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Pauline Sokol Mystery #2
The Stiff and the Dead
This funny and charming second book in our promising new mass market mystery series features Pauline Sokol, a sassy 30–something ex–nurse turned medical insurance fraud investigator.
Pauline Sokol has just escaped serious bodily harm during her first investigation, when her second case file is literally thrown into her lap. And this one seems to be a doozie––with one suspect already dead! Pauline's sleuthing leads her to the Senior Citizen's Clinic, where she realizes that her deceased suspect was part of an illegal Viagra ring! Pauline is soon going undercover as a senior hot mama and chasing down leads at the local bingo parlor.
Between fending off some wrinkled "over–70" admirers, and helping the sexy investigator Jagger with his own case at the Senior Clinic, Pauline is again faced with a murderer on the loose! Adding to her panic is the reality that her attraction to Jagger is intensifying, despite the fact that the handsome and reliable Nick is courting her. With the help of her hilarious family and friends, Pauline must juggle an undercover nursing gig, two sexy leading men, a senior alter–ego, and a gaggle of geriatric suspects––all before she becomes the next victim!
Pauline Sokol has just escaped serious bodily harm during her first investigation, when her second case file is literally thrown into her lap. And this one seems to be a doozie––with one suspect already dead! Pauline's sleuthing leads her to the Senior Citizen's Clinic, where she realizes that her deceased suspect was part of an illegal Viagra ring! Pauline is soon going undercover as a senior hot mama and chasing down leads at the local bingo parlor.
Between fending off some wrinkled "over–70" admirers, and helping the sexy investigator Jagger with his own case at the Senior Clinic, Pauline is again faced with a murderer on the loose! Adding to her panic is the reality that her attraction to Jagger is intensifying, despite the fact that the handsome and reliable Nick is courting her. With the help of her hilarious family and friends, Pauline must juggle an undercover nursing gig, two sexy leading men, a senior alter–ego, and a gaggle of geriatric suspects––all before she becomes the next victim!
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2005
10 people are currently reading
198 people want to read
About the author
Lori Avocato
25 books64 followersAfter serving in the Air Force as a registered nurse, Lori Avocato decided to give up nursing to write fiction. She lives in New England and is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, PASIC, NINC, Romance Writers of America, the Author's Guild, and Sisters in Crime. She's raising two teenage sons (heaven help her!), and one darling dog, Spanky. Lori is the author of six novels featuring Pauline Sokol: A Dose of Murder; The Stiff and the Dead; One Dead Under the Cuckoo's Nest; Deep Sea Dead; Nip, Tuck, Dead; and Dead on Arrival.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 30, 2010
I was very dissapointed by the first book in the series, but I figured that I'd give the next book a chance. First books are always a little awkward for new authors, especially if they are writing a series. The second book "The Stiff & The Dead" does improve, but not overly so. The series still has a long way to go before it can really be considered as a good competitor for other more established series out there.
Right on the heels of her previous case Pauline is given another one to look into. This time the action surrounds a potential prescription fraud in the local seniors' center & Pauline is sent to investigate as both an undercover senior (in makeup of course) & a nurse at the doctor's office where the prescriptions are being written. Meanwhile Pauline is getting into more hot water as she tries to romance Nick while also trying to entice the mysterious Jagger.
This book featured a bit more action & the plot moved along faster than the previous entry in the series did, but there was still quite a lot of water treading in the book. It's enough to get me to read the next book (I'd gotten the first 4 books at the same time), but not enough to really persuade me that I need to pick up anything beyond those books. Like the previous book, a good chunk of the story is "Ooh! Jagger is so hawt! Nick is so hawt!" I have nothing against love interests in a story (you should see my romance collection), but... there's just no chemistry between Pauline & Jagger or Nick. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Until I read this book I couldn't quite put my finger on why the guy droolings irritated me. Now I know that the biggest flaw of the books so far is that so much time is spent focusing on love interests that have no chemistry together. Add onto this that the characters are all still pretty one-dimensional & you've got big problems.
Again, this isn't a terrible book but it's just not really grabbing me. I don't usually fault fluffy reads for being what they are, but this series tries to present itself as more than a fluffy beach read. If you are looking for depth, give this series a pass. If you want something brainless to read then this may be the series for you.
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GOOD: Plot moves faster in this series, more focus is put on the actual investigating this go round.
BAD: Lack of chemistry between love interests, one dimensional characters still haven't been fleshed out, spends too much time treading water
Right on the heels of her previous case Pauline is given another one to look into. This time the action surrounds a potential prescription fraud in the local seniors' center & Pauline is sent to investigate as both an undercover senior (in makeup of course) & a nurse at the doctor's office where the prescriptions are being written. Meanwhile Pauline is getting into more hot water as she tries to romance Nick while also trying to entice the mysterious Jagger.
This book featured a bit more action & the plot moved along faster than the previous entry in the series did, but there was still quite a lot of water treading in the book. It's enough to get me to read the next book (I'd gotten the first 4 books at the same time), but not enough to really persuade me that I need to pick up anything beyond those books. Like the previous book, a good chunk of the story is "Ooh! Jagger is so hawt! Nick is so hawt!" I have nothing against love interests in a story (you should see my romance collection), but... there's just no chemistry between Pauline & Jagger or Nick. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Until I read this book I couldn't quite put my finger on why the guy droolings irritated me. Now I know that the biggest flaw of the books so far is that so much time is spent focusing on love interests that have no chemistry together. Add onto this that the characters are all still pretty one-dimensional & you've got big problems.
Again, this isn't a terrible book but it's just not really grabbing me. I don't usually fault fluffy reads for being what they are, but this series tries to present itself as more than a fluffy beach read. If you are looking for depth, give this series a pass. If you want something brainless to read then this may be the series for you.
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GOOD: Plot moves faster in this series, more focus is put on the actual investigating this go round.
BAD: Lack of chemistry between love interests, one dimensional characters still haven't been fleshed out, spends too much time treading water
April 4, 2024
Pauline is a former nurse turned insurance fraud investigator that keeps finding reasons to go undercover as a nurse. She keeps telling herself she won't do it again, but again she finds herself wearing scrubs.
A cute, cozy mystery from the perspective of a nurse.
A cute, cozy mystery from the perspective of a nurse.
June 4, 2019
Cute and funny at times. I'll admit, I'm not sure if I would read any more in this series. I love mysteries, and this was ok.
April 4, 2022
Yes. I am slightly ashamed of how much I enjoyed this book. It’s a typical old lady mystery paperback I got from a used bookstore. But damn, it kept me entertained and I even broke a smile at the end. If it weren’t for Jagger, maybe I wouldn’t like it so much.
I do have to say I really dislike Goldie and Miles. They’re obnoxious, overdramatic, gay stereotypes used as humor and it’s kind of gross. I get that the author is a middle aged white lady and the book was written early 2000’s. I still don’t like the use of stereotypes. If Goldie was written more “normally” though, he would have been one of my favorite characters. I love me some stylish people.
This was the second book in the series, and though I never read the first one I wasn’t lost. Avocato does a good job summarizing the first book so you know what’s going on and who is who.
This was such a fun, easy read that I may be on my way to my library to get the next book…
Leave me alone, I need something easy to read before I start my Masters program.
I do have to say I really dislike Goldie and Miles. They’re obnoxious, overdramatic, gay stereotypes used as humor and it’s kind of gross. I get that the author is a middle aged white lady and the book was written early 2000’s. I still don’t like the use of stereotypes. If Goldie was written more “normally” though, he would have been one of my favorite characters. I love me some stylish people.
This was the second book in the series, and though I never read the first one I wasn’t lost. Avocato does a good job summarizing the first book so you know what’s going on and who is who.
This was such a fun, easy read that I may be on my way to my library to get the next book…
Leave me alone, I need something easy to read before I start my Masters program.
January 15, 2018
I actually liked this book a lot. I wasn't so sure after reading book #1 but the author has reached her stride with this book. There are some amusing scenes, and as a nurse myself, I find the medical parts interesting.
Pauline is burned out on nursing and has become a medical insurance fraud investigator. Unfortunately, her cases always puts her right back into working as a nurse. She isn't very experienced as an investigator and mysterious hunk Jagger always gets in the middle of her cases requiring her help with his larger case. This case involves some senior citizens who might be selling Viagra. Pauline's two elderly uncles could be involved. Pauline has to go undercover as an elderly woman and then has to fight off her emotions of being attracted to an elderly guy named Joey. She also gets some experience breaking and entering suspect's houses with Jagger with some amusing results.
Pauline is burned out on nursing and has become a medical insurance fraud investigator. Unfortunately, her cases always puts her right back into working as a nurse. She isn't very experienced as an investigator and mysterious hunk Jagger always gets in the middle of her cases requiring her help with his larger case. This case involves some senior citizens who might be selling Viagra. Pauline's two elderly uncles could be involved. Pauline has to go undercover as an elderly woman and then has to fight off her emotions of being attracted to an elderly guy named Joey. She also gets some experience breaking and entering suspect's houses with Jagger with some amusing results.
August 27, 2024
its another job for Pauline and this time it has to do with prescription fraud. She has to go undercover at a local seniors center where prescriptions are being filled for a patient who just happens to be dead.But then jagger enters the picture and has her help him with his case and she ends up putting on her nursing uniform to help him out with a viagra scandal until it turns into murder and she's up to her ears in jagger all the while she's dating Nick. But still dreaming about jagger oh no!!! You will have to read the book to find out what happens
April 4, 2018
Pauline is put in a clinic as part of an undercover insurance investigator, the nurse part she dosen't want to do the investigator is what she wants. Then she discovers she needs to age quickly to be able to go to the senior center. Enter her friend Goldy who can fix her up with everything.
April 20, 2019
Very light and fun reading.
April 9, 2012
I may have been overly generous in my rating--so far this series has been a disappointment. Advertised as an Evanovich equal, Avocato has far to go. There is no character development all are very one dimensional, and without that there is no relationship development. As a former English teacher I want to grab her by the shoulders and say don't tell me show me!! SHOW ME! I really have no clue even what Pauline looks like. Like the reviewer "Chibineko" I will plod through the first four because I have them and Avocato does really well with plots--but some of the other things are really irritating. Let me give you some for instances.
The "wanna-be-ness" of Avocato is blindingly obvious. First we have the heroine--Pauline Sokol--is it just coincidence that Stephanie Plum has the same initials reversed? Pauline's parents live in a Polish burg--and her mother sets dinner on the table every night promptly at 6--where have I seen this before? Her elderly uncle lives with them. One truly annoying detail is that in the first book we are told that Mrs Sokol married her husband when she was 15 before he went to Korea--that was 1951 by my reconning so that makes her 76--yet she is never presented as that old. We are also told that Pauline is one of 5 I believe yet only the name of one sister Mary is ever mentioned and none of the characters are fleshed out.
Then we have the cast of character--Fabio the slimy boss (because we are told that he is not because we ever see him being it), Adele, the jumpy ex-con secretary who Pauline immediately dubs a dear friend. Adele burned her hands in prison, but not explanation--how does one burn her hands in prison?? best friend and roommate nurse extraordinaire Miles, who is drop dead gorgeous and with only a slight push from Pauline reconnects with ex lover Goldie who is a gorgeous transvestite with fabulous makeup talents and wardrobe and Pauline's new BEST FRIEND! Goldie is strangely white--I don't know why that threw me so, and he/she also works for Fabio.(This woman makes best friends faster than rabbits make babies!) By the second book all three are sharing Miles' condo and gushing and howling over each other and their antics. GACK!
And that brings me to the men. Nick is the legitimate straight arrow who also works for Fabio (all these people make vast amounts of money). That is all we know about Nick--who is probably the most one dimensional of all the one dimensional characters. And that is saying something given that we know next to nothing about the mysterious and "hot" Jagger--who maybe a cop or FBI--but who is supposed to be equal to Evanovich's Ranger--except again whiter than the driven snow. What we do know about Jagger is that he immediately attracts Pauline and she is instantly safe with him. because that is what we are told.
I will give Avocato a big plus for plot --she writes a good plot and her twists and turns are believable--but she really needs to work on making those characters way more dimensional and do some connections so the relationships start to make some sense.
The "wanna-be-ness" of Avocato is blindingly obvious. First we have the heroine--Pauline Sokol--is it just coincidence that Stephanie Plum has the same initials reversed? Pauline's parents live in a Polish burg--and her mother sets dinner on the table every night promptly at 6--where have I seen this before? Her elderly uncle lives with them. One truly annoying detail is that in the first book we are told that Mrs Sokol married her husband when she was 15 before he went to Korea--that was 1951 by my reconning so that makes her 76--yet she is never presented as that old. We are also told that Pauline is one of 5 I believe yet only the name of one sister Mary is ever mentioned and none of the characters are fleshed out.
Then we have the cast of character--Fabio the slimy boss (because we are told that he is not because we ever see him being it), Adele, the jumpy ex-con secretary who Pauline immediately dubs a dear friend. Adele burned her hands in prison, but not explanation--how does one burn her hands in prison?? best friend and roommate nurse extraordinaire Miles, who is drop dead gorgeous and with only a slight push from Pauline reconnects with ex lover Goldie who is a gorgeous transvestite with fabulous makeup talents and wardrobe and Pauline's new BEST FRIEND! Goldie is strangely white--I don't know why that threw me so, and he/she also works for Fabio.(This woman makes best friends faster than rabbits make babies!) By the second book all three are sharing Miles' condo and gushing and howling over each other and their antics. GACK!
And that brings me to the men. Nick is the legitimate straight arrow who also works for Fabio (all these people make vast amounts of money). That is all we know about Nick--who is probably the most one dimensional of all the one dimensional characters. And that is saying something given that we know next to nothing about the mysterious and "hot" Jagger--who maybe a cop or FBI--but who is supposed to be equal to Evanovich's Ranger--except again whiter than the driven snow. What we do know about Jagger is that he immediately attracts Pauline and she is instantly safe with him. because that is what we are told.
I will give Avocato a big plus for plot --she writes a good plot and her twists and turns are believable--but she really needs to work on making those characters way more dimensional and do some connections so the relationships start to make some sense.
June 27, 2015
“This funny and charming second book in our promising new mass market mystery series features Pauline Sokol, a sassy 30–something ex–nurse turned medical insurance fraud investigator.
Pauline Sokol has just escaped serious bodily harm during her first investigation, when her second case file is literally thrown into her lap. And this one seems to be a doozie––with one suspect already dead! Pauline's sleuthing leads her to the Senior Citizen's Clinic, where she realizes that her deceased suspect was part of an illegal Viagra ring! Pauline is soon going undercover as a senior hot mama and chasing down leads at the local bingo parlor.
Between fending off some wrinkled "over–70" admirers, and helping the sexy investigator Jagger with his own case at the Senior Clinic, Pauline is again faced with a murderer on the loose! Adding to her panic is the reality that her attraction to Jagger is intensifying, despite the fact that the handsome and reliable Nick is courting her. With the help of her hilarious family and friends, Pauline must juggle an undercover nursing gig, two sexy leading men, a senior alter–ego, and a gaggle of geriatric suspects––all before she becomes the next victim!”
This was such a wonderful, cute, comical funny cozy mystery –Pauline and her family are just a perfect cast and then her being a nurse who even having a master’s degree in nursing and is now doing insurance fraud investigation – the problems she runs into are so believable and yet funny. Her co-workers and roommates just make the story a perfect read! A very enjoyable series!
Pauline Sokol has just escaped serious bodily harm during her first investigation, when her second case file is literally thrown into her lap. And this one seems to be a doozie––with one suspect already dead! Pauline's sleuthing leads her to the Senior Citizen's Clinic, where she realizes that her deceased suspect was part of an illegal Viagra ring! Pauline is soon going undercover as a senior hot mama and chasing down leads at the local bingo parlor.
Between fending off some wrinkled "over–70" admirers, and helping the sexy investigator Jagger with his own case at the Senior Clinic, Pauline is again faced with a murderer on the loose! Adding to her panic is the reality that her attraction to Jagger is intensifying, despite the fact that the handsome and reliable Nick is courting her. With the help of her hilarious family and friends, Pauline must juggle an undercover nursing gig, two sexy leading men, a senior alter–ego, and a gaggle of geriatric suspects––all before she becomes the next victim!”
This was such a wonderful, cute, comical funny cozy mystery –Pauline and her family are just a perfect cast and then her being a nurse who even having a master’s degree in nursing and is now doing insurance fraud investigation – the problems she runs into are so believable and yet funny. Her co-workers and roommates just make the story a perfect read! A very enjoyable series!
January 31, 2017
Another random book I've had for ages. Luckily even though this is the second book in the series, it isn't imperative that you read the first book to understand what is going on.
Pauline is an interesting protagonist. A former nurse, now medical insurance fraud investigator, she really is in the wrong line of work. She faints when surprised (at times), doesn't have any idea how to go about investigating at times - or totally misses the clues - and has an Uluru sized crush on Jagger, a mysterious character who is also in the investigation business, but won't tell her exactly who he works for. Sound familiar? Yes, it's Stephanie Plum with a medical degree! Who else is this accident prone but phenomenally lucky? ;-D
This series is reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum books (which I adore and are a real guilty pleasure read), so I'm hoping to find more of these books in the future as I really want to know who the hell Jagger really is (and who he's working for!).
3.5 ★
Pauline is an interesting protagonist. A former nurse, now medical insurance fraud investigator, she really is in the wrong line of work. She faints when surprised (at times), doesn't have any idea how to go about investigating at times - or totally misses the clues - and has an Uluru sized crush on Jagger, a mysterious character who is also in the investigation business, but won't tell her exactly who he works for. Sound familiar? Yes, it's Stephanie Plum with a medical degree! Who else is this accident prone but phenomenally lucky? ;-D
This series is reminiscent of the Stephanie Plum books (which I adore and are a real guilty pleasure read), so I'm hoping to find more of these books in the future as I really want to know who the hell Jagger really is (and who he's working for!).
3.5 ★
August 13, 2016
Seemed very reminiscent of Stephanie Plum, only our heroine here is an ex-nurse, medical insurance fraud investigator. Again she has 2 love interests, including the strange Jagger who wears black, has only one name and no known address, and drives a black SUV.
January 6, 2010
I loved Pauline's dances with Joey the Wooer! It was the best! Oh... and the B&E scenes... spicy!
April 17, 2010
Funny,Funny,Funny!!!!!!!
April 4, 2012
Good second entry into the series. I like the characters and there were two surprises at the end. Fun story!
May 22, 2013
Fun, a bit like the Evanovich books, 2 love interests and a goofy family. The gay roommates and medical insurance fraud cases are great, can't wait to to read more in the series.
June 21, 2009
Ms Avocato has a great style. I really enjoyed this book.
August 27, 2013
<3 Jagger.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews