Monday, May 05, 2008

S.Dionne Moore's Murder on the Ol' Bunions ~ Reviewed



Murder on the Ol' Bunions
By S. Dionne Moore
Published by Heartsong Presents
ISBN 978-1-59789-639-9


Back Cover:


LaTisha Barnhart's bunions tell her something's afoot as she delves deeper into the murder of her former employer, Marion Peters. When LaTisha becomes a suspect, the ante is upped, and she is determined to clear her name and find the real culprit.


She's burping Mark Hamm's bad cooking to investigate his beef with Marion ... getting her hair styled at a high falutin' beauty parlor to see what has Regina Rogane in a snarl ... playing self-appointed matchmaker between the local police chief and a prime suspect ... and thinking Payton O'Mahney's music store lease might be the reason he's singing out of tune when discussion of Marion's murder arises. LaTisha's thinking she just might use the reward money to get her bunions surgically removed.


But she's got to catch the crook first.


Review:


Murder on the Ol' Bunions opens sassy and never quits. I fell in love with LaTisha's indomitable spirit and impudence. We talk about characters leaping off the pages of a book, and LaTisha does. Well ... maybe not leap. LaTisha limps. Bunions, you know.


Moore didn’t give us a generic lovely, young sleuth. LaTisha Barnhart is an overweight grandmother and bossy. While the supporting cast have equally distinct personalities, Moore maintains a good balance of characters throughout. By the time I turned the last page, I truly didn't want this to end. I laughed all the way through it, and never guess whodunit.


This is Moore's debut book, and I'm anxiously awaiting the next one: Poly Dent Loses Grip. Novel Reviews gives Murder on the Ol' Bunions a high recommendation. A perfect read for a spring afternoon.


Reviewed by Ane Mulligan


Bonus Review:


Sandra Moore's debut novel sings. Snappy and creative wordsmithing, characters of substance and humor, and a mystery that will keep most readers guessing make Murder on the Ol Bunions an entertaining read. LaTisha is a laugh-out-loud, sarcastic woman with a strong will and a big soft heart.

Moore peppers her novel with delicious culinary moments, twisted red herrings and enough snarky commentary to keep half the town fed and on their toes. Long-suffering Hardy got my sympathy vote when LaTisha went into an occasional "keep out of her way" mode, but he got his darts in and the result of their interaction was as amusing as a sit-com. LaTisha's big heart makes her very sympathetic as she mourns her empty nest, and her able skills make her as asset to the tiny police department.

Those who love cozy mysteries should enjoy Murder on the Ol Bunions as much as I did, especially if you love strong women who put on a touch of tude.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer

4 comments:

Darlene Franklin said...

Yeah Sandra! I can't wait to get this one and read it.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Darlene. I'm looking forward to you e-mailing the group and saying you're totally pain-free.

Mary Connealy said...

Hey, S. Dionne, this sounds great.

Eileen said...

What fun titles! Can't wait to catch up and read this one, too. Thanks Ane for letting us in on the mystery.