Stiffs
and Swine
A
Supper Club Mystery with James Henry
J.
B. Stanley
Midnight
Ink (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1267-1 (0738712671)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1267-3 (9780738712673)
Publication Date: October 2008
List Price: $13.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): 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!
Review:
One of the "flab five" supper club members is arrested for murder in Stiffs and Swine,
the fourth mystery in this delightful series by J. B. Stanley.
Much to the group's delight, they are asked to judge the
“Queen Sow Contest” in Hudsonville, Virginia. It
would mean an overnight trip causing James Henry, head librarian for
the Shenandoah Valley County Library, pause. Recently a large number of
teenagers had been visiting the library on Friday nights, not reading
or doing homework, just milling around waiting for something to happen.
Since they didn't appear to be causing any trouble, James decided to
wait until he returned from the contest to look into the matter.
At a charming bed-and-breakfast, the site of the contest, the group
meets up with Jimmy Kane, a loud-mouthed flirt who seems to be
offending everyone in sight, especially the women. When Kane wins first
place for his BBQ brisket, Gillian, one of the supper club members,
confronts him, screaming that he is the man who deliberately ran down
her husband years ago, killing him. Gillian said that not one day had
gone by that she had not wished him dead. The next morning, Kane is
found dead in his motor home, Gillian sitting on the steps. The sheriff
arrests Gillian for his murder, but the other four supper club members
go into amateur sleuth mode. There is clearly no shortage of suspects.
And there even seems to be a suspicious link between Kane and the
teenagers occupying the library Friday nights.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of Stiffs
and Swine
(in light of the plot, a particularly clever title) is the harmony and
camaraderie between the five members of the supper club. A spirit of
"all for one and one for all" resonates between the chapters. This
diverse group (an ex-professor librarian, sheriff's deputy, mail
carrier, high school art teacher, and animal-loving hippie) might
appear to be an eccentric and unlikely bunch but their fun-loving and
amateur-sleuthing ways are a winsome combination. Add in an interesting
and credible mystery plot (and scrumptious-sounding recipes) and the
result is, to paraphrase the words of the Queen Sow Contest moderator,
a winner.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Stiffs and Swine and to Midnight Ink for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read Stiffs and Swine? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Carbs
& Cadavers
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback), September 2006
ISBN-10: 0-7387-0913-1 (0738709131)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-0913-0 (9780738709130)
Fit
to Die
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback), May 2007
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1067-9 (0738710679)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1067-9 (9780738710679)
Chili Con Corpses
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback), January 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1259-0 (0738712590)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1259-8 (9780738712598)
Stiffs and Swine
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback), October 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1267-1 (0738712671)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1267-3 (9780738712673)
Omnimystery
keywords for Stiffs and Swine
...
Location(s) referenced: Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.
