Dead As a Doornail

When The Fat Ladies Sing, Book 3

By: Linda Kozar

Narrated by: Michelle Babb

With her wedding to Hudson just months away, all Lovita's plans seem to be going awry. A crooked politician is running for mayor, his girlfriend is opening a new beauty shop in town, and the contractor building Sue Jan and Monroe's dream home is found dead, with Monroe the prime suspect. To top it all off, the money from the high school band's fundraiser has disappeared. Now the kids won't be able to go to New York City to march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Before Lovita walks down the aisle, all the girls have to do is nail the real killer, find the missing money, save their beauty shop, and rescue the little town of Wachita. Can two big, bodaciously beautiful women do it? Piece of cake.

©2012 Linda Kozar (P)2015 Linda Kozar

loved this cozy mystery

Lovita and Sue Jan are best friends and they own a beauty shop together. Lovita is planning her wedding to Hudson, while Sue Jan and her husband Monroe (who is running for mayor).
This was a light and fun cozy mystery with a lot of different elements at play. I loved the small town drama. The narrator did a fantastic job of telling the story and it was very easy for me to differentiate between characters. She did male and female characters, some with Southern accents, even some with British and Asian accents and she did them seamlessly.
I don't often lol at things but this book had a couple of those moments.
I recommend you to have a listen to this book.

A Cozy Mystery

I didn't realize until partway through the novel that I was actually on the 3rd book of this series. It didn't detract from my enjoyment or understanding of the story at all, and I will definitely be checking out the 1st and 2nd books of the "When the Fat Ladies Sing." I love listening to books on audio, especially when I am able to find a narrator who enhances my enjoyment of the story. Michelle Babb's narration was excellent. Accurate and emotive.
It took me a couple chapters to get absorbed by the characters and the story line but by the end I was in love with Lovita and Sue Jan.

In a few words: a mystery novel with a dash of romance and lots of hilarity. I highly recommend if you are looking for something lighthearted and cozy to brighten your day.

I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Dead as doornail

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

No

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Not until the end, you could pretty much see everything coming

Did Michelle Babb do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I had no true differentiating charactors. The narrators voice sounded like an older woman and I started forming a picture in my mind of a couple of older women being amateur detectives. Then towards the end one got pregnant and I thought "how is that possible", it kind of ruined it for me.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Lavita and Sue Jan are my new favorites

What did you love best about Dead As a Doornail?

This was 4.5 stars for me. This was light and funny and an entertaining quick read (perfect for a cozy mystery). I am just jumping into this series from the middle, but the characters are so strong that I don't feel like I've missed anything by starting with the 3rd book. Lavita and Sue Jan are a hilarious duo and I love reading about funny friendships like theirs. They have attitude and they know how to use it. But they also have good sense and compassion (as seen in the hunt for the missing band money and Lavita letting Sue Jan's family stay on her property). They are the best kind of southern ladies who know how to have fun and are nosy as heck. There were other characters that just really annoyed me (as they should), and some that were so ridiculous I couldn't help crack up (Sue Jan's trailer family who I REALLY hope stick around for the future books). I'm also a sucker for a small town setting and the author got Wachita just right.

What did you like best about this story?

The narration for this book was spot on. I have read previous books that take place in the south and sometimes I am cringing by the narrators accent (too little or way too much). The southern twang was great (and there were discernible differences between the characters from different areas, which really helped the authenticity and keeping the characters straight). I'll continue this series listening to the audiobook because it definitely adds good thins to the story.

Which character – as performed by Michelle Babb – was your favorite?

Sue Jan's was my favorite character performed by Michelle Babb. She gave Sue Jan just enough Southern twang and the attitude that the character truly deserves.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes and I almost did. I got sucked in and it was such easy listening that I enjoyed most of it while commuting and doing chores around my house.

Any additional comments?

As for the mystery, I was intrigued and thrown off but a couple of unlikable characters. I refused to believe that anyone I liked was part of the drama, but I wasn't able to pinpoint the murderer until about the time that Lavita did. The reasoning seemed a little weak and I wish the author maybe put a little more effort into that, but I guess people can do crazy things for any reason.

The person drama (Lavita's wedding and Sue Jan's secret news) really added to the story and made me want to continue reading to see what's next. I'll come back for the characters and the southern town (and accents).

it's super funny about 2 BBF solving crimes

Where does Dead As a Doornail rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is by far the funniest crime solving sleuths in between their wedding they solve crimes while their husbands are lawyers running for Major

What did you like best about this story?

This story brought the town together again and solved murders. This is definitely a must listen to.

What about Michelle Babb’s performance did you like?

She's great she sounds different in all her books, she's amazing, she doesn't sound the same in each book. She is a great narrator.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This story made me laugh and cry and wonder what next. I loved this story.

Any additional comments?

This is a must story you must get the audible version sit back and listen you will be very happy you did.

Fun mystery

this was an easy and entertaining listen. the friendship it portrayed is great. the narrator did a great job, really made me feel like the characters were in the south and the characters didn't all blend together with 1 voice.

Fun cozy!

Dead as a Doornail is 3rd in the When the Fat Ladies Sing cozy mystery series by Linda Kozar. Lovita and Sue Jan own Wachita’s best beauty salon. As life long residents of the small southern town, they are in the midst of town gossip and always step in to help. After a builder is murdered, Lovita and Sue Jan investigate an unexplained disappearance and a nasty politician flinging mud in order to save Sue Jan’s husband. The narration by Michelle Babb was wonderful! She created unique voices for each character. Her performance made for a very enjoyable experience.

These ladies are so much fun as solving mysteries.

I received this book as a gift in exchange for a honest and unbiased review. I love this series! This is book 3 of the series, but are all stand alone reads too. I love cozy mysteries as it is and when you add a bunch of women to it with HUGE senses of humor, the story becomes fantastic! Read along as the goofy (but very smart) women discover a dead body and then continue on to discover the killer and even more! Someone stole the bands fund raising money on top of that.

The author, once again did a fantastic job entertaining me from beginning to end. How can anyone not love a redneck wedding when it is spelled as F U N ! The narrator out did herself in this book with authentic multiple accents and so many different voices too. It's hard to believe sometimes just how many voices one person can do. Very easy on the ears too! Great job ladies!!!

Murder in a small town

This was a fun story filled with humor and mystery. The characters are well developed and I love their quirkiness. Lovita and Sue Jan are witty and get things accomplished. The girl's at the salon will have you laughing out loud. Add a dead body and things get hinky and in this small town these amateur sleuths are out to get the truth. Would definitely listen to more books in this series. The narrator did a superb job and I just loved her accent and felt it added authenticity to the story.

It's Like Being In Mayberry!

What made the experience of listening to Dead As a Doornail the most enjoyable?

The writing of the characters was clever and well done. It reminded me so much of the Andy Griffith show.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

At first, I couldn't get into the story. I was expecting a whodunit but it was a lot of amusing stories about some whacky people. The mystery seemed to not be a major part but after I figured out what to expect, I got my head around the book and listened for longer periods.

Any additional comments?

I received Dead as a Doornail at no charge in return for an honest review. I prefer mysteries to be more serious than this book was but that's my preference. The writing was well done for what the book offered. So any readers who want to chuckle as they listen, this is a good book for that.