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Dead Over Heels
by
Charlaine Harris
amateur sleuth, cozy mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by JABberwocky Literary Agency Inc. on July 31, 2016 and has 267 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Night's Edge, Death's Excellent Vacation, Must Love Hellhounds, Dead Reckoning, Bite, A Secret Rage, Home Improvement: Undead Edition, Deadlocked, An Apple for the Creature, Dead Ever After, The Sookie Stackhouse Companion, Games Creatures Play, After Dead: What Came Next in the World of Sookie Stackhouse, Indigo, Night Shift, Sleep Like a Baby, The Pretenders, A Longer Fall, An Easy Death, The Russian Cage, Small Kingdoms and Other Stories, Real Murders, A Bone to Pick, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse, Dead Until Dark, The Julius House, A Fool and His Honey, Shakespeare’s Landlord, Last Scene Alive, Shakespeare’s Champion, Poppy Done to Death, Shakespeare’s Christmas, Shakespeare’s Trollop, Shakespeare's Counselor
Fifth in the Aurora Teagarden amateur sleuth cozy mystery series and revolving around a librarian in Lawrenceton, Georgia. The focus is on that flying body.
It’s been a couple of years since The Julius House, 4.
My Take
Oh, lol, the opening sentence definitely caught my attention.
Then Angel (and we) discover she’s pregnant and, hoo boy, does this ever create problems! Yeah, those vasectomies . . . sometimes the tubes grow back. You guys may want to go for a recheck.
Harris is using first person protagonist point-of-view from Roe’s perspective, so everything we know is when Roe’s around or thinking or feeling *grin*.
Poor Roe does love being married to Martin, except for those dinners. Oy. Dinners for this, dinners for that, dinners for whatever you can imagine. As for Roe’s realization about her and Martin’s social life . . . oh, oh. It’s not helped by those whispers of “trophy wife”. Still, Roe’s speech at Arthur is a humdinger, and I can’t imagine a better accolade to a good marriage.
A number of small things get weird. Those penetrations into the yard, putting a ribbon on Madeleine!?! Whoever it was likes to live dangerously! There’s the attack on Shelby. The dead body flying out of the plane. The murders. Oy. Although, Dryden’s confession at church had me laughing. All these little offerings . . . ick.
It’s an odd blend of characters and action. I couldn’t tell you if the story was being driven by one or the other — they’re driving each other! Harris does keep the pace moving, there’s always something going down.
The Story
Aurora Teagarden surprises even herself with how quickly she’s settled in to domestic bliss with her new husband, Martin. But when the body of Roe’s nemesis, Detective Jack Burns, drops from an airplane to land in her yard, Roe once more finds herself involved in a mysterious death.
It isn’t long before Roe realizes that strange things are happening to those around her, including anonymous “gifts” appearing at her home. Suspecting that everything is somehow related, Roe digs for her own answers before someone else winds up dead. She’ll have to investigate everyone she knows, and the truth she uncovers will change her life forever.
The Characters
Lawrenceton, Georgia, is . . .
. . . home for Aurora “Roe” Teagarden, a used-to-be retired librarian, she has been married for some two years now to Martin Bartell, vice-president of manufacturing at Pan-Am Agra and a Vietnam vet, who must’ve been born with a love for danger and a need for control. Madeleine, the white cat Aurora inherited from Jane (A Bone to Pick, 2), loves to taunt both Aurora and Martin. Angel and Shelby Youngblood, Martin’s longtime friend and fellow vet, are the bodyguards Martin hired, although Shelby’s career at Pan-Am seems to be thriving. That Shelby, he’s such a romantic. Jimmy Dell had been Angel’s older brother. Barrett is Martin’s ungrateful son.
Aurora’s mother is Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland, a very successful realty agent. John Queensland is her fairly new husband, a retired businessman.
The Police
Spalding County Law Enforcement Complex “Spacolec” is control central for the police station, small claims court, the county sheriff’s office, and the jail. Padgett Lanier is the sheriff. Tom Nash Vernon is the chief of police. The zealous Detective Sergeant Jack Burns is with the city PD. He hated Aurora. Bess Burns, his wife, also works at the library. Their children are Jack Junior and Romney. Marva Clerrick, a popular and busy teacher at the high school, is the Burnses’ neighbor. Her husband, Sam, is the head of the library.
Detective Arthur Smith (Robbery) had once dated Roe but is now married to Detective Lynn Liggett Smith (Homicide). They have a child, Lorna. Although he is eyeing Roe with lust . . . and has separated from Lynn. Faron Henske seems to be in Robbery as well. Officer Jimmy Henske is Faron’s nephew. Officer C Turlock is a snarler.
Sue is Arthur’s date at the big dinner. Murray.
The Library
Sam Clerrick, the head of the library, is a great manager but lousy with people. Perry Ellison works at the library (and he’s Sally’s son), as does Roe’s nemesis, Lillian Schmidt. The pregnant Lizanne Sewell, a friend of Roe’s, is a library volunteer who’s married to Bubba Sewell, a local lawyer and a state representative. The storytime attendees include Irene. Beverly Rillington, a library aide who is efficient and reliable, is quite “sensitive” with a giant chip on her shoulder. Beverly’s mother, Selena, is in a coma after a beating. I like that Lillian is terrified of Beverly, lol. Cile Vernon wants to read Anne Rice. There are various groups which book storytelling times: WeeOnes, Kid Kare Korner, and the First Church of God the Creator day-care group.
Sally Allison is a reporter for the local paper, the Lawrenceton Sentinel, which is owned by Macon Turner who is also its editor. Sally has been married and divorced from (1) Steve Allison who is Perry’s dad, and (2) Detective Paul Allison, Steve’s brother. Perry is dating Jenny Tankersley, a widow since her husband Jack made a fatal mistake, who is giving flying lessons. Dan Edgar is a fellow reporter, but lazy. Sam Edgar may not have a punching bag at the end.
Carey Osland works at Marcus Hatfield (A Bone to Pick, 2). The burial will be through Jasper Funeral Home since Jerry Saylor of Saylor’s Funeral Home had the poor taste to divorce Bess’ sister. Dr Pincus “Pinky” Zelman is Roe’s doctor; Trinity is his receptionist and wife. Linda Ehrhardt Pocock is his nurse and in whose wedding Roe had been a bridesmaid. Although Linda’s divorced now with two children, Carol and Macey. Dr Jamerson is the valiant veterinarian willing to see Madeleine. Aubrey is the reverend at St James, which is attended by Roe and her mother.
The rude John Dryden and Don O’Riley are from Atlanta. Bunny Black owns Daredevil, a flying school. Stanford Foley owns something at the airfield.
Pan-Am Agra is . . .
. . . a combination of foods, farm machinery, and agricultural teachings. Mrs Marnie Sands is Martin’s secretary. Bettina Anderson, who seems to have a pash for Martin, is married to Bill Anderson, the plant safety manager. Deena Cotton works in the shipping department and is dating Paul Allison. Jesse Prentiss is one of the division heads; Verna is his wife.
Select Realty is Aida’s business. Eileen Norris is Aida’s second-in-command. Patty Cloud is now a real estate agent while Debbie Lincoln, who has evolved in many ways, succeeded her at reception and is the office computer expert. Mrs Kaplan wants to sell her house.
Short ‘N Sweet in Atlanta is Roe’s favorite petite shop. DeLane is delivering flowers for Call-a-Posey. Charlie Gorman was a nice boy Roe had dated in high school. Shady Rest is an old cemetery; Mr Early Lawrence for whom the town is named is buried there. Mount Zion is the black cemetery.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a deep peach with a deeper orange in triangles scattered all over the background. A lighter peach pair of scrolls frame the title (in white) that angles through the middle. At the top is the author’s name in a deep reddish orange. At the bottom is that row of colorful books, standing straight up, in a pile, and leaning with a white glowing line outlining the exposed parts of the books. On the right are a pair of glasses lying a’slant, slightly framing the seres info in brown.
The title is all about the flying body, the one who’s flying Dead Over Heels.
