It's a Dunder-Bull Wife

Barbara Marr Murder Mystery

by Karen Cantwell

From USA Today bestselling author, Karen Cantwell Dunder-Bull - the perfect little town bordering Barbara Marr's not-so-polished Rustic Woods. Everything in Dunder-Bull is five-star rated, including the wives. As Barb puts it, "Dunder-Bull Wives make Stepford Wives look like couch potatoes." Succumbing to the need to "measure-up," Barb decides to prepare a grand and luscious Christmas feast for a party of twenty. The problem? Barb can't cook her way out of a turkey-roaster bag. In usual Barbara Marr fashion, chaos ensues. Will she survive? Will her family fall victim to salmonella food poisoning? Will Martha Stewart ridicule her publicly?A Barbara Marr Holiday short story, sure to tickle your funny bone and touch your heart at the same time.All profits from the sales of this short story go to the charity, Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Genres: Mystery, Short Stories, Fiction

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Karen's novel, Take the Monkeys and Run was a semi-finalist in the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (under the original title of Monkeys in My Trees)and has gone on to be a Kindle bestseller on Amazon. She has written three more books in the Barbara Marr Murder Mystery Series: Citizen Insane, Silenced by the Yams, and Saturday Night Cleaver.

When she's not writing, Karen loves gardening and spending time with her family. She is currently working on the release of Keep Me Ghosted, the first book in the new Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance Series, as well as beginning the draft of Kiss Me, Tate, part of the upcoming Barbara Marr spin-off, Love in Rustic Woods Series. Karen loves to hear from readers, so feel free to drop her a line at karen.cantwell@yahoo.com. You can also stay in touch by liking her Facebook Page, Karen Cantwell Author

Karen's website: Karen's Website


Karen's books and short stories:

Take the Monkeys and Run (Barbara Marr Murder Mystery #1)
Citizen Insane (Barbara Marr MM #2)
Silenced by the Yams (Barbara Marr MM #3)
Saturday Night Cleaver (Barbara Marr MM #4)
The Chronicles of Marr-nia, Short Stories Starring Barbara Marr
It's a Dunder-Bull Wife, A Barbara Marr Holiday Tale
A Spirited Season, Holiday Tales with a Paranormal Flair

Books to be released in 2013:

Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance #1)
Kiss Me, Tate (Love in Rustic Woods #1)
Piper Nash and the Power Police (YA Fantasy)
Dead Man Stalking (Barbara Marr MM #5)

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

My accurate rating is 3.7 stars.

The characters are richly developed, creating a vibrant and relatable world that enhances the story’s overall sense of realism.

Welcome to Dunder-Bull, the idyllic little town that stands in stark contrast to its neighbor, Barbara Marr’s less refined Rustic Woods. In Dunder-Bull, everything boasts five-star ratings—even the wives. As Barbara aptly puts it, "Dunder-Bull Wives make Stepford Wives look like couch potatoes," highlighting the extraordinary standards they uphold. Feeling the pressure to measure up to these lofty expectations, Barb resolves to host a grand and sumptuous Christmas feast for an ambitious gathering of twenty guests. The catch? Barb’s culinary skills are virtually nonexistent; she struggles to navigate even the simplest of cooking tasks, often finding herself puzzled by a turkey-roaster bag.

True to the spirit of Barbara Marr, a series of comedic disasters are bound to unfold as she embarks on her culinary mission. The stakes rise as she grapples with the looming fear of not just failing to impress her guests, but potentially serving them undercooked turkey and risking Salmonella food poisoning. Additionally, she can’t shake the nagging thought that Martha Stewart might be watching, waiting to ridicule her every misstep.

This delightful short story, set during the holiday season, promises to tickle your funny bone while also delivering heartfelt moments that resonate with anyone who has ever faced the holiday pressures of family and tradition. As the narrative unfolds, readers are treated to a hilarious and chaotic journey, ultimately leading to an ending that perfectly ties all the threads together, bringing Barb’s escapades to a satisfying conclusion.

[Scott Venable · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely funny, and so beautiful.

This book made me cry, the good kind of cry. I'm sitting in my doctors office right now, and I sure need a good cry. It is a book that greets you just the way you are.

[Teresa R Wilkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Barbara!

I love the Barbara Marr books. The plots are inventive and fun. Barbara is so real but excitement always sneaks in.

[Angela Holtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Lilac Wolf and Stuff

A very short story just in time for Christmas. Barbara Marr, beloved character of Take the Monkeys and Run and Citizen Insane, is ready to host the perfect Christmas. The kind of Christmas that one of the perfect Dunder-Bull wives would put on.

The Dunder-Bull area reminds me of Desperate Housewives. You know the type, they parent and host parties with what seems like flawless perfection and endless patience. Their kids are never dirty or rude, their houses are immaculate and their dinner parties tasteful and gourmet. How on earth do they do it all?

Well if nothing else Karen Cantwell gives us a Christmas tale for the ladies. And it's only 99cents. I had my Mother in Law read it yesterday and whenever the Nook freaked out on her, she freaked out on me, so it's not just my opinion that it's good. ;)

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the reviewer who compared Barbara Marr with Lucy Ricardo hit the nail on its head. Barbara challenges herself to have a perfect Christmas dinner for 20 guests, and doesn't have a clue how to even cook a turkey. Karen does write with Erma Bombeck's wit, but with a style all her own.

And of course there are always movie references, and what could be better than `It's a Wonderful Life' for a Christmas story! This is a very short story that is highly enjoyable. So sit back and kick up your heels and escape for a couple of hours, you will be glad you did.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE Barbara Marr. She is great fun. Every mother can relate to trying to be everything to everyone and still remember who YOU are. Karen Cantwell has created an awesome ensemble of characters and she is CLEAN. I love that you don't have to worry about what will be said or done. I highly recommend this series.

[moxieBK · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a very short story involving Barbara Marr, from the Barbara Marr Mystery series. I have to say that it did nothing for me. It felt like forced writing. Definitely not one of Ms. Cantwell's better writings, and it was boring. There was really no mystery here to solve. At all. It was just a story about serving a bunch of people at a dinner. Waste of precious time. Skip.

One star.

[Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

At Christmas, Barb's attempt to keep up with the wonder women of the neighboring town, Dunder-Bull, results in disaster. This was a cute spoof of the movie It's a Wonderful Life.

[Pat]

LOve it!!! I rally enjoy all of the Barbara Marr books!!!! Lots of fun!!!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet albeit short Christmas story. Even though it was rather schmaltzy I thought it was a nice way to spend a pre-Christmas evening.

[Bren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, but too short.