Reviewed By Liz

Fit to Die by J.B. Stanley

ISBN 978-0-7387-1067-9

FIT TO DIE is the second book in the Supper Club Mystery Series. The book centers around James Henry and his diet group, dubbed the Flab Five. The Flab Five have been backsliding recently and has enrolled together in the diet and exercise program offered by a new business in town, Witness to Fitness. But they have also befriended another newcomer – Chilly Willy, owner of the Polar Pagoda frozen dessert shop.

Willy is a charmer but has attracted the ire of the fitness guru, the historical preservationists (pagodas don’t fit in with the local architecture), and some of the local conservative matrons who consider his “Do you have a Chilly Willy?” t-shirts offensive.
When the Polar Pagoda is torched, the Flab Five are on hand to help their new friend Willy and the police find out who is responsible for both the arson and a nasty murder.

The first things you notice about FIT TO DIE are the book’s wonderful characters. Stanley has resisted the urge to make everything cozy in this cozy and has written the residents of Quincy’s Gap with real problems and quirks. James Henry stands out as a divorced college professor who has come home to take care of his grouchy, reclusive father. He is afraid to pursue a relationship with one of his fellow Flab Five members, desperate to get more computers for the library he now manages, and trying to resist the call of the wily orange cheese puff.

As the Flab Five suffer through workout sessions and complain about bland diet foods, they pool the information they have gathered about the suspicious newcomers to their small town, their conflicts with the locals, and everyone’s possible motives for murder.

Favorite characters? James’ enthusiastic library staff. Did I guess it? No. Will I read another? Yes – but not on an empty stomach. The food descriptions in the book will make you salivate. And I want to know where I can get a Chilly Willy t-shirt.

Mystery Book Reviews by Liz at http://reviewedbyliz.com ©2007

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