Mourning Shift: A Tory Bauer Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Tory Bauer is the quintessential diner waitress, slopping up greasy food with a hefty side order of cranky attitude. In Mourning Shift the goblins are out for Halloween, and Tory is crabbier than usual. Is it a trick when a mysterious old man dies in the cafe's restroom? Or is it a treat to find out the juicy gossip that he's the cafe owner's long estranged husband? The reluctant heroine saves the day again by discovering the identity of a killer.

About the Author

Kathleen Taylor was a contributing editor for several craft magazines, and when not writing, she works on crafts. She lives in South Dakota.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Avon (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038079943X
• ISBN-13: 978-0380799435
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301,716 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and funny, July 20, 2000

By	Mystery Maven (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

I very much enjoyed reading MOURNING SHIFT by Kathleen Taylor. Once again, Tory Bauer, overweight, over 40, and over likely to discover dead bodies, is in fine form. Right away she discovers the dead body of an elderly man in the bathroom of the cafe where she waitresses. Turns out he was the husband of cafe cook/owner Aphrodite. Shortly after discovering the body, Aphrodite's step-daughter and her son arrive in town, making it a regular family reunion. Unfortunately, there's a bomber on the loose, and one of the main characters is killed. Tory investigates and soon puts all the clues together for a surprise ending.

While the author did provide readers with all the necessary clues to figure out whodunit, I never put it all together. (A book is successful for me if the author can provide all the clues and still keep me guessing.) I also enjoyed the Woo-Woo Factor (the term used by mystery buffs to describe supernatural incidences in books). All the usual characters were back being their normal, quirky selves, providing additional laughs. A nice, light summer read perfect to take with you on vacation.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Fun in Delphi, South Dakota, August 22, 2000

By	Roz Levine (Virginia) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Kathleen Taylor is in fine form with her latest mystery, Mourning Shift. Tory Bauer, widowed, overweight, over forty waitress at the only eating establishment in town, the Delphi Cafe is crankier than usual. It's Halloween, her least favorite holiday, she's dressed as a munchkin from The Wizard of Oz and she's just discovered the dead body of a patron in the cafe bathroom. To make matters worse, he's the long estranged husband of Aphrodite Ferguson, the cafe's owner (no one in town knew she'd ever been married), his daughter and grandson have just arrived at the cafe to meet him and Tory has to give them the bad news. But the day isn't over yet. Within hours, one of the locals is murdered, blown to bits by a car bomb and the two deaths may be connected. When always inquisitive Tory starts looking for answers, secrets start popping up all over town. This is a terrific, fast paced, funny mystery full of great quirky characters. The writing is sharp and witty with dialogue so irreverent and down to earth, you'll find yourself laughing out loud. And though all the clues are there, the mystery has enough twists and turns to keep you off balance and guessing to the surprise ending of the story. So take a trip to South Dakota and join the fun at the Delphi Cafe. You won't be disappointed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Mystery With Plenty Of Laughs, July 6, 2000

By	N. Sausser "pucksau" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the second book in this series that I've read and revisiting these colorful characters is like sinking into a big comfy chair. I like the way Ms. Taylor tells a story...it seems effortless (as it should). A very good mystery with plenty of twists and turns and a very satisfying conclusion. I don't understand why this author isn't getting more attention. She's gone to the top of my list.