The Unraveling of Violeta Bell

March 31, 2008
In Corwin's charming third Morgue Mama mystery (after 2005's Dig), Maddy Sprowls, an Ohio newspaper librarian in her late 60s, pitches an idea for a human interest story about a quartet of garage sale queens, one of whom claims to be a real royal. Young reporter Gabriella Nash, to whom Maddy plays reluctant mentor, gets the assignment. When Violeta Bell, self-proclaimed Romanian monarch, turns up dead after her 15 minutes of fame in the Hannewa Herald-Union, Maddy turns detective, dragging along Gabriella. Maddy's newly acquired googling skills lead her to Canada to meet another claimant to the Romanian throne, yielding only further conundrums. Meanwhile, Maddy grapples with her still fresh \x93autumn\x94 love affair with Ike Breeze, her opposite in many ways, as well as a bothersome (to Ike) sleep disorder that may need medical attention. Irascible, fearless and unapologetic, Maddy is a heroine cozy fans will embrace.

March 1, 2008
In her latest adventure (after Dig), Maddy Sprowlsfeisty, bright, zany, middle-aged head librarian for the "Hannawa Herald-Union" (a knockoff of Ohio's "Akron Beacon Journal"; author Corwin is a former newspaper reporter living there)comes through once again. Her nose for detail spurs the newspaper's interest in four elderly ladies who hit the garage-sale circuit every week. When one of those women, retired antiques dealer Violeta Bell, is murdered, Maddy gets the investigation moving in the right direction. Frothing with humor, Corwin's narrative exhibits his sharp ability to depict human relationships. For readers with a taste for Janet Evanovichlike witty dialog and laugh-aloud situations.

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