Beginning ~ twice

Beginning

Here's an amazing weight-loss tip for all the women in America:  an out-of-body experience makes you look thinner.  Forget about vertical versus horizontal stripes.  I'm telling you, an out-of-body occurrence does the trick.

Retirement Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 1) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2009, cozy mystery, 214 pages

This is the story of Carol Andrews and her beloved husband, Jim, who are members of the fastest growing demographic in history, the Baby Boomer generation.  Carol dreads Jim's upcoming retirement more than a root canal without Novocain.  She can't imagine anything worse than having an at-home husband with time on his hands and nothing to fill it except interfering in the day-to-day activities of their household and driving her crazy — until her plans to stall Jim's retirement result in Jim's being suspected of murdering his retirement coach.

Beginning the night before the reunion

"I don't know how I let you talk me into this," I said, huffing as I pulled my overnight bag up the marble stairs toward our third floor bedroom.

"Well, Carol," said my very best friend Nancy, "if you weren't such a nutcase about taking the elevator, we'd be in our room by now.  I bet Claire and Mary Alice are already unpacked, lounging in their pajamas, and sipping a glass of cold chardonnay.  While we're pulling suitcases up these damn stairs.  And probably overstressing our hearts.  Which could lead to a stroke.  And death.  Not the way I pictured spending our fortieth high school reunion."

Class Reunions Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has A Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 4) ~ by Susan Santangelo, 2013, cozy mystery, 240 pages

Carol Andrews and her beloved husband, Jim, navigate their way along life's rocky highway toward their twilight years.  Carol has no interest in her upcoming fortieth high school reunion.  Her memories of days at Mount Saint Francis Academy are mixed, to put it mildly.  But BFF Nancy convinces her to join the reunion planning committee, so she'll have some say in how the event is organized.  All is going smoothly until the dead body of one of their classmates is found the night before the reunion — in Carol and Nancy's room!

The author says:  "Be sure to study each cover carefully to see if you can identify the murder weapon!"

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts

Book Beginnings on Fridays.