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Cynthia Peabody #2
Cynthia Peabody's Big Fat Fake Funeral: Absentminded Witness
CYNTHIA’S BIG FAT FAKE FUNERAL by Lynne Marshall
Murder : √.
Witness: Unreliable.
Body: Missing.
Can Cynthia Peabody crack the case?
Book Two: Absentminded Witness
Everything is tickety-boo at The Green Meadows retirement village until Cynthia’s neighbor and dear friend accidentally witnesses a murder. In shock he can’t remember a thing. With the help of the hunky security guard and a sharp young detective, Cynthia works to piece together the details behind the nefarious plot before the cold-blooded assassin hits his next mark. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her best friend and find out who and what is behind the murder.
Thursday Murder Club meets Cynthia Peabody!
Senior sleuths
Senior Friendship
Shenanigans for all
Murder : √.
Witness: Unreliable.
Body: Missing.
Can Cynthia Peabody crack the case?
Book Two: Absentminded Witness
Everything is tickety-boo at The Green Meadows retirement village until Cynthia’s neighbor and dear friend accidentally witnesses a murder. In shock he can’t remember a thing. With the help of the hunky security guard and a sharp young detective, Cynthia works to piece together the details behind the nefarious plot before the cold-blooded assassin hits his next mark. She’ll do whatever it takes to protect her best friend and find out who and what is behind the murder.
Thursday Murder Club meets Cynthia Peabody!
Senior sleuths
Senior Friendship
Shenanigans for all
244 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 30, 2026
About the author
Lynne Marshall
214 books319 followersUSA Today Bestselling author, Lynne Marshall, used to worry she had a serious problem with daydreaming until she realized she was supposed to write those stories. A late bloomer, Lynne came to fiction writing after her children were nearly grown. Now she explores the mysteries of life through endearing characters in unexplainable situations. Women's Fiction for women of a certain age and everyone who loves their feisty nana. At the heart of every book is a true love story.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 13, 2026
Cynthia sees Ronnie, her best friend, in her dreams. Unfortunately, the dream shadows a real event in which Ronnie was a witness to a murder. Can Cynthia's heightened powers protect Ronnie and bring a killer to justice?
Yes, this story is a mystery, but it's much more involved than merely solving a murder. The author delves into the difficulties of ageing: the aches & pains, the frustrations of being dismissed, the invisibility, and the loneliness. Expect a nuanced read.
Thank you to Lynne Marshall and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this digital complimentary copy. As always, my opinions are my own, honest and true.
Yes, this story is a mystery, but it's much more involved than merely solving a murder. The author delves into the difficulties of ageing: the aches & pains, the frustrations of being dismissed, the invisibility, and the loneliness. Expect a nuanced read.
Thank you to Lynne Marshall and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this digital complimentary copy. As always, my opinions are my own, honest and true.
July 12, 2026
I really enjoyed returning to Cynthia Peabody's world. If you read the first book, you'll feel right at home, but this time the stakes are even higher.
Cynthia is one of those characters you can't help but love. She's witty, stubborn, endlessly curious, and somehow manages to get herself into situations that would send most people running the other way. Watching her try to protect Ronnie while also convincing everyone she's not a crazy old lady had me laughing more than once.
This book has a good balance. Yes, there's a murder to solve, but there are also genuine friendships, moments of grief, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and plenty of heart. The retirement community is full of quirky characters who feel like real people instead of stereotypes, and I found myself just as interested in spending time with them as I was in solving the mystery.
The mystery itself kept me guessing, and I liked that Cynthia doesn't suddenly become some super detective. She second-guesses herself, overthinks everything, and often stumbles into clues simply because she refuses to let things go. That makes her feel believable.
The humor sprinkled throughout gives the book a cozy feel even when the mystery turns darker.
I'm already looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Cynthia finds herself in next. I received this book as an advanced copy for review.
Cynthia is one of those characters you can't help but love. She's witty, stubborn, endlessly curious, and somehow manages to get herself into situations that would send most people running the other way. Watching her try to protect Ronnie while also convincing everyone she's not a crazy old lady had me laughing more than once.
This book has a good balance. Yes, there's a murder to solve, but there are also genuine friendships, moments of grief, laugh-out-loud dialogue, and plenty of heart. The retirement community is full of quirky characters who feel like real people instead of stereotypes, and I found myself just as interested in spending time with them as I was in solving the mystery.
The mystery itself kept me guessing, and I liked that Cynthia doesn't suddenly become some super detective. She second-guesses herself, overthinks everything, and often stumbles into clues simply because she refuses to let things go. That makes her feel believable.
The humor sprinkled throughout gives the book a cozy feel even when the mystery turns darker.
I'm already looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Cynthia finds herself in next. I received this book as an advanced copy for review.
July 25, 2026
Anything is possible with the right team of people.
Just as I mentioned in my review of The Extraordinary Dreams of Cynthia Peabody, Cynthia remained as fascinating as ever this second time around. Her personality shone through the plot brightly, and both her flaws and her strengths made her feel three-dimensional and relatable. I was especially pleased to see that her stubborn streak remained as this isn’t a flaw I see written for as many female protagonists as I’d like to. There’s something to be said for pushing back against gender stereotypes and writing all sorts of different characters, after all!
One of my favorite things about this book was how it explored the way senior citizens are sometimes mistreated by younger generations. For example, Cynthia had a few incidents where other adults behaved in a condescending manner with her because she was in her 70s and had recently had life threatening health problems. The audacity of these characters to assume that her age and disability status meant that she should be spoken to as if she were a small child was both infuriating and an excellent catalyst for certain plot twists later on. This isn’t something I see acknowledged very often, especially in cozy mysteries, so it was refreshing to find here.
The ending was what ultimately convinced me to give this a five-star read. Ms. Marshall’s willingness to play around with the tropes of the genres she writes had already grabbed my attention, and seeing how far off the path she was willing to tread only increased my admiration of her writing style. It takes courage to take this many risks with one’s storylines, and it paid off beautifully here. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
This is the second instalment in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.
Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral was full of surprises that made me wish this tale would never end.
Just as I mentioned in my review of The Extraordinary Dreams of Cynthia Peabody, Cynthia remained as fascinating as ever this second time around. Her personality shone through the plot brightly, and both her flaws and her strengths made her feel three-dimensional and relatable. I was especially pleased to see that her stubborn streak remained as this isn’t a flaw I see written for as many female protagonists as I’d like to. There’s something to be said for pushing back against gender stereotypes and writing all sorts of different characters, after all!
One of my favorite things about this book was how it explored the way senior citizens are sometimes mistreated by younger generations. For example, Cynthia had a few incidents where other adults behaved in a condescending manner with her because she was in her 70s and had recently had life threatening health problems. The audacity of these characters to assume that her age and disability status meant that she should be spoken to as if she were a small child was both infuriating and an excellent catalyst for certain plot twists later on. This isn’t something I see acknowledged very often, especially in cozy mysteries, so it was refreshing to find here.
The ending was what ultimately convinced me to give this a five-star read. Ms. Marshall’s willingness to play around with the tropes of the genres she writes had already grabbed my attention, and seeing how far off the path she was willing to tread only increased my admiration of her writing style. It takes courage to take this many risks with one’s storylines, and it paid off beautifully here. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
This is the second instalment in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.
Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral was full of surprises that made me wish this tale would never end.
July 14, 2026
Cynthia Peabody is living the life of riley at The Green Meadows Retirement Village. That is, until her friend and neighbor witnesses a murder, totally by accident. He’s in total shock and can’t remember anything. Plus, the body is missing. Who is behind this wicked murder and why? Cynthia Peabody is on the case and won’t leave a stone unturned. Using the help of a sexy security guard and a young detective, she follows the clues to nab the killer. She must work quickly to protect her friend and witness before the killer strikes again. Will she succeed and finger the killer, or will she land in the killer’s crosshairs for being too much of a busybody?
Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral: Absentminded Witness is a rip-roaring cozy mystery I couldn’t put down. Think Golden Girls meets Miss Marple with plenty of quirky characters and a mystery to solve. Unlike book one, this book is full of wit, humor, with a dash of intrigue. It has everything I love in an amateur sleuth mystery. Cynthia is our main character and her observations are precise, her inner dialogue is funny, and her protective nature is endearing. The descriptive narration is immersive. The mystery unfolds at a good pace. The investigation is full of suspects, false clues, motives, and questions. The setting is the retirement village which I found colorful and engaging. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. If you like your mysteries cozy with senior sleuths, you’ll want to read Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral: Absentminded Witness.
My Rating: 5++ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://substack.com/@nnlightsbookhea...
Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral: Absentminded Witness is a rip-roaring cozy mystery I couldn’t put down. Think Golden Girls meets Miss Marple with plenty of quirky characters and a mystery to solve. Unlike book one, this book is full of wit, humor, with a dash of intrigue. It has everything I love in an amateur sleuth mystery. Cynthia is our main character and her observations are precise, her inner dialogue is funny, and her protective nature is endearing. The descriptive narration is immersive. The mystery unfolds at a good pace. The investigation is full of suspects, false clues, motives, and questions. The setting is the retirement village which I found colorful and engaging. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. If you like your mysteries cozy with senior sleuths, you’ll want to read Cynthia Peabody’s Big Fat Fake Funeral: Absentminded Witness.
My Rating: 5++ stars
Reviewed by: Nancy
This review first appeared: https://substack.com/@nnlightsbookhea...
July 19, 2026
This was a good book. I enjoyed that the main characters are active and in their 70's. Cynthia and Ronnie's friendship was great, with lots of humor in their adventures. Cynthia's dream ability was very unusual. I didn't envy her trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't. Everyone needs a place they can connect with lost loved ones like Cynthia's Saturn. I actually had 2 Saturns, and they were my favorite little cars. I bought mine new, so no connections for me. This would have been a 5-star read for me, but just not sure how the ending made me feel. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 22, 2026
Cynthia Peabody book review. Big fat fake funeral. This book was written differently then most fiction books and this I think is a good thing. The imagination of how things can go in life can be made up before it actually happens.
Here we have Mrs Peabody who is in charge and has a wild imagination about her death and the Pharrell’s and the teenage boy who has his own perspective of how life is has a challenge to understand when she dies in the dream or in real life how you die is how you lived. She loved her husband and at the end when she passes she states how she wants to be by art her husband in heaven
Here we have Mrs Peabody who is in charge and has a wild imagination about her death and the Pharrell’s and the teenage boy who has his own perspective of how life is has a challenge to understand when she dies in the dream or in real life how you die is how you lived. She loved her husband and at the end when she passes she states how she wants to be by art her husband in heaven
July 16, 2026
Cynthia Peabody is at it again—her dreams have a disturbing tendency to reflect real life. This time, there’s a murder, a missing body, and a dear friend who can’t remember the death. And if Cynthia continues to pursue the case, she could get kicked out of her retirement home. With humor, engaging characters, and a touch of magical realism, this cozy mystery will leave you smiling.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews