29 June 2006

Book Banter -- The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club


Title: The Lone Star Lonely Hearts Club
Author: Susan McBride
Length: 350~ pages
Genre: mystery/chick lit
Plot Basics: Andy Kendricks' attempts to avoid high-society in Dallas are foiled again when her mother, Cissy, asks Andy to go with her to the funeral of one of her good friends who lived in a swanky Dallas retirement community. Barely is that funeral over when another dead body -- dead, widowed, rich body -- also one of Cissy's friends, is found at the same retirement community. Cissy claims neither of the women died of natural causes, but was murdered, and recruits Andy to help her find the killer.
Banter Points: If awards were given for best supporting actress in a novel, Cissy Kendricks would walk away with the Oscar. The wacky mother character was perfect. Cissy was worried about her friends' untimely deaths but her foray as a Miss-Marple-Sherlock-Holmes-Hercule-Poirot type was very funny.
Bummer Points: Two-thirds of this book was spent building up the plot and then the resolution all happened very quickly (and Word Nerd had figured out whodunit before our heroes).
Word Nerd recommendation: Word Nerd is looking forward to McBride writing another one of her Debutante Dropout mysteries. Apparently, she has to wait until January 2007, but those who haven't had the series have time to catch up.

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