubrey's tussle with the police chief hierarchy rings true, though the spectacle of a couple of evangelical preachers shoving each other around an editor's office strains credulity a bit.

The writing is witty and narrator Maddy is immediately engaging. The plot is a humdinger, almost guaranteed to surprise. Corwin has set up an intriguing duo and most readers will be avid with curiosity to see this pseudonymous author's second outing.