The Unexpected Corpse [Mass Market Paperback]

B.J. Oliphant (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Oliphant's ( Dead in the Scrub ) engaging amateur sleuth Shirley McClintock returns for a sprightly adventure concerning family matters and murder. Beth Coverly is expecting the ashes of her father, January Storey, and his wife, Billy-B, who died in an accident, to be brought to her Colorado ranch for burial. But when Claris Bryan, Billy-B's daughter, arrives for the internment, it's with not two, but three boxes: she didn't know what else to do with Cousin Willard, who died several weeks earlier. The day after the burial, a hysterical Beth calls her cousin Shirley: someone has dug up Jan and Billy-B, scattering the ashes. Shirley decides to visit Claris and ask "a few discreet questions," only to find her dead of a gunshot wound and, near her body, yet another box of ashes--labeled "Willard Bryan." But if that's Willard, what--or who--was buried? A check of Willard's belongings adds to the puzzle; squirreled away in his mobile home is a small collection of extremely valuable 18th-century silver. Unflappable, commonsensical Shirley perseveres, finally sorting out her relatives' problems and, en route, an unsolved crime dating back to the 1940s.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Fawcett; First Edition edition (October 29, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044914674X
• ISBN-13: 978-0449146743
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,225,752 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another winner for B.J., June 1, 2000

By 

A. Reczkowski (Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unexpected Corpse (Mass Market Paperback)

Having just embarked on the "Shirley McClintock" series, I can tell you that they are indeed enjoyable. As would be expected, there is considerabley more character development in this, the second in the series, and it is apparent that the author is really warming to her protagonist. Shirley is opinionated, intelligent, capable and warm, with very definite views on everything, a woman after my own heart. The murders are interesting and complex but not unsolvable. The secondary plot concerning a cult was a little out in left field, maybe a little extraneous, but it was all wrapped up at the end. A very good read and I am looking for the third in the series as I write this.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Second outing for a feisty lady, May 25, 2009

By 

Steve Benner "Stonegnome" (Lancaster, UK) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unexpected Corpse (Mass Market Paperback)

"The Unexpected Corpse" is the second of seven "Shirley McClintock mysteries" penned by Sheri S. Tepper and published under the pseudonym of B J Oliphant between 1990 and 1997. It follows the earlier "Dead in the Scrub", with the feisty Colorado rancher this time finding herself entangled in a series of murders which are altogether too close to home for comfort, as various of her relatives start turning up dead after the remains of Uncle January and his third wife, Billy-B, are flown home for burial after being accidentally killed while on vacation in London.

With various aspects of familial wrong-doing and villainy, including sexual infidelity, larceny and murder, as well as apparent ties to satanic rites, sex cults and political and judicial corruption, the book has a fast-moving and at times quite convoluted plot, which manages to keep concealed the identity of the killer right up until the final denouement of the closing chapter. Shirley McClintock displays once again her characteristic mix of practical good sense and feminist values, with her laconic partner J.Q. and step-daughter Allison providing the perfect foil to Shirley's tendency towards rash impetuosity when things get too fraught. Their combined outwitting of the various villains of the piece make for gripping and entertaining reading.

As with other books in this series, Sheri Tepper's perennial obsessions with such things as the abuse of power and privilege are present as themes but are also largely reined back and certainly do not intrude upon what is essentially a straightforward whodunit offering. The book does show some signs of having been rushed into publication -- it is has a particularly large number of typographical errors as well as a rare example of Tepper making a narrative error, with Shirley spending some time musing over the means by which one of the victims was shot, a day or so before she is made aware that she was, giving the impression that a couple of passages of the book were rearranged at some point without a thorough reread of adjacent sections. Given the prolific nature of this author -- both of the first two Shirley McClintock books were released in the same year, along with the large scale science fantasy volume, "Raising The Stones" -- this is perhaps not surprising and most readers will not be greatly troubled by it; the book remains a fun read, especially for those murder mystery enthusiasts who like a steadily mounting body count (something some readers may find a little overdone).

In common with all of the books in this series, "The Unexpected Corpse" has long been out of print but there are usually a reasonable number of not-too-tatty second-hand paperback copies floating around at a fairly low price for those prepared to hunt, however. For those wanting more Shirley McClintock mysteries, the third volume in the series is "Deservedly Dead".