Twice As Dead

April 18, 2011
"Dead bodies find me like flies zeroing in on dog poop," remarks Odelia Grey at the outset of Jaffarian's raucous sixth cozy featuring the plus-size Southern California paralegal (after 2010's Corpse on the Cob) after she notices a woman's corpse on the floor of the cloakroom at the private club where she and her husband, Greg, are attending a wedding reception. The victim turns out to be Shirley Pearson, the wedding planner, soon revealed to be a man, Doug Pearson, who disappeared 14 years earlier after being involved in a Minnesota bank robbery. With the help of Greg, her irascible boss, and assorted other supporters, amateur sleuth Odelia follows the trail through Orange County, including a stop at a gay nightclub called Billie's Holiday for Shirley/Doug's memorial service. Distinctive characters help compensate for the rushed and untidy plot.