cover image A Grave Issue: A Funeral Parlor Mystery

A Grave Issue: A Funeral Parlor Mystery

Lillian Bell. Crooked Lane, $26.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-68331-490-5

An on-air gaffe that goes viral—a rant against old people—sends Los Angles TV news anchor Desiree Turner fleeing to her hometown of Verbena, Calif., where she ends up managing the family funeral parlor, in Bell’s fun debut and series launch. When Rosemarie and Alan Brewer’s pet emu, Vincent, suddenly dies, the couple claim that the barking of two dogs belonging to Desiree’s neighbors and surrogate parents, Lola and Kyle Hansen, frightened Vincent to death. The police do not prosecute. When someone fatally shoots Alan, whose corpse is delivered to Desiree’s funeral home, the police arrest Kyle. In her efforts to clear Kyle’s name, Desiree gets help from a local cop, a local reporter, and the coroner, while remaining oblivious to their obvious attraction to her. Bell draws Desiree’s suitors with enough detail for the reader to care which one she chooses, and supplies enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. Cozy fans will find all the right ingredients for a satisfying series. [em]Agent: Andrea Somberg, Harvey Klinger Literary. (Feb.) [/em]