Rating: 
Summary: A bit flat.
Review: When Sunny Batten's mother, Margaret, is found dead, Sunny returns home to the funeral.Miles Finn, Margaret's long-time, part-time lover also died in the same accident. When Sunny returns home to attend the funeral, she learns that Miles was actually her father, and that she now has a half-brother, Fletcher. This is the fourth Lipman novel I've read, and it is the worst. The book didn't become interesting until about 2/3 of the way through. The author picked up all sorts of side stories but then never followed through with them (the Dr and his wife, Margaret's former love life, Emily Ann and the local actors,). I thought the book picked up pace--and interest for me--when Fletcher and Sunny started their relationship. The dialogue between the two characters sparkled! But the book was mainly uninteresting and dull. Many reviews said that the book was funny, and the other Lipman books I've read range from laugh-out-loud funny to mildly amusing. "The Dearly Departed" didn't even make me smile! I can't recommend this book, but if you enjoyed her other novels, you will, no doubt, want to read it for yourself anyway. I can heartily recommend "The Ladies' Man" also by Lipman--I think it is her best.
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