Wednesday, September 15, 2010

A Catered Thanksgiving-Isis Crawford

A Catered Thanksgiving
Isis Crawford
Kensington, Nov 1 2010, $22.00
ISBN: 9780758247384

They have opposite personalities but Bernie and Libby are sisters who are also good friends while running a catering business A Little Taste of Heaven in Westchester, New York. There latest job is catering a Thanksgiving dinner at the Field Mansion; for Monty, his two children (Melissa and George), his brothers (Perceval and Ralph) and his wife Lexus as well as Geoff, Bob and Pauline. They all must be on their best behavior or Marley will cut them out of his will.

While the sisters cook the turkey, Marley walks in and taps the bird until the timer pops up and blows his head to smithereens. Someone placed a mini-bomb in the turkey connected to the pop-up and everyone knew Marley always tapped on the bird. His death was obviously a premeditated murder. Libby and Bernie prefer to leave because most of the people there have motives to kill the victim. However, a blizzard trapped them. Not wanting to feel useless, the siblings do what they do second best (after cooking): investigate a murder.

The latest Isis Crawford amateur sleuth is a holiday treat because of the two hilarious sisters who argue, fuss and detect while debating what to do next. Bernie is a kick butt in your face while Libby is a girly girl, but both are brave and together form a yin and yang terrific sleuthing team. The case is interesting as the victim was a control freak who uses money to make his family obey his whims and those who fall out of favor fall out of the will. Even from the grave, his presence is felt all over this fine Thanksgiving whodunit.

Harriet Klausner

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