Another day, another dead body. It’s all in a day of the life of Salem Grimes.
Salem Grimes figures even a God who works in mysterious ways wouldn’t resort to a dead body in a dumpster in answer to Salem’s prayers to help her stay on her diet – excuse me – Strat-EAT-Gic plan. But a dead body in a dumpster it is, and now Salem and Viv, her octogenarian partner-in-crime-solving, are on the case … the case once again. Salem finds the search for the killer a satisfactory distraction from all the things she needs distraction from – “dates” with the husband she hasn’t known for the past decade, growing jealousy of Viv’s friendship with Dale-the-Annoying-Hanger-On, and a mentor who says things that – okay, maybe Salem needs to hear, but she really doesn’t want to. As she seeks peace amidst praying prairie dogs and too much Chinese food, Salem struggles to disentangle what she believes from what she thinks she should believe, and – most frightening of all, the possibility that she might have to figure out for herself just where the truth lies. Oh, and avoid a murderer on the loose, if she can manage it.
more
It made me laugh out loud!
There are probably worse things in life than being named after your Mom’s favorite cigarette but Salem Grimes is pretty sure it illustrates that where her Mom is concerned Salem rates somewhere below a cigarette. Her whole life has been disfunction and chaos and even though she is staying sober and trying to get her life in some kind of order, she did not need to find another body and get involved in another murder case. Of course, to her best octogenarian friend Viv murder cases are a great source of fun and excitement, a distraction from the humdrum of normal living, but Salem does not need another distraction to keep from dealing with her problems.
This is a fun series. Salem and Viv are very unlikely heroines and half the time they are more partners-in-crime than crime fighters, but I like their very human qualities. The story has humor, mystery, and jaw-dropping approaches to problem-solving. It made me laugh out loud!
Salem gets into more trouble this time when she finds another dead body. This book had some funny times as well as intense. I liked everything about this book and all the great characters that suck you in. This book has great writing and the accent in the narration is so fun to listen to.
laugh-riot, situational-humor, verbal-humor, relationships, murder, murder-investigation, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, dieting*****
This is a real Laugh Your Sox Off tale! The characters are beyond looney, the situations too real, and the sleuthing hilarious.
Sandra Murphy is a great narrator who really makes the real characters come alive and really adds to the fun and suspense.
I won this audiobook in a giveaway. I win!
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. This is a very serious subject (hate crimes and things people do because of there prejudices) but the author covered it nicely in this fun cozy mystery and it worked well as a plot. The main reason it worked is because of all the great characters and the fact that the author broke it up with moments of humour and high jinks, even the police detective got in on the act. I love the fact that Salem isn’t perfect, as this makes her down to earth and like able. I also love her job and think a dog groomer is unusual for a cosy and that alone sets this series part from the norm and makes it well worth a listen, especially with the addition of Dale as he is good for a few chuckles. The mystery was good and I had no idea who the killer was or why because there was plenty of suspects and I kept changing my mind. I can’t wait for the next book.
Salem isn’t cheating on her diet, her car just happened to take her to the fast food restaurant but when she sees a body fall out of a dumpster all thoughts of food fly out of the window. She is barely home before Viv is at her door wanting to investigate. The man was naked and with only one man either of them can think of who has gone missing and with a lot of charity money, for the homeless, is a man that just came out of the closet. Is his death a hate crime? Or to do with the missing money? As tempers flare over the situation and the media weighs in on the discussion, Salem and Viv gain a new detective to help ask the difficult questions. Can the three of them find the killer or are they barking up the wrong tree?
I like Sandra Murphy as a narrator, she is one of my favourites because I know if she is reading the story then I am in for a real treat and a great performance.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Salem Grimes has a definite problem with weight–hers. That does not stop her from trying to find the person or persons who put a dead body into a dumpster. At least it stopped her from eating a greasy—BUT it also picked up a definitely crazy dump trunk driver who decided he was going to help Salem and her BFF hunt down the killer!
There are many sections that will make you groan and occasionally laugh as Salem tries to outwit herself on eating–and trying not to be jealous of everyone around her. She tries, she really tries!! She even reads a Bible verse every morning—
This is a cute cozy mystery that I think you will enjoy!
Great story! Our trailer park princess and her friends investigate the murder if a man found in a dumpster. Salem is a chubby, recovering alcoholic and budding Christian who is the most real protagonist you will ever meet. And somehow through it all she is also funny, funny, funny!
Wow! Why people want to go back to high school and make things better, I have no idea. Kim takes her characters for a wild ride, and makes them look at all the flaws in their life. When they try to fix them, the fun begins. We get to see the ‘kid’ still lurking in each of her characters, and we learn about the flaws they couldn’t let go of (vanity, gluttony, etc). Good read, lots of humor.
A Trailer Park Princess COZY Mystery is a wonderful, humorous series. In Unsightly Bulges, book 2, author Kim Hunt Harris does an exceptional job of bringing present day issues to life. Thought provoking or controversial ?? Well, I think she shows that it’s OK to ‘agree to disagree’…from disagreement, common ground can be worked towards AND found. It’s when only your perception is the correct one that trouble and distruction can/will grow. So agree to disagree, communicate, enjoy differences AND READ UNSIGHTLY BULGES !!! It’s still part of my thoughts/thinking process…CELEBRATE DIVERSITY !!!