A Very Eligible Corpse

by Annie Griffin

Hannah is quiet, modest, and thoroughly lady-like. Kiki is loud, tacky, and totally man-crazy. Aside from their age (early sixties) these two sisters couldn't be more different. But when Kiki's latest... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425165353
• ISBN13: 9780425165355
• Release Date: September 1998
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

More than a few chuckles...

I will admit, this book is a guilty pleasure...I really wanted to dislike it since the set-up sounded a bit tired...2 sisters in their early sixties living in Marin County...Hannah-the more prim and proper of the 2. A bit more cynical and logical than her sister Kiki, a bit of a boozy flirt. Kiki's newest 'suitor' Arnold Lempke in found dead in his prizewinning rosebushes, and after the fight he and Kiki had the night previous, Kiki is now a prime suspect. Her sister Hannah comes to the rescue, determined to solve the identity of the real murderer, and get sis Kiki out of jail. This book was a real nice surprise. Hannah reminds me a bit of Magdalena Yoder (Pennsylvania Dutch mystery series by Tamar Myers) with her tongue-in-cheek humor and acerbic remarks. A fast and funny read for this first in a new series. I really enjoyed Annie Griffin's book and look forward to reading the 2nd!

Hybrid tea roses and murder

The group of elderly gardening enthusiasts created an Agatha Christie like atmosphere. The detective and her falsely accused sister are both widows in their sixties. The observations on female sexual attractiveness and aging and self-esteem are sometimes penetrating and bitter but in general this is light-hearted and humorous. Some chunks of pedestrian prose like "Desperate over Kiki's predicament she felt powerless to help her." Can they really plant hyacinth bulbs at the same time of year as they're exhibiting roses in Marin County?

Annie Griffin is the best new writter of the year!

Annie Griffin brings the flavor of Marin County- rose gardens, parties, boutiques, coffee shops, gossip, and shopping - alive in her book. Ms. Griffin knows Marin and its inhabitants, I'm looking forward to meeting them again in her next book.

Best new author I have read in ages !!!!!!!!!!!!

Annie Griffin , please write faster ! The story is tightly held together,Griffin is a good storyteller. It is laced together with warmth, and is laugh out loud FUNNY !!!!!!! What a treat to read a new book and say , I can not wait for the next one ! A real winner !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Betty Milton

Believable and entertaining

Though she is sixty years old, Kiki Goldstein feels she is the sexiest vamp in Hill Creek, California. In fact, the outgoing and totally confident Kiki feels she can turn any man into a "lust machine". Her older sister, the modest Hannah Malloy, feels her younger sibling is too loose with her morals. Kiki has a date on a cruise (that she won from the local flower club) with Arnold Lempke, who she plans to score with tonight. However, in spite of Kiki's outrageous flirting, Arnold makes a play for Hannah before leaving in a vile mood. However, instead of a date, the sisters find a murdered Arnold, lying among his beloved rose bushes. Since Kiki was earlier seen arguing with the deceased and she has no alibi. she become the prime suspect. Instead of panicking over the circumstantial evidence, Kiki flirts with the police officers at the crime scene, leaving it up to Hannah to prove her nutty sibling is a harmless siren, but not a killer. A VERY ELIGIBLE ! CORPSE is a very humorous amateur sleuth tale that will leave readers laughing from start to finish. The two sisters with their contentious, but loving relationship, are two of the best characters to grace a who-done-it in a number of years. The murder mystery is puzzling enough to please most aficionados. Annie Griffin has scribed a winning opening gamut in what is hoped to be a long running series.Harriet Klausner