Sue Ann Jaffarian - The Curse of the Holy Pail (The Odelia Grey Mysteries)

PRAISE FOR Too Big To Miss BY SUE ANN JAFFARIAN

Plus-size reading pleasure-try this one on!

-Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher Mystery series

On one level, Too Big To Miss is a classic, fast-paced mystery; on another, it's a passport into a world we either inhabit or live nextdoor to, but rarely see in popular fiction. Sue Ann Jaffarian breaks rules and breaks ground with humor, insight, and compassion.

-Harley Jane Kozak, author of Dating Dead Men and Dating Is Murder

Balancing her professional skills as a paralegal with her self-doubt as a sleuth, Odelia is one of the most believable amateur detectives in recent fiction. Beautifully plotted and carefully crafted, this is a marvelous start to an exciting new series. Strongly recommended.

-Library Journal

Sue Ann Jaffarian does a bang-up job of portraying Odelia's world (skillful paralegal who is adept at dealing with obnoxious lawyers); loyal friend (refusing to accept the mystery of Sophie's death at face value); and romantic lover (meeting an exceptional guy and accepting him with his flaws). Too Big To Miss is touching, hilarious, has a killer plot that keeps winding round and round, and of course has characters who feel real and struggle through their personal challenges.

-Midwest Book Review

There is a lot of humor and a fair amount of underlying angst in this book, which serves to make the story realistic ... With a cast of diverse characters, an intriguing plot, and a credible heroine, this is an enjoyable read.

-Mystery Scene Magazine

[Odelia Grey] is an intriguing character, a true counter against stereotype, who demonstrates that life can be good, even in a world where thin is always in.

-Booklist

A plus-sized thumbs up. Jaffarian's a new sharpshooter in crime fiction, so set your sights on this Odelia Grey mystery for a tightly coiled intrigue that targets a sexy shocker.

-Brian M. Wiprud, author of Stuffed and Pipsqueak, winner of Lefty Award for Most Humorous Novel

Sue Ann Jaffarian does a masterful job in creating the character of a plus-size woman with different shades of angst, humor, verve, and sensualness. Once you get to know Odelia Grey, you'll love her. I know I do.

-Naomi Hirahara, author of Summer of the Big Bachi and Gasa-Gasa Girl

Too Big To Miss is too good to miss, a fun-filled romp that introduces the delightful Odelia Grey and leaves you anxious for more of her. Odelia's definitely worth her weight in reading enjoyment.

-Robert S. Levinson, author of Ask a Dead Man and Hot Paint

This book was full of insights into "invisible people" like the disabled and overweight, and how they have to cope with their life, as well as discrimination and misconceptions people have about our differences ... There is an abundance of humor and snappy dialog, and a golden retriever (always a plus for me).

-Killer Books, May 2006, edited by Deb Andolino, Aliens & Alibis Bookshop

SUE ANN JAFFARIAN

OTHER BOOKS BY SUE ANN JAFFARIAN

Too Big To Miss

(An Odelia Grey Mystery)

FORTHCOMING

Mother Mayhem

(An Odelia Grey Mystery)

DEDICATION

For my nephew, Tom-one of the good guys.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A big thank-you to "Team Odelia," which grows larger with each book, including my awesome agent, Whitney Lee of the Fielding Agency, and all the wonderful folks at Llewellyn Worldwide/Midnight Ink who continue, with their advice and support, to help me improve my craft.

A special thank-you to the Los Angeles chapter of Sisters In Crime.

And, of course, big hugs and thanks to my friends and family, who continue to lovingly support me in this madness.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

It has been suggested by several of my readers that I include recipes in my books, as is the custom of many other writers. After giving this some thought, I decided to share the following:

Odelia's Favorite Cookie Recipe

1. Wait until March;

2. Go to nearest supermarket;

3. Locate young girls in brown or green uniforms; they can be found in front of the store by a folding table, usually accompanied by a parental figure;

4. Purchase at least twelve boxes of Thin Mint cookies;

5. Place cookies in freezer, consuming no more than one box per month, preferably less;

6. Next March, repeat steps 1-5 above.

ONE

BY THE AGE OF forty-seven, I had technically broken nine of the Ten Commandments-although I'm still a bit fuzzy about the whole "graven image" thing. For example, when I was eleven, on a dare, I stole several candy bars from a drugstore. And in high school, telling the fifth-period gym class that Sally Kipman was a lesbian would definitely be categorized as bearing false witness. But in my defense, it was only after she told everyone I was fat because I was pregnant.

Still, I always thought that I would make it to heaven with the sixth commandment intact; that going through life without killing another human being would be a piece of cake.

But I was wrong. And now here I am-ten for ten.

And it all started with my birthday.

I WAS BORN To be middle-aged. It fits me like comfy flannel pajamas that are worn and washed until they are faded and thin; clothing with no eager need to prove anything or be something else-it just is.

Today is my birthday. As of 2:17 this afternoon, I, Odelia Patience Grey, wandered into my forty-seventh year as absentmindedly as someone who arrives at the supermarket only to realize that they really intended to go to the dry cleaners. I am comfortable with being forty-seven years of age and embrace it with enthusiasm.

I never felt young, not even when I was. When I was sixteen, my family claimed that I behaved more like a thirty-two-year-old. But it's easy to act older in a family suffering from arrested development. Given the choice, I would not go back and relive my life for anything. My time is now-and, from the looks of it, getting better with each passing year, every marching month.

I was examining my face in the bathroom mirror, sighing slightly as I took inventory of new wrinkles. Enduring crinkly lines on my face was one the few things I viewed as a downside to maturity. Admittedly, I am no great beauty, but neither would anyone mistake me for Medusa. My hair is medium brown, worn just below my chin. My eyes, inherited from my father, are green and close set. A slight bump and a spattering of freckles exist in harmony on my long nose. I'm told I'm cute, if one can still be considered cute at forty-seven.