(2008) Tie Dyed and Dead (Last in Series)

The singing Mayfair sisters are reuniting for a concert to help pay for their mother’s care in her last days. Intrepid Laundromat owner/newspaper columnist Josie Toadfern is called on to help get their old costumes back into shape for the concert. One of the dresses goes missing – and turns up back in Josie’s business – used as a murder weapon. And the victim, whose body Josie found, has ties to the Mayfairs.

Ever since she dumped him in junior high, the Paradise (Ohio) police chief, John Worthy, has had it in for Josie. If he can’t find the evidence to charge her, he’s going to make poor Josie’s life as miserable as he can in the process of finding out just who the killer really is. Thank goodness Josie has lots of friends – friends who stick by and help her while she does some snooping of her own.

Meanwhile, there’s a new director at Stillwater Farms, where Josie’s autistic cousin Guy is a resident. From what she knows of the new director, the two of them don’t see eye-to-eye on the care of individuals with autism. Josie is prepared to dislike him, but finds herself curiously drawn to him – and, apparently, he feels the same way.

Sharon Short’s stain-busting mysteries are among my favorites – sweet, well-written, with a wonderful cast of characters cozy readers like immediately. Especially Josie. She’s not had an easy time of it, but she goes through life with grace and a positive attitude. Tie Dyed and Dead is a classic cozy that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

Note: I'm sad that this book is the last in the series -- but the author ties up all the loose ends quite nicely so readers aren't left hanging. It's great to know that Josie Toadfern's life after the series ends turns out so well.

By Diana. First published in the Cozy Library April 9, 2008.

(2007) Murder Unfolds

Josie Toadfern is about to turn thirty and is not happy with her upcoming birthday. Josie runs a laundromat and has a “stain-busting” advice column that is in quite a few newspapers. Also, Josie solves the occasional mystery with the help of Mrs. Oglevee.  Now, Mrs. Oglevee is not your average person, as she is Josie’s junior high school history teacher, whose specter appears in Josie’s dreams. When alive, students did not like Mrs. Oglevee, nor did she like them, and she took a particular dislike to Josie.

Josie is asked to give a speech honoring the late Mrs. Oglevee’s donation to the local library. However, a note is given to Josie saying that, contrary to popular belief, Mrs. Oglevee did not die of a heart attack. She was murdered. This sparks Josie’s nosy side and gets her interested in investigating. Josie decides that going to Mrs. Oglevee’s hometown while her friends are planning for her thirtieth birthday is not such a bad idea. A relative of Mrs. Oglevee is found dead shortly after Josie visits her and Josie realizes that everything might not be as perfect as it seems.

Sharon Short sets this book up beautifully, with an enthralling plot that has both many twists and turns and magnificently developed characters. The main characters grow as the story moves on and readers become increasingly attached to them. The author uses a first-person point of view to give the book more depth and insight as to what Josie is thinking and what she is going through. This first-person point of view shows the internal conflicts Josie is going through, for these clashes would not be visible if the author had used a second or third person point of view.  Sharon Short skillfully uses these conflicts to build up to the climax.

There is some mild violence, language and sexual content, but nothing too bad. Murder Unfolds is an incredible book and I encourage anyone that likes to curl up in a comfy chair and read an amazing mystery to buy this book. If you buy this, make sure you have some extra time, because you will not want to put it down. This is the first Josie Toadfern mystery I have read and I will definitely be reading more.

By Victoria, Teen Reviewer. First published in the Cozy Library November 16, 2007

(2006) Hung out to Die

With her boyfriend Owen away visiting his son and ex-wife for Thanksgiving, Josie Toadfern agrees to celebrate the holiday with Mamaw Toadfern and her clan. Most of the Toadferns have snubbed Josie for nearly three decades – since her dad jumped ship, abandoning two-year-old Josie and her mom. When her mom also left town, Josie spent time in an orphanage until being taken in and raised by her mom’s brother Horace and his wife Clara, both now deceased.  

Everyone is in for a surprise when Josie’s dad toodles into Paradise, Ohio in a sports car with Josie’s mink-clad mom riding shotgun. Henry and May are not welcomed with open arms. Almost everybody in town is ticked off at the self-absorbed pair. Before the bowl games are over, one of the Toadferns is dead and Henry is accused of murder. Can Nosy Josie pass up a chance for a little sleuthing to save her thoroughly unreliable papa? No way!

Hung out to Die is the perfect mystery to read over the Thanksgiving holidays – and not just because it will make any family seem less dysfunctional. The Toadferns are quite a bunch! Josie herself is a lovely heroine – a successful entrepreneur (Toadfern’s Laundromat) and newspaper columnist (Josie’s Stain Busters) who has carved out a rich life for herself despite her rough beginnings.

I love mysteries that require a sleuth to delve into the past – and in Hung Out to Die,  Josie is not simply solving a murder mystery with roots in the past, she’s putting together the missing pieces of her life. As a bonus, readers get a bit of romance, terrific writing and stain-busting tips -- all-together a fun read with great characters and a plot that moves right along nicely!

By Diana. First published in the Cozy Library. September 26, 2006.