Customer Reviews

The Stiff and the Dead: A Pauline Sokol Mystery

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

 

 

After twelve years as a nurse, Pauline Sokol could not take it anymore so she quit. Her roommate Miles got her a job as a fraud claims investigator for Scarpello and Tonelli Insurance Company because his Uncle Fabio owns the firm.

With Miles' boyfriend glitzy transvestite and star investigator Goldie Perlman ill, newbie Pauline is assigned to look into prescription fraud at the Hope Valley Senior Citizens Center. Pauline goes undercover as a senior citizen working as a temporary at the center's pharmacy with Goldie preparing her for her role to observe prime suspect Sophie Banko. Pauline also struggles with the attention given her by two male peers. Nick is a clean cut hunk while Jagger is an exasperating handsome pain. With three advisors to assist her at uncovering the prescription scam at the clinic's pharmacy, Pauline wonders if Goldie can help her better understand her sudden seemingly alive love life that was dormant as a nurse.

The second Pauline Sokol insurance investigation case is an amusing tale that once again focuses in on a medical scam enabling the former nurse simply to go undercover though trying to pretend to be elderly is not that easy accomplished. Her love interest has expanded since mysterious and sexy Jagger introduced her to the job and seemed to want her under the cover with Nick apparently interested in her too. Lori Avocato provides a humorous investigative tale starring a likable flake and her eccentric cronies though at times the quirky behavior distracts from a fine who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

Ex-nurse Pauline Sokol gets her second case working for Scarpello and Tonelli Insurance Company. This time it is prescription fraud. Pauline's best suspect is Sophie Banko. To keep tabs on Sophie, Goldie helps disguise Pauline as an elderly lady. This way Pauline infiltrates the Hope Valley Senior Citizens Center to spy on Sophie. In addition to that, Pauline begins working (as a Temp) at the Hope Valley Clinic and its pharmacy.

The case is a bit above what Pauline is ready for, but since Goldie has tonsillitis, she has time to help Pauline with disguises and advice. Good thing too, because Pauline needs lots of advice to deal with her two romantic interests, Nick and Jagger. Nick is clean cut, handsome, and a co-worker. Jagger is mysterious, irritating, and dangerously attractive. And it will probably take both of them to help Pauline on this case.

**** The author, Lori Avocato, spends a bit more time on romance this time around. Readers get another taste of the mysterious Jagger, as well as, of the romantic Nick. But the author does not skimp on the investigation plot either. You will get to sink your teeth into another "whodunit" type mystery while being constantly amused with the colorful cast of characters that surround Pauline and her hectic life. Another delightful romp with Pauline and her unusual life style. ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

I don't buy many books, because I think very few are worth the money. Because I enjoyed "A Dose of Murder" so much, though, I made an exception for "The Stiff and the Dead." I was not disappointed.

Humor is again used to great effect and the mystery is reasonably entertaining, but what made me come back were the terrific characters. They're what I loved in the first book and what I look forward to in the next. Pauline remains a fun character almost anyone can identify with, and we learn more about Jagger as they work together. The Sokol family also appears again, as well as Pauline's good friends Goldie and Miles; her new boyfriend, Nick; and her dog, Spanky.

The writing is tighter than in "A Dose of Murder." For instance, the words "ack" and "yikes" don't appear nearly as often, and Pauline's detective skills have progressed believably.

Areas that could stand some improvement: Well, the editing needs work. I winced at mistakes such as affect/effect, missing commas, and the phrase "dose off" (instead of "doze off"). Plus, at one point Pauline wonders if a particular event actually did occur. I don't want to give away the plot, so I'll just say that if this thing did happen, she should know for sure one way or the other. Yet, in the book, she remains clueless.

But those complaints are minor. I very much enjoyed this book and am eagerly anticipating the next in the series. We don't have the option of giving a book 4 1/2 stars and this one was better than 4, so I'm rating it a 5. Give it a try.

Pauline Sokol left nursing and is now a medical insurance fraud investigator. So why is it every time she gets a case, she ends up back in nursing under cover.

This time she's investigating prescription fraud in a local seniors' center. She finds the easiest way to get information is to become a senior.

Her fellow investigator, Jagger, keeps making work interesting. Can she keep her mind on work with him around? Plus there's Nick. What's a girl to do?

Pauline uncovers an illegal Viagra ring at the seniors' center, but she can't put her finger on the person behind it. Will she be able to before there's another victim?

I really like this series. Pauline is so funny. She keeps me laughing. I like the tension with her, Nick, and Jagger a lot, too. Goldie is a hoot.

I read in bed at night and found myself trying not to laugh out loud to wake my husband. That's hard to do while reading this book! I highly recommend it!

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Mildly amusing, but derivative as all get out. There is a one-to-one correspondence between Avocato's characters and those of Evanovitch. The only things missing are Grandma Masur, Big Blue and Stiva's Funeral Home.

Avocato doesn't have a feel for orchestrating sequences into the big, farcical bellylaughs that are the crowning glory of the Plum stories. But it's a long time, this waiting from June to June for the annual Plum adventure. Avocato's series will serve well enough to fill in a small portion of the gap.

...seeing that we follow Pauline in her investigation
for prescription fraud - Viagra being stolen and bought
by some of the seniors.

Pauline is none too happy that she's back in nurse's
scrubs, but Jagger is back, and has her covered with the
help of his myriad collection of disguises. Pauline's
having to be in her own disguise, this time around,
is too much fun, as is the Casanova of the senior center
who keeps trying to hit on her.

And let's not forget movie star material, Nick, whom
Pauline gets a tad closer to in this book with
hilarious results.

I'm thoroughly addicted to this series, and am now
reading ONE DEAD UNDER THE CUCKOO'S NEST. This one is
a little more serious and deeper, with darker undertones
than the other two, but no less entertaining.

Stay tuned! : )

This was a fun book, and if you are a fan of Janet Evanovich, you should like it. That is because there are some striking similarities,especially the incredibly handsome and sexy mysterious man in black with a single name. There are numerous character parallels.But it was an enjoyable read.

This is the second book of the Pauline Sokol series and I think it is better than the first. Pauline is a tired, burnt out nurse ( I can relate!), who has a job as an insurance fraud investigator thanks to her roommates greesy uncle...which she kind of sucks at. Many funny situations arise from Paulines investigative techniques and we get to learn a little bit more about the mysterious Jaggar that Pauline is secretly, or not so secretly, obsessed with. She gets herself into many funny situations with him, one involving Viagra, which are sure to leave you laughing outloud.
This book could easily read as a stand alone, but if you like this one, you are mostly likely going to enjoy the first.
Happy Reading!

This item should have been listed as fair. It seems to be quite used but readable. It did come in a timely manner.

I was very dissapointed by the first book in the series, but I figured that I'd give the next book a chance. First books are always a little awkward for new authors, especially if they are writing a series. The second book "The Stiff & The Dead" does improve, but not overly so. The series still has a long way to go before it can really be considered as a good competitor for other more established series out there.

Right on the heels of her previous case Pauline is given another one to look into. This time the action surrounds a potential prescription fraud in the local seniors' center & Pauline is sent to investigate as both an undercover senior (in makeup of course) & a nurse at the doctor's office where the prescriptions are being written. Meanwhile Pauline is getting into more hot water as she tries to romance Nick while also trying to entice the mysterious Jagger.

This book featured a bit more action & the plot moved along faster than the previous entry in the series did, but there was still quite a lot of water treading in the book. It's enough to get me to read the next book (I'd gotten the first 4 books at the same time), but not enough to really persuade me that I need to pick up anything beyond those books. Like the previous book, a good chunk of the story is "Ooh! Jagger is so hawt! Nick is so hawt!" I have nothing against love interests in a story (you should see my romance collection), but... there's just no chemistry between Pauline & Jagger or Nick. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Until I read this book I couldn't quite put my finger on why the guy droolings irritated me. Now I know that the biggest flaw of the books so far is that so much time is spent focusing on love interests that have no chemistry together. Add onto this that the characters are all still pretty one-dimensional & you've got big problems.

Again, this isn't a terrible book but it's just not really grabbing me. I don't usually fault fluffy reads for being what they are, but this series tries to present itself as more than a fluffy beach read. If you are looking for depth, give this series a pass. If you want something brainless to read then this may be the series for you.

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GOOD: Plot moves faster in this series, more focus is put on the actual investigating this go round.

BAD: Lack of chemistry between love interests, one dimensional characters still haven't been fleshed out, spends too much time treading water