This is the first in a series of southern cozy mysteries set in a suburb of Birmingham, AL, and featuring sisters the author based on herself and a cutup cousin.

Patricia Anne, based on the author, is a recently retired schoolteacher, age 60, petite and happily married. Her sister, Mary Alice, is her complete opposite. A 250 pound ball of fire, Mary Alice has outlived three rich husbands and has buried them side-by-side for her visiting convenience. She now has a 72-year-old boyfriend. The real fun of the novel comes from the antics of Mary Alice and Patricia Anne. The mystery is just so-so.

The mystery begins when Mary Alice buys the local country-western bar where she and her boyfriend enjoy line-dancing. The business quickly brings a murder mystery into the sisters' lives, along with a large group of interesting characters, including Patricia Anne's favorite former student who may now be a murderer.

This is a quick, fun read. Reading the entire series is easily doable, since only a few were published between this one in 1996 and the author's death in 2001. ( )

The main characters in this book are Mary Alice (aka Sister) and
Patricia Anne, a pair of 60+ year old southern sisters who are about as
different as daylight and dark. Mary Alice is large, flamboyant, and
full of fun; she's buried three husbands and isn't ready to quit any
time soon. Patricia Anne is a retired high school English teacher who
just wants to lead a quiet life in her golden years with her husband.
When Mary Alice decides on the spur of the moment to buy a country dance
club called the Skoot N Boot, she insists that Patricia Anne ride along
to go see it. It's daytime and the place is pretty quiet when Patricia
Anne gets the grand tour and meets the former owner.

But the world turns upside down the next morning when the former owner
is found murdered inside the club and both sisters get grilled by the
local sheriff for any information they can provide. Things go from bad
to worse when the murder scene is ransacked and drugs are found. All
fingers seem to point to the club cook, who is a favorite former student
of Patricia's.

This book was a pleasant little read, but nothing special. I rather
like the characters, so I'll be looking for other books in the series,
but it's not something I'll be beating the bushes to locate. I'll give
it a 4 because it WAS a nice little read and I didn't suspect the right
culprit, though I must say it seemed a bit contrived to me the way the
author pulled it all together at the end. She's got writing talent and
can certainly write good dialog, but it's not so strong on plot. ( )

This was an enjoyable book to read and I plan on reading the next book in the series which I bought at the same time. I almost put the book down in the first few pages. I am tired of books that attempt to entertain readers by their stupid and extreme characters. But the two sisters, especially the narator are reasonably complex people and appropriately amusing. I don't think a reader could figure out the mystery before the end. I would have appreciated a few more clues and not such a quick wrap up at the end of the book. ( )

This is just one installment of the antics of the "Southern Sisters" who always just happen to be in the vacinity of a murder. They are quite the characters!!! It's a book that will keep you grinning. ( )

The first of the Southern Sisters Mystery series introduces sisters Mouse and Sister, 60 something Alabama ladies who could not be more different. Tiny, ladylike Mouse is dominated by her older, larger than life sibling, Sister. That is how she ends up in the middle of a murder investigation and the Skoot and Boot, a club Sister has recently bought from the now deceased Ed. The murder is the first disaster to befall the "Skoot" as the sisters fall upon one clue after another. As with many cozy mysteries it is the cast of quirky characters who keep this story so engaging. Mouse, who deals with distress with humor, is hysterical. ( )