Her number is up . . . This Christmas, Tallie Graver would like to take a break from running her cleaning business to be with her boyfriend, Max, and enjoy their first holiday together—alone. Instead, she’s stuck keeping her mother and grandmother from duking it out during the town’s annual Christmas Eve bingo game. As for festive spirit, she’ll have to settle for her mean-spirited Aunt Ronda, … settle for her mean-spirited Aunt Ronda, whose mouth could use some soap.
The night only gets worse after Tallie discovers Ronda’s body. It seems someone cleaned her clock with a can of varnish. While all the evidence points to Ronda’s husband, Tallie doesn’t
believe her beloved Uncle Hoagie could do such a dirty deed. Of course, his sudden
disappearance doesn’t help his case. If Tallie hopes to clear his name, she’ll need to dig up some dirt to locate the real killer. Otherwise, someone else could get rubbed out . . .
Praise for Cremains of the Day
“Simon kicks off a new series that combines a bit of humor and romance with a heroine who knows no boundaries while searching for the truth that will keep her out of jail.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“An amusing new series with an engaging, spirited sleuth.”
—Library Journal
“You’ll be cheering as the clues pile up in this creative cozy mystery.”
—New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon
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This is the 5th book in the Tallie Graver Mystery series, and while I have enjoyed them all, I think this book is my favorite so far in this series. Ms. Simon has crafted one of the best opening paragraphs in a cozy mystery that I have read in a long time. I was literally laughing from the first sentence and hooked for the rest of the book. Tallie has come a long way since we first met her. She is in a better place with her family, the town, her career and her boyfriend Max. Things are changing for them and I love how Tallie is adapting and rolling with the punches, so to speak. This time around, we get to meet Tallie’s grandmother and Burton’s father, both of whom are great characters.
I really loved the mystery in this book. It kept me on my toes trying to unravel the clues and piece together just what happened and the identity of the culprit. I also like that Tallie and Burton are in a much better place. I’m wondering when he is going to convince her to join the force. The author is not overly generous on suspects, especially as we get further along in the story making it important for me to stay focused. I was able to unravel a bit of the mystery but the reveal was well done and I finished this book feeling very satisfied.
I will definitely be back to see where this author takes this series and the characters. It is always fun and when I finish the book I’ve spent several hours being entertained.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington, through Netgalley. The thoughts expressed are my own.
This town has more secrets and drama than Gina’s moms stories. Totally beyond crazy and why is Max going into the funeral biz? I don’t understand any of this and I really, really hope the author clears a few things up in the next book.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Christmas, Bingo, and Bodies! Yes, it is another fun book from Misty Simon!
Tallie and Max are turning her little apartment above the funeral home into their own little penthouse just in time for the holidays. Max is trying to get his accountant practice up and running but he could be making a career change. Tallie is trying to take a little break from her cleaning business to run interference between her mother and grandmother who has come to town for the holidays. Her plans go a little awry when she is separated from her elders at the annual Christmas Eve bingo event at the fire station. She ends up sitting next to her Aunt Ronda, a bingo regular who is upset by all the holiday interlopers winning the prizes.
When Tallie wins the final game Ronda leaves in a huff. Tallie notices Ronda has left her bag behind tries to catch up with her outside. She does find her but Ronda won’t be playing bingo ever again as she is very dead with a can of varnish by her side. Boy, that happened quick.
Seeing that her Uncle Hoagie owns the local hardware store where the varnish came from the police want to talk to him immediately. One problem, Uncle Hoagie is nowhere to be found. Add to that, someone is setting fires around town. No one has been hurt yet but it appears the firebug is escalating.
Tallie isn’t sure if it’s the holiday spirit or if Police Chief Burton facing the inevitable but he asks for Tallie’s help in solving the murder case. Equally surprising, her Uncle Sherman, the fire chief, asks for Tallie’s assistance in solving the firebug case too. If Tallie wants to ring in a bright and shining new year she needs to wrap up both mysteries as soon as possible.
Wow, Ms. Simon packs a lot into these pages along with a generous supply of giggles.
I am so happy Max has moved in with Tallie. They compliment each other nicely and he has a way of handling her family in a way she never could. Tallie is getting stronger but hasn’t left behind all her insecurities.
We are introduced to two new characters in this story. Tallie’s grandmother and Burton’s father. Both strong characters and meeting them shines a light on the other characters they have touched over a lifetime. The author continues to allow her characters to grow in a realistic way.
The story has a nice twist in that not one but two people ask Tallie for her help realizing she has a talent for solving mysteries. She proves it when her observations turn the story in a different direction. Due to the murder, we meet Ronda and Hoagie’s children and again it prompts Tallie to ask key questions. Ms. Simon’s writing style takes her readers right into the ebbs and flows are Tallie’s life, like we are looking right over her shoulder as she follows the clues wherever they lead. This new partnership between Tallie and Burton gives a different dimension. I wonder if it will last.
I have enjoyed every book in this series but I feel Varnished without a Trace is the best one yet. I just can’t get enough of these characters. I strived this year to get caught up on this series and I am a little sad that I now have to wait for the next installment. Until next year, Tallie! I am not tapping my foot or anything. Okay, I am, but I know writing and publishing great stories take time.
Varnished Without a Trace is an odd story. The main character is the daughter of a funeral-home director, but she doesn’t want to work in the family business. She prefers cleaning people’s homes over taking care of the dead. Tallie comes off as a bit immature. She is almost thirty but allows her mother, father, and grandmother to tell her how to act, live her life, even what food to eat. Understandably, she wants to keep the peace, especially during the Christmas holiday. Still, a thirty-year-old woman should be able to be herself, eat the food she likes, and not worry about her family getting upset if she refuses cranberry sauce with dinner. For me, this made it challenging to like Tallie too much.
The investigation into the murder of Tallie’s cousin is slightly confusing. The local detective wants her help, as does the fire chief, but neither seems to do their job without Tallie by their side. Even though it’s the Christmas holiday, and the murder of a family member has taken place, yet no one is overly upset or grieving. The victim’s husband is missing and could be the killer, and it doesn’t look like anyone cares except Tallie. It’s just odd that so many crazy things happen, and no one bats an eye.
My biggest complaint about this book is that it was extremely predictable, from the suspects to the motives; even the twists were easily anticipated. Unfortunately, this Christmas holiday story was so easy to predict that I knew what would happen pages before it did. The premise of a funeral director/house cleaner for a cozy is great but wasn’t as good as it could have been. I love odd stories with characters that enhance a series, and this was the only book in the series that I read, so I may not be seeing the entire picture, but I didn’t have any empathy for any of the characters. All of this said, there were some fun and humorous parts in Varnished Without a Trace. It had a fair amount of interest and was a quick read.
I had the best time reading this book! I was laughing in the first chapter. This is the 5th book in the series and the 1st I’ve read. It was easy for me to follow along and I will be reading the others. The book takes place at Christmas time and involves murder and arson. The characters are definitely well developed and quirky. This is just a great cozy. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and I’m providing an honest review.
I’ve been a fan of the Tallie Graver Mystery series from the beginning and they’ve never disappointed. This one is no exception. A truly enjoyable read and time well spent with some of my favorite characters. You won’t want to put it down.
When Tallie’s mean Aunt Ronda is killed at the town’s annual Christmas Eve bingo game and her beloved Uncle Hoagie is the prime suspect, it’s up to Tallie to clear his name.
This Christmas mystery will keep you entertained while trying to figure out who the real killer is.
Note: I was given an advance copy of this book by the publisher but all opinions and reviews are my own.
It turned out when the Police Chief Burton commented that there was too much going on in town for how small and quaint they’re supposed to be it was an understatement. He was even desperate enough to ask for help from Tallie Graver, who owns a cleaning business and helps out in her families funeral home,. This was a surprise to Tallie because he had never been happy about her interference in the past but as the mysteries add up Tallie finds more questions than answers. and soon discovers people aren’t always what they seem to be.
The plot in this story really pulled me in with so much going on and a lot of things to try and figure out. I also liked that Tallie’s boyfriend, Max, not only was okay with her sleuthing he would help when asked. This is the fifth book in A Tallie Graver Mystery series. . Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
This was just what I needed to keep me entertained. Spending some time with Tallie was a treat. It’s Christmas and there is a lot going on in Tallie’s life. The usual day to day stuff plus family friction at the bingo game. Her Mother and her horrid Aunt Ronda are itching for a fight. Tallie thinks the fire is out between them for now, until she finds it will be permanent – somebody has bumped her off and then her husband goes missing. If he didn’t do the evil deed, who did?
From the first page to the last, the humor and the puzzle sucked me in and never let up. I think this might just be my favorite of the whole series. If you are new to this series, line them all up and settle down for a binge. You won’t regret a minute of it.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
family-dynamics, family, friendship, situational-humor, verbal-humor, cozy-mystery, murder, holiday-themed, missing-persons, small-business, small-town, arson
Let’s see, there’s extreme bingo, a murdered curmudgeon whose husband goes missing, a look-alike embalmed body found outside his business, a looney family who wants daughter to stop mucking about as an amateur sleuth and get into the family (funeral home) business against her will. Oh, and an arsonist. Sounds like fun, and it really is. Kept me up reading to find out what’s next! Great characters!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Press via NetGalley.