Guest Review: Carbs and Cadavers

As you probably know, my sister, Tina (TUTU) has headed off to Europe on a cruise with her sweetie, Bob. (Last cruise I was her cabin mate, oh, how we fall out of grace.)

So when I visited her last month I perused all her shelves and stole this book to read and in her place will leave a review. (Maybe if I do a good job, she’ll take me next time.)

Carbs & Cadavers

Author: J. B Stanley

Category: Cozy Mystery

Pages: 257

The Supper Club Mysteries starts with this book and is extremely entertaining. The entire premise, and one I find hits too close to home, is a group of "fatties" joining together to support each other as they try to lose weight. They title themselves the FLAB FIVE.

James Henry, the main character, is a divorced former professor from Wm & Mary who has an addiction to Cheese puffs and is carrying 50 lbs. of extra weight. He has returned home to Quincy Gap to care for his elderly father after his mother's death. James gets a job as a librarian and settles into what he considers a boring life which only drives him to his addiction more often than not. He feels friendless and alone so when the opportunity to make new friends and lose a few extra pounds is presented to him, he jumps at the chance not knowing what he is getting himself into.

At their first meeting, they are all distracted by sirens (one member works for the local sheriff) and plunge themselves into an investigation of the events. Working together to both solve the mystery and lose weight, the dieters are melded together into close friends and band together to catch the killer.

The story is well-written and highly amusing with tales of diet cheating and buttons popping. I was completely engrossed in the story so I didn’t have to worry about a “Cheese Puff Attack”. As a fellow dieter, my interest was held as to their progress and their setbacks along with the mystery. I look forward to a second helping - pun intended.

So if you liked my review, come see me at ">Cheli's Shelves.

Happy reading!