Too Big to Miss

First Line: My weekend was D.O.A. ... dead on arrival.

Odelia Grey is a middle-aged, never married, plus-sized paralegal who has a boss from hell and a family that-- if she had the choice between being beaten up or going to visit her relatives, she just might choose the beating. She's a much-valued employee, and she makes no excuses for her weight, her age, or her lack of husband and children. But she could stand up for herself a little more. In order to do that, she's always looked to her friend Sophie London, a plus-sized activist, to be her inspiration.

But when Sophie sits down in front of a webcam, puts a gun in her mouth, and commits suicide, the bottom drops out of Odelia's life. She's not the only one who will mourn Sophie's show more death-- many women in Sophie's support group depended on her strength, her common sense, and her humor to help them improve their lives. The more Odelia thinks about it, the more Sophie's suicide just doesn't make sense, and she decides to ask some questions and do a little searching of her own for the truth about Sophie's death. Her quest will take her to some very unlikely places: strip malls, the world of live webcam porn, and some of the wealthier suburbs in southern California.

I immediately liked Odelia Grey. She's sassy and smart and knows when to follow good advice during the riskier parts of her investigation. In summing up herself, she also sums up why cozy mysteries and their sleuths are so popular:

"As usual, Zee was right. I wasn't the police or a detective. I was just me, a middle-aged, overweight, nosy woman. I was no more equipped to interview and cope with a conniving murderer than I was to play basketball with the Los Angeles Lakers. But I was hellbent on finding out the truth about Sophie's final hours, and that single-mindedness alone made me a formidable opponent. At least in my fantasy world."

It's funny how just the right amount of determination can make fantasies come true for all of us "just me's", and I like how Odelia's investigation not only finds a killer, but brings her closer to her old friends while making new ones, and gives her the incentive and the strength to attempt to fill Sophie's shoes in the future.

This character is a breath of fresh air. Normally overweight characters have limited roles in crime fiction. They either serve as background for the author to showcase personal disgust or unkind humor, or they could be considered suspects if only they weren't fat (because being fat means they're too lazy to commit murder), or they actually are killers because they were insanely jealous of the thin victim. Odelia Grey is none of these; she's a normal human being most of us would be fortunate to call friend.

Odelia, I'm definitely coming back to read more of your adventures. Oh... about playing basketball? I think you should go ahead and give it a shot. Looks to me like the Lakers need a little help this year, and you've proven that you know how to get things done! show less

This first in the series featuring plus size paralegal Odelia Grey delved into the on-line sex trade while still having the feeling of a cozy about it. The mystery is solid, though as with any cozy, there are stretches of suspension of disbelief.

But it’s Odelia herself who will take me back to more of this series. She’s fun, she’s sexy, she has a life, she’s plus size, and although she’s aware of the world’s perceptions of her (“Weight was the last acceptable prejudice. It was still politically correct to assault and ridicule fat people.”), she’s not overly bitter about it: what more could you ask for in a novice sleuth?

Read this if: you’re looking for a new “cozy” murder mystery series with a heroine who’s show more life-size and imperfect.

3½ stars plus ½ for Odelia. 4 stars show less

This is a fun, fluffy, lo-cal mystery. The big plus that this little mystery has going for it is its smart, likeable, self-deprecating heroine, Odelia Grey. Perfect beach read.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I liked the character Odelia, I liked her budding relationship with Greg, and I liked that she was plus sized. In fact, the main think I disliked about the book was Odelia's name. I am not a big fan of "unique" names for kids. But that is my own pet peeve.

This is the first book in a series, so I am very excited for now I get to read all the other ones. Yay!

A fun, light mystery with great characters and a little social commentary thrown in for good measure. Odelia Grey is a smart, kind and voluptuous woman who just wants to live her life without all the drama and annoying people giving her dirty looks because she's not a size 4. When her best girlfriend, Sophie, commits suicide and a secret life is revealed, Odelia knows something is wrong and cannot rest until her friend's name is cleared. Odelia is totally down to earth, and uses words like "boobies", which is hilarious and endearing. A little bit of sex here and there, but mostly in a sweet way. Great characters (the good and the evil) along with a nice little plot twist and good dialogue make this a very enjoyable read.

3 1/2 stars

Odelia Grey is not your skinny, mid-life aged (possibly divorced or some similar crisis) lady with two and a half kids, a dog and a mortgage to juggle, but someone with whom I actually can relate to a point, including size (she's a large/overweight person), her type of job is somewhat similar to mine and she has a cat. Her family, however, leaves a lot to be desired and I hope one of these days she gets the steel in her back to tell her step-mother off. She's also one of those who doesn't seem all that desperate to find a husband, though she does find a boyfriend who appreciates who and what she is without being overly sentimental or mushy (at which point, if this book had fallen into that mode, the book would have been in show more the library bag in no time flat, unfinished).

Odelia is fairly laid back and easy going, but when one of her best friends seemingly commits suicide on the internet, she becomes suspicious. Sophia was not the type to commit suicide and armed with only that knowledge, Odelia sets out to prove that a murder has occurred.

Over all, I liked and will probably pick up another book in the series. show less

This was an awesome, quick read that I breezed through in one day. At just 231 pages, the pages flew by. I was hooked from the first paragraph and found this book hard to put down. It was a nice mystery that I enjoyed because there was really no foul language and no graphic depictions of sex (despite one of the characters owning and being the star of an adult website. Sometimes it IS nice to read a book without all that stuff in it.) I also really liked the main character, Odelia Grey. I will be checking out more books in this series in the future.