Monday, June 3, 2013

Father Knows Death-Jeffrey Allen

Father Knows Death


Jeffrey Allen

Kensington, Jun 4 2013, $7.99

ISBN: 9780758266910



The residents of ultra conservative Rose Petal, Texas remain appalled that Deuce Winters is a soccer dad raising his young daughter Carly while his overdue pregnant wife Julianne is the breadwinner high powered attorney. Like many stay at home moms, Deuce volunteers at Carly’s activities. His latest is manning a food stand at the Carriveau County Fair to raise money for Carly’s 4H club.



At the fair, Deuce goes to the freezer to grab up bratwursts, only the meat he finds is illegal to grill; as the corpse of George Spellman greets him. The County Sheriff insists the body is on ice and going nowhere so delays the investigation until after the fair ends. Being a part-time private eye working for brilliant detective Victor "little person" Doolittle, Deuces knows a murder investigation cannot wait so he begins an inquiry.



The latest Stay at Home Dad mystery (see Popped Off, Stay at Home Dead, and Father Knows Death) is an amusing Texas cozy as Deuce sets the tone when he muses a corpse has to be a health code violation even in a red meat state. The engaging whodunit is cleverly designed, but it is the jocularity of the cast’s reaction as the priority is not the dead human sausage but the potential impact he has on fundraising; everyone knows a corpse tends to deaden money making except at the funeral parlor.



Harriet Klausner

No comments: