Misfortune Cookies: An Until the Fat Ladies Sing Mystery

By Linda P. Kozar

Best friends Sue Jan and Lovita run a beauty shop/boutique in the little West Texas town of Wachita. They share a passion of food and fun. But one day, over lunch in a Chinese restaurant, Lovita opens... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1597899291
• ISBN13: 9781597899291
• Release Date: December 2008
• Publisher: Barbour Publishing
• Length: 249 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 4.1" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

Talented New Voice in Mystery

The Chinese fortune cookie reads, "Your father was murdered. A man in a Stetson will tell you more tomorrow." Thus begins Linda Kozar's debut novel, "Misfortune Cookies," subtitled "An Until the Fat Ladies Sing Mystery." Yes, best friends Lovita and Sue Jan are overweight, and they are pursuing their favorite in-fat-uation in one of the two Chinese restaurants in their small home town when Lovita opens the shocking fortune cookie. All parties at the restaurant deny knowledge of the mysterious cookie. The man in the Stetson turns out to be an aging Texas Ranger, Clint Greech, a friend of Lovita's deceased father. After receiving a similar fortune cookie through the mail, he shows up outside "Lovita's Cut 'n Strut," the combination boutique and beauty shop that the two friends operate. From there the investigation of a convoluted crime network begins. The situation is complicated both by love interests and the lack of them. Sue Jan has a terrible crush on Hans, the German-Chinese cook at the Chinese restaurant, while she ignores the long-suffering lawyer, Monroe, who has been in love with her for years. Lovita has long since given up on love---until a lawyer friend of Monroe shows up. Suspicions about the murder and other possible crimes seem to lie everywhere. A reclusive group of strangers shows up in town, claiming to be geologists, avoiding conversation with the locals whenever possible, and breaking off quickly when conversation is forced. Clint Greech disappears and reappears without warning. And the gradually-emerging family history of the Chinese restaurant proprietors creates more questions than answers. Many plot threads run through the narrative---the argumentative but loving friendship of the two heroines, the seemingly impossible investigation of the years-old death of Lovita's father, the heroines' obsession with food and recipes, Sue Jan's resistance to evangelizing by a local church, and various love interests both futile and rewarding. All culminate in a complex tangle of intrigue one would hardly expect to find in a small town. Linda Kozar skillfully weaves all of these threads together into an amusing and suspenseful narrative guaranteed to entertain and satisfy. Gourmet readers will also enjoy the recipes provided at the end of the book.

My 12 year old and I laughed hysterically

My 12 year old daughter and I read Misfortune Cookies over the holidays at the same time. We have two copies and she finished hers first. My husband thought we were nuts as we sat glued to the pages, laughing hysterically. I loved the mystery, action, unforgettable characters, and wonderful Christian theme. I can't wait until the next book comes out.

A Fun Read!

This was a light, fun read with enough mystery to challenge my mind while I was enjoying myself. I can't wait to read subsequent mysteries in this series.

Sprinkled with Spice and Adventure

"Misfortune Cookie" is a beautifully woven story that is sprinkled throughout with spice and adventure. This author has penned a suspense novel that is a real page turner. I could not put it down. Dorothy

Recipe for a good read

From the first sentence to the last, Misfortune Cookies is DELICIOUS! Don't miss the yummy combination of mystery and humor. LOVED IT and can't wait for the next book in the series!