Too Big to Miss

✍ Scribed by Jaffarian, Sue Ann

• Book ID: 107782970
• Publisher: MIDNIGHT INK
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 149 KB
• Series: An Odelia Grey Mystery 1; Too Big to Miss
• Category: Fiction
• ISBN: 0759943605

✦ Synopsis

Too big to miss--that's Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she's not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there''s her knack for being in close proximity to dead people . . . .

When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-cam by putting a gun in her mouth and pulling the trigger, Odelia's life is changed forever. Sophie, a plus-sized activist and inspiration to imperfect women, is the last person anyone would ever have expected to end her own life. Suspecting foul play, Odelia is determined to get to the bottom of her friend's death. Odelia's search for the truth takes her from southern California strip malls to the world of live web-cam porn to the ritzy enclave of Corona del Mar.

From Booklist

"From the first time Adam noticed the shrinkage and explained it to Eve, men have been trying to tell women that size didn't matter." Odelia Grey knows better. At fortysomething, she's five-foot-one, weighing in at 230, and during her life, she's heard all the slurs and suffered all the consequences. Although she still finds comfort in her cookie jar, she's smart, determined, busy, and generally happy. But when her friend, Sophie, an activist for the rights of fat women, commits suicide, Odelia is shocked. She can't believe confident Sophie would kill herself, nor that she did so in full view of subscribers to the X-rated Web site she operated. More surprising secrets? You bet, but even as they unravel, Odelia remains certain there's something strange about Sophie's death. Coincidences abound here, and bits of self-deprecating humor don't always mix well with the underlying big-is-beautiful message. Ophelia, however, is an intriguing character, a true counter against stereotype, who demonstrates that life can be good, even in a world where thin is always in. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"...Jaffarian does a masterful job of creating the character of a plus-size woman..." -- Naomi Hirahara, author of Summer of the Big Bachi and Gasa-Gasa Girl

"...a classic, fast-paced mystery...a passport into a world...we rarely see in popular fiction." -- Harley Jane Kozak, author of Dating Dead Men and Dating is Murder

"...a fun-filled romp that introduces the delightful 'Odelia Grey' and leaves you anxious for more of her." -- Robert S. Levinson, author of Ask a Dead Man and Hot Paint

"...set your sights on this Odelia Grey mystery for a tightly coiled intrigue that targets a sexy shocker." -- Brian M. Wiprud, author of Pipsqueak and Stuffed

"Plus-size reading pleasure. Try this one on!" -- Lee Child

"Balancing her professional skills as a paralegal with her self-doubt as a sleuth, Odelia is one of the most believable amateur detectives in recent fiction. Beautifully plotted and carefully crafted, this is a marvelous start to an exciting new series. Strongly recommended." -- Library Journal, February 2006

"With a cast of diverse characters, an intriguing plot, and a credible heroine, this is an enjoyable read." -- Mystery Scene, Spring 2006