Larger Than Death (Josephine Fuller Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: I wanted to like this book, but...
Review: I admire the feminist politics behind this book. Jo Fuller is plus-sized and not ashamed of it, and when her close friend is found murdered with "Kill the Whales!" scrawled on the mirror, Jo decides to investigate. As any fiction reader can attest, overweight female protagonists are few and far between, and the introduction of such a character should be a refreshing breath of fresh air.

The problem with this book is not that it's heroine weighs over 200 pounds. The problem is that reading it FEELS like reading a book with an agenda, rather than reading a book with a great mystery plot and an interesting heroine. The author is simply too heavy-handed with the message--slim people are depicted as starving, unhappy, and unfailingly rude.

On top of that, Jo's instant (mutual) attraction to her dead friend's lover was repellent to me. You know the old saying about the body not being cold yet? The connection I felt to Jo, with all her wit and charisma, was severed when she gave in to this attraction. And unfortunately, that connection was never regained.

Rating:
Summary: I wanted to like this book, but...
Review: I admire the feminist politics behind this book. Jo Fuller is plus-sized and not ashamed of it, and when her close friend is found murdered with "Kill the Whales!" scrawled on the mirror, Jo decides to investigate. As any fiction reader can attest, overweight female protagonists are few and far between, and the introduction of such a character should be a refreshing breath of fresh air.

The problem with this book is not that it's heroine weighs over 200 pounds. The problem is that reading it FEELS like reading a book with an agenda, rather than reading a book with a great mystery plot and an interesting heroine. The author is simply too heavy-handed with the message--slim people are depicted as starving, unhappy, and unfailingly rude.

On top of that, Jo's instant (mutual) attraction to her dead friend's lover was repellent to me. You know the old saying about the body not being cold yet? The connection I felt to Jo, with all her wit and charisma, was severed when she gave in to this attraction. And unfortunately, that connection was never regained.

Rating:
Summary: Larger Than a Mystery
Review: I am not a mystery fan. I found Larger Than Death enjoyable because of the liveliness and clarity of the writing. This book is easy to read, and entertaining. The characters are all a bit odd, which is to say that they are portrayed honestly, and it is their humanity and idiosynchrasies which provide most of the amusement. I appreciated the references to religious cults and body acceptance. The murder mystery kept me guessing, but what kept me reading were the little subcultures: the philanthropy foundation, the apartment house, the religious group, the diet guru and his followers. It wasn't easy keeping track of the characters and plot lines, but it was rewarding.

Rating:
Summary: One long manifesto to the joys of being fat!
Review: I bought this book under the mistaken impression that it would be funny with quirky characters and a strong, likeable heroine. I couldn't have been more mistaken! This book rapidly developed into one long, plodding manifesto to the Fat Agenda and Fat Acceptance. It became so annoying that I couldn't even finish the book.

Ok, so the author is a large size woman who is happy with herself and has chosen to write characters she identifies with. Here is the problem; every fat woman in the book is described as being incredibly sexy, desirable to every man she meets, well adjusted, successful, etc., while the slender or average size women are all described as flawed, colorless, miserable, and in one case, homicidal characters. We have the fat heroine lusting after the boyfriend of her dead fat friend, just days after the death, and of course he instantly desires the heroine as well. Tacky, to say the least. All the men in the book, from the lawyer reading the will of the dead woman to the weird, third person speaking computer programmer nerd and including the millionaire owner of a weight loss chain with a beautiful, slender blond girlfriend, are depicted as lusting after our heroine or another fat woman. The only exceptions are the gay men, for obvious reasons. The message is clearly, "Fat women are sexier, more desirable and more together than thin women. Thin women are unhappy, warped and undesirable."

I have nothing against large size women, nor am I personally thin. Be happy with who you are and want to be if that is your choice. But when I buy a mystery, I expect to read a good mystery, not be lectured to on how wonderful it is to be fat and how pathetic and warped thin people are under the guise of a novel. It's obnoxious, tedious and annoying, which removes all the joy and interest in reading this book. The entire premise of this book is ludicrous and unbelievable, plus insulting to the average size population reading it.

Rating:
Summary: One long manifesto to the joys of being fat!
Review: I bought this book under the mistaken impression that it would be funny with quirky characters and a strong, likeable heroine. I couldn't have been more mistaken! This book rapidly developed into one long, plodding manifesto to the Fat Agenda and Fat Acceptance. It became so annoying that I couldn't even finish the book.

Ok, so the author is a large size woman who is happy with herself and has chosen to write characters she identifies with. Here is the problem; every fat woman in the book is described as being incredibly sexy, desirable to every man she meets, well adjusted, successful, etc., while the slender or average size women are all described as flawed, colorless, miserable, and in one case, homicidal characters. We have the fat heroine lusting after the boyfriend of her dead fat friend, just days after the death, and of course he instantly desires the heroine as well. Tacky, to say the least. All the men in the book, from the lawyer reading the will of the dead woman to the weird, third person speaking computer programmer nerd and including the millionaire owner of a weight loss chain with a beautiful, slender blond girlfriend, are depicted as lusting after our heroine or another fat woman. The only exceptions are the gay men, for obvious reasons. The message is clearly, "Fat women are sexier, more desirable and more together than thin women. Thin women are unhappy, warped and undesirable."

I have nothing against large size women, nor am I personally thin. Be happy with who you are and want to be if that is your choice. But when I buy a mystery, I expect to read a good mystery, not be lectured to on how wonderful it is to be fat and how pathetic and warped thin people are under the guise of a novel. It's obnoxious, tedious and annoying, which removes all the joy and interest in reading this book. The entire premise of this book is ludicrous and unbelievable, plus insulting to the average size population reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Strong role model
Review: LARGER THAN DEATH introduces Josephine Fuller, a full-sized woman who is comfortable with her larger figure. Josephine's long-time friend, Nina, who helped Jo come to terms with her larger size, is murdered, apparently by a serial killer determined to rid the world of heavy-set women. While Jo deals with Nina's funeral arrangements and settles her estate, she also collects clues to the killer's identity. It turns out that during her life Nina was involved with a cult, its randy leader, and a weight-loss guru, all of which interweave throughout the story.

Jo is a great role model for large-size women who want to come to terms with their bodies. In a world where people wanting to be politically correct will refrain from ethnic slurs, it's common for these same people to make fat jokes or obnoxious remarks when they encounter an over-weight person. When insulted by others (who range from inconsiderate to downright phobic), Jo always has a comeback designed to put the person in his/her place. Words are her sword, and she wields them well.

I was able to figure out the killer's identity halfway through the book, and I'm not sure why Jo wasn't able to figure it out at the same time. While I do think Jo is a strong character and a good role model for large-size women, I'm not sure how likeable she is to the average reader. She didn't sparkle or laugh very much in LARGER THAN DEATH, which would have helped the book immensely. I hope Jo has more fun in future books or at least enjoys life a bit.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Fun
Review: Larger Than Death is an entertaining way to spend a couple night's reading. The femme sleuth, Jo Fuller, is a full-figured woman whose best friend, also full-figured,has just been murdered. Jo vows to find the killer, but along the way several other victims fall prey. They don't fit the profile of previous victims, which now throws Jo for a loop.

A cast of lively secondary characters adds color to the storyline. The one thing that keeps me from a 5-star review is the fact that about 1/2 way through the book, I'd pretty much figured out the culprit. That aside, I've ordered Ms. Murray's second book and am looking forward to reading it.

Rating:
Summary: Just My Opinion .....
Review: OVERALL: Not a bad read. Definitely DO NOT have to force yourself past the first chapter or two. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to a friend.

SPECIFIC: I enjoyed the characters and the presentation of them. The storyline was easy to follow and enjoyable. The "who-dunit" wasn't easily detectible, but surprising. The author did manage to keep my interest with other goodies once it was discovered.

Rating:
Summary: Just My Opinion .....
Review: OVERALL: Not a bad read. Definitely DO NOT have to force yourself past the first chapter or two. I look forward to reading the rest of the series. I would recommend this book to a friend.

SPECIFIC: I enjoyed the characters and the presentation of them. The storyline was easy to follow and enjoyable. The "who-dunit" wasn't easily detectible, but surprising. The author did manage to keep my interest with other goodies once it was discovered.

Rating:
Summary: Larger Than Death
Review: This is a quick fun read. It has lots of local color and the cast of diverse characters and their eccentricity keeps the story moving rapidly. The heroine is a "large lady" and gives insight to a whole new genre. Some humor at her own expense makes this a winner.