Something Shiny

Yeah, yeah, I know, I haven’t been all that enthusiastic about J. B. Stanley’s other “Supper Club Mysteries” so why do I keep reading them? I guess I’m somewhat invested in the characters now, and I do still appreciate the weight struggle sub-plot.

Battered Body is the latest tale in the series. It’s comfortable, like catching up with old friends. Friends you may not want to talk to everyday, but ones you genuinely care enough to check in with from time to time.

About Battered Body:
From Booklist

The flab five are back in what is one of the most satisfying books in the series. The dieters include librarian James, policewoman Lucy, mailman Bennett, artist and schoolteacher Lindy, and vegetarian and pet activist Gillian. James’ widowed father, Jackson, is planning to marry on Christmas Eve. The trouble starts with the arrival of the bride’s family, including her sister, Paulette, a celebrity chef and television personality. The Diva of Dough plans to make a wedding cake to die for. But the woman seems to make more enemies than cakes. While no one is truly unhappy at her demise (her body covered in cake batter), the flab five feel they must discover who did it. As always, the story offers a delightful depiction of the village of Quincy’s Gap, Virginia. Stanley excels at gradually revealing more and more details about her appealing cast of characters, which, in turn, paves the way for plenty of engaging story lines to pursue in future volumes. The recipes included won’t do much for your diet, but maybe the introduction of a new character, dietician Dr. Ruth Wilkins, will help. –Judy Coon

Review

“Heavy on fun, light on gore, this savory mystery comes complete with yummy recipes.” — PW “Publishers Weekly”

The fourth book in the Supper Club Mystery series from J. B. Stanley follows in the adequate tradition of the previous three installments. I’m not in love with the series, but it’s better than most of my random picks based on cover and/or title induced impulses (“Chili Con Corpses” being the initial hook for me).

As with the previous tales, the weight watching group of friends gets wrapped up in a murder investigation. Will they save the day again? Signs point to yes. As an added bonus, this installment includes some BBQ recipes.

If you have read any of J. B. Stanley’s books and would like to learn more about her, she has a blog and some additional info over at Amazon (click on the book cover over on the right).

Via Amazon:

From Booklist

The whole purpose of this Supper Club is for its five members to lose weight. As in real life, some are more successful than others, but they all keep trying. Librarian James Henry, new sheriff’s deputy Lucy Hanover, schoolteacher Lindy, postman Bennett, and pet guru Gillian have actually gained more fame from their joint sleuthing escapades than they have from their various diet attempts. In this fourth rollicking adventure, they are invited to be guest judges at the forty-seventh annual Hudsonville Hog Festival. They can’t resist the offer; they’ll get back to their diets after the barbecue. All goes well until one of the barbecue contestants is found dead, and one of the flab five is accused of the murder. As always, a few recipes are included in the story, some of them more diet-friendly than others. While many of the antics are hilarious, Stanley’s characters really do have depth, the plotting is well executed, and the series becomes better with each installment. –Judy Coon

Review
“Readers are served a well-plotted mystery sprinkled with delightful characters and topped off with a dash of suspense.”

Product Description
When the supper club members are invited to be guest judges at a regional barbecue contest, they accept the invitation faster than you can say “hog heaven.” But the barbecue festival’s family-oriented, finger-licking fun turns sour when a contestant is found dead. Things go from bad to worse when one of the five friends is accused of the murder and lands in jail. The strained relationship between James and Lucy is still no picnic, but the supper club members must stick together to find the real killer. Includes authentic barbecue-friendly recipes!

Praise for the Supper Club Mystery Series
“Heavy on fun, light on gore, this savory mystery comes complete with yummy recipes.” —Publishers Weekly”
Well plotted …with a wonderful setting and cast of characters.” —MysteryReader.com
“Stanley offers another entry in the popular Supper Club Mystery series, and her fans now have a new volume to relish.” —Booklist

About the Author
J.B. Stanley has a BA in English from Franklin & Marshall College, an MA in English Literature from West Chester University, and an MLIS from North Carolina Central University. She taught sixth grade language arts in Cary, North Carolina for the majority of her eight-year teaching career. Raised an antique-lover by her grandparents and parents, Stanley also worked part-time in an auction gallery. An eBay junkie and food-lover, Stanley now lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, two young children, and three cats.

I finally had to give up on Kelly Link’s Stranger Things Happen. The stories in Pretty Little Monsters were… well, they had something happen. Stranger Things Happen seemed to be more a stream of consciousnesses sorta thing. Like streams were combined into “stories.” Anyway, I gave up two stories from the end of the collection.

So, after reading Tim Dorsey’s Nuclear Jellyfish I picked up J.B. Stanley’s Fit to Die. I had picked up Chile con Corpses on a whim at the library (I’m a sucker for clever titles and shiny covers). The characters were pretty flat and the plot wasn’t particularly clever, but it wasn’t bad either.

More interesting than the plot was the diet story sub-story. Ok, interesting isn’t quite acurate. Connecting perhaps? Much like fiscal responsibilty, diets aren’t exactly the focus of positive media attention. Aside from NBC’s The Biggest Loser (which is more social manipulation than useful information), TV, books, movies, don’t ever really touch on the pain in the ass which is weight loss and weight maintenance.

The fact that J.B. Stanley includes some of the actual issues around weight loss/management as a tertiary topic makes the characters a bit more real and is positive reinforcement for my own goals.

Since Chili con Corpses I’ve read Carbs & Cadavers, and am currently in the middle of Fit to Die. Ms. Stanley has one more book in the Supper Club Mystery series, Stiffs and Swine, as well as some other books outside the series.

So, in conclusion, the Supper Club Mystery series is a collection of solid, although not outstanding, mysteries. The real draw here is for those whose weight doesn’t manage itself. You can be the 6th member of the characters’ supper club and get enjoy the benefits of their support structure, even if it is only fictional.

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