Customer Reviews

Murder on a Bad Hair Day

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I usually have 2 books going...a more serious read and a light one. Just discovered Anne George this week-end. What a hoot! Two sisters in their sixties who are total opposites (one petite and more mild-mannered and one large and out-spoken). Just imagine the large one playing Mrs. Claus at the local mall (Birmingham, Alabama) with a funky wig and a top with blinking lights. An opening at the local art gallery ends in death. Now the sisters are on a quest to find the murderer. The

dialogue is clever, the situations are rather unique, and the gallery owner has been deemosoed. Read it to find out. I LOVE Joan Hess. Her tales of Maggody have often made me laugh out loud. Now, after reading all of Hess's, I have a new Southern author to seek out. Patricia Anne and Mary Alice (the sisters) are my new "light read." Funny, I finished this one in 2 days while my "serious" book kept calling to me. I'm off to Border's to find more of Anne George.

The Southern Sisters appeal to all. This book had me rolling in the aisles and on the edge of my seat page by page. The dialogue between Patricia nd Mary Alice is hysterical- you can just picture them in action. Ann George can't write fast enough; it is as simple as that.

I have always been a big fan of Southern writers; Conroy, Samms, Edgarton, Burns, and of course Mitchell to name a few. And now I have a new name to add to the list: Anne George. Her books are just precious and her characters are lovable! As I have previously stated, since I live in Alabama, I especially enjoy all the references to the Birmingham landmarks. When I read about highway 280, the Vulcan and the Galleria I feel that I am part of the story. Speaking of the story, I loved it. The writing is crisp, the dialogue forceful, and the plot is scrumptious! If you want a great book that will grasp you on the first page and is effortless to follow, get a copy of Murder on a Bad Hair Day: A Southern Sisters Mystery--you won't regret it!

I got Ann George's name off of the internet. Glad I did! This book had me laughing out loud! This is a great summer read and a good whodunit. If you like humor and mystery you'll like this.

I love these sisters. It makes me wish they were "real" and I could hang-out with them. Mary Alice has to be one of the funniest characters I've had the pleasure getting to know through my reading in a long time. Living in Anniston and shopping frequently in B'ham, I enjoy recognizing the locations where the sisters' mishaps take place. Being a teacher myself, thank you, Mrs. George, for the hours of entertainment and relaxation your books have allowed me.

I've read every Anne George book that she has written. Living in Alabama, I can identify with her favorite stores--Winn Dixie and Piggly Wiggly! As everyone in the south knows, a sister can say things about her sister or her brother, but NO one else can! I find the relationship between Patricia Anne and Mary Alice to be complex, confusing, and just plain fun! My teenage daughter enjoyed this book also. The pleasure in reading this book bridges the generations!

Patricia Ann (Mouse) and Mary Alice (Sister) are sisters living in Birmingham, Alabama and though they love each other they have very little in common. That disparity in their personalities though is what makes these books so much fun, because their little spats and the tricks that they play on each other tend to drive the plot and are usually hilarious. Understanding the relationship between the two is therefore critical to enjoying this series so I would heartily suggest that you read these books in order since the first book provides a lot of the history necessary for the reader to reach that understanding.

In this entry Sister convinces Mouse to attend an art showing featuring a group of "primitive" artists from the area. Much taken by the beauty of the art they find at the showing the sisters are very surprised the next day when they learn of the death of the young owner of the gallery of an apparent heart attack. Apparent is the key word here and once again the sisters are drawn into the mystery, not by curiosity but by the involvement of one of Mouse's former students who turns to her former teacher for help. Being a retired teacher can apparently be a dangerous thing.

Most of the recurring characters are introduced in the first book but they are filled out a little more in this entry and unlike the characters in some "cozy" mysteries these people are very believable. You may in fact find that you know some of these people, or someone very much like them, they just have different names and don't live in Birmingham. One new character in this book is Sister's overweight and very spoiled cat named Bubba. Bubba has his own heating pad on the kitchen counter where he comfortably lounges away the days. He just sits there and waits to be adored and Mary Alice provides that in plentiful doses. That is, when she isn't busy being a sex slave for Santa at the mall. No, I'm not going to explain that statement, you will just have to read the book.

The most pleasant thing about this book and this series is that you will find yourself laughing out loud but at the same time this author doesn't sink to the slapstick level that many other authors in this genre do. The characters are not only believable but you will learn to care about them and worry when they get hurt. You are also impressed by how caring these people are and it is that caring nature that leads these snooping sisters to the solution of the crimes involved in this book. Murder it seems is not the only game afoot in the iron city.

I have only recently been introduced to the charms of Mouse and Sister and have totally fallen for the Southern Sister's mystery series. They have got to be the most unlikely pair of sleuth's that I have encountered. Not only do they keep you on your toes quessing but can make you laugh along the way.

Patricia Anne and Mary Alice have been invited to the opening night of a new art exhibit featuring The Outsiders art work. Accepting the invitation sets off a chain of events that neither sister could possibly have imagined. Dead bodies seem to be popping up everywhere as well as past students from Patricia Anne's days of being a teacher. Mouse and Sister's off beat methods of solving the murders makes this a truly enjoyable book that has left this reader wanting more.

Southern fiction and a cozy mystery all in one. Sixty-ish Southern Sisters Patricia Ann and Mary Alice, come upon a second set of sisters and a variety of local characters as they muddle through the Christmas holidays and - a couple of murders. From the very first sentence (which completely gives away the authors sense of fun) the reader will be charmed at the writing, at the dialogue and especially the characters. While the petite former English teacher Patricia Ann drools in the library, and comes up with clues in poetry; the more robust Mary Alice is trying to cope with being Santas sex slave. Police Officer Bo Peep is just trying to keep order and Bonnie Blue Butler makes another appearance too. Come along with this pair for plenty of shopping, some wonderful food, a little local art lore and muddling through danger zones- all under the watching, err, eyes of the Vulcan. I wanted to crawl into the back seat of the car when they were loading up with colorful quilts and Christmas trees on top. A great way to cool off in Dallas in August. A fun frolic with a couple of real characters!

I have just discovered Anne George - and am completely caught up with Patricia Anne, Mary Alice, Woofer and the gang. I've been through the entire series this summer and hope the writing continues. My husband commented on our dinner the other night and I told him it was something Patricia Ann would have put together for Fred and herself after a day of sleuthing.