Book 75, 2024

[chez_jae]

The Inconvenient Corpse by Barbara Cool Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Last night I polished off an ebook: The Inconvenient Corpse by Barbara Cool Lee. It's the second(?) in the author's "Carita Cove" cozy mystery series. Initially, I thought it was the first book, but apparently I missed a prequel novella. Huh. Main character is recently divorced Maggie McJasper.

After getting hosed in her divorce, Maggie is forced to rent out her beautiful beach home while she lives in a tiny house parked on the driveway. She's recently opened a bead shop in town and hopes to begin turning a profit. At home one evening, Maggie hears incessant barking from next door--her ex-husband's home. Wondering what has upset Big Mac's dog, Jasper, Maggie walks over there and discovers Big Mac at the bottom of the pool. Her efforts to save him are in vain, and when the police realize he was hit over the head, Big Mac's latest arm candy (Maggie's replacement) is arrested for murder. Maggie doesn't believe Virginia would have killed him before marrying him, but trying to figure out who else may have wanted her ex dead is more difficult than she imagined.

A fun story. I liked Maggie as a character, as well as her tenant, handsome movie star Reese Stevens. I really enjoyed the fact that Maggie has a non-contentious relationship with Big Mac's first wife, Nora, and that they refer to each other as Senior (Nora) and Junior (Maggie). Maggie strives to be as benevolent towards Virginia as Nora has been to her, but it's not always easy. The plot moved along at a good pace and kept me turning (virtual) pages.

There were some minor editing errors, including this doozie (SPOILER!):
In one chapter we had: Ibarra had said Virginia had been hit over the head the moment she came in the door. A chapter or two later brought this: Ibarra had told her Virginia was strangled. Um...which was it?

Favorite lines:
♦ There were two standards of treatment: the rich got away with everything and everyone else got out of their way.
♦ "If you fire me, who will rescue you from predatory bimbos?"

In spite of the editing issues, I did enjoy this and will look for more in the series. Four stars


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? No, she owns a bead shop
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Er, kinda-sorta? At this point, there are two potential romantic interests: a detective and a movie star.
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? Yes, she ends up with Jasper
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No (NA)
6. Did the mc find the body? Yes
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Not really, no
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes