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An Odelia Grey Mystery #11
Rhythm & Clues
Amateur sleuth Odelia Grey tries to get a band back together—and get her mother off the hook.
It’s a rockin’ flashback for Odelia Grey when her mother asks her to look into the disappearance of her neighbor Bo Shank, the former lead singer for a band Odelia idolized in her youth. But when a body is found in Bo Shank’s house, everything quickly gets thrown out of tune.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2016
18 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Sue Ann Jaffarian
63 books546 followersSue Ann Jaffarian is the author of the popular Odelia Grey mystery series, the Ghost of Granny Apples mystery series and the Madison Rose vampire mysteries, as well as short stories.
Sue Ann also writes the Winnie Wilde romance novellas.
Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian is a middle-aged, plus-sized paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles.
In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational/ humorous speaker. You can visit her on the web at www.sueannjaffarian.com, www.sueannjaffarian.blogspot.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.
Sue Ann also writes the Winnie Wilde romance novellas.
Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian is a middle-aged, plus-sized paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles.
In addition to writing, Sue Ann is sought after as a motivational/ humorous speaker. You can visit her on the web at www.sueannjaffarian.com, www.sueannjaffarian.blogspot.com, and on Twitter and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
December 28, 2016
Rhythm & Clues by Sue Ann Jaffarian.
The author took a refreshing change of pace in this story which made it all the more interesting. The setting is at Grace's(Odelia's Mother) 55+ gated community and the characters involved include Grace, Lorraine (Odelia's niece), and bringing back Willie from former adventures.
Grace and her friend Art Franklin neighbors at The Seaside Retirement Community are worried about another neighbor and friend...Boaz Shankleman. It seems Bo and his dog Ringo are no where to be found. In fact they've been gone without a word to anyone. Odelia tried to get to the bottom of this dilemma when the situation takes a nasty twist.
Odelia receives a call from the jail. It's her Mother/Grace calling and both she & Lorraine are being held there after b&e into Bo's home. B&E was just the tip of the ice berg. The pair stumbled upon a gruesome discovery that leads us into a much deeper and more dangerous dilemma than was originally thought.
In my opinion this was one of the best Odelia's entries to date. The originality of bringing Grace and Lorraine into the mix was energizing to the storyline as was the change in setting. The realistic and revealing step by step investigation took me on a journey along side Odelia. A rave 5 stars.
The author took a refreshing change of pace in this story which made it all the more interesting. The setting is at Grace's(Odelia's Mother) 55+ gated community and the characters involved include Grace, Lorraine (Odelia's niece), and bringing back Willie from former adventures.
Grace and her friend Art Franklin neighbors at The Seaside Retirement Community are worried about another neighbor and friend...Boaz Shankleman. It seems Bo and his dog Ringo are no where to be found. In fact they've been gone without a word to anyone. Odelia tried to get to the bottom of this dilemma when the situation takes a nasty twist.
Odelia receives a call from the jail. It's her Mother/Grace calling and both she & Lorraine are being held there after b&e into Bo's home. B&E was just the tip of the ice berg. The pair stumbled upon a gruesome discovery that leads us into a much deeper and more dangerous dilemma than was originally thought.
In my opinion this was one of the best Odelia's entries to date. The originality of bringing Grace and Lorraine into the mix was energizing to the storyline as was the change in setting. The realistic and revealing step by step investigation took me on a journey along side Odelia. A rave 5 stars.
January 22, 2017
I love the Odelia Grey books and while this wasn't as good as some others, it was still a great way to spend a few hours. The rock 'n roll part of it was rather generic, but the story was a good one anyway. Would love to see these books get more attention. Recommend!
May 18, 2020
Not as good as some of the others in the series. The action seemed cartoonish at times. When there was action that is. There really seemed to be a lot of people sitting around and yapping about the crime and the suspects without much going on. Not to say there wasn't any action, but this book dragged a lot more often than others in the series. Also, I solved the mystery almost right away which did not help.
I was initially excited to see Lorraine make an appearance with a fairly large role in the book, but her character seemed very one-dimensional. She is thirty-years-old, but mainly acted like a teenager throughout the book. And the pairing of her and Buzz was unbelievable. They barely knew each other, yet by the end of the book were in love.
For the second book in a row, Michael Steele is barely around. And this time even Greg hardly made an appearance. I sure hope in the next book, the last in the series, these two make more than token appearances.
I was initially excited to see Lorraine make an appearance with a fairly large role in the book, but her character seemed very one-dimensional. She is thirty-years-old, but mainly acted like a teenager throughout the book. And the pairing of her and Buzz was unbelievable. They barely knew each other, yet by the end of the book were in love.
For the second book in a row, Michael Steele is barely around. And this time even Greg hardly made an appearance. I sure hope in the next book, the last in the series, these two make more than token appearances.
November 17, 2016
Odelia’s mom is concerned because her neighbor, former rock star Bo Shank, is missing. While Odelia is a bit star struck at the idea that her mom knows Odelia’s college idol, she figures the man left on a trip and forgot to let people know. Still, she is poking around a bit when a dead body turns up. What is really going on?
I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized that many of the usual supporting players were out of town for this book. That didn’t last long as I got caught up in another wild and crazy ride. The plot starts strong and never slows down. Odelia’s mother is a fantastic sidekick, and she brought her usual laughs to the book. The rest of the cast is just as strong and fun. Fans will be delighted in this latest adventure for Odelia.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I was a bit disappointed at first when I realized that many of the usual supporting players were out of town for this book. That didn’t last long as I got caught up in another wild and crazy ride. The plot starts strong and never slows down. Odelia’s mother is a fantastic sidekick, and she brought her usual laughs to the book. The rest of the cast is just as strong and fun. Fans will be delighted in this latest adventure for Odelia.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
December 15, 2016
Another fun installment of this series!
July 24, 2016
You know how sometimes you’re flipping through TV channels and a show catches your attention, one you’ve never watched before, and you end up getting sucked into the episode. You realize that you’re coming in mid-season and there’s a lot of information about the characters you don’t have but still the episode is fun, engaging, and well done. You want more so you head to Netflix or Hulu.
That was my experience with this book, Rhythm & Clues, which is actually the 11th book in a mystery series by Sue Ann Jaffarian. The cover was what got my attention on NetGalley as did the funny promo description. At first, I was disappointed to find out that Odelia Grey was not a plus sized blues musician but a plus-sized paralegal. However, I found her and her family fun to get to know.
In this book, Odelia’s mother, Grace, who lives in a nearby retirement village, contacts Odelia because she and her friend, Art Franklin, are worried about another resident – Boaz Shankleman. He seems to have disappeared and nobody, not the police or the administrators of the retirement complex, is concerned. Grace gets Odelia’s attention by revealing that Boaz is really Bo Shank, the lead singer of Acid Storm, a band Odelia loved in her college days. Though Odelia thinks there is probably a reasonable explanation for Bo’s absence, she agrees to look into it. Of course, that doesn’t mean Grace and Art stop their own investigation and soon funny situations and some real danger ensue.
Though I now know (from reading some descriptions from earlier books) that there is a rich backstory about Odelia and her mother that forms the plot lines of earlier books, I really enjoyed their banter and their shared ability to both stumble upon dead bodies and not keep sticking their nose into a case. Like most amateur detectives, Odelia has a complicated relationship with the police and then there’s the fact that her husband, who is out of town during most of this mystery, runs a security company (so she has some backup somewhere between Win and Ranger . . . dangerous but not psycho).
I finished this book thinking that I enjoyed spending time with Odelia Grey and that we have a lot to catch up on.
*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest/unbiased review.
That was my experience with this book, Rhythm & Clues, which is actually the 11th book in a mystery series by Sue Ann Jaffarian. The cover was what got my attention on NetGalley as did the funny promo description. At first, I was disappointed to find out that Odelia Grey was not a plus sized blues musician but a plus-sized paralegal. However, I found her and her family fun to get to know.
In this book, Odelia’s mother, Grace, who lives in a nearby retirement village, contacts Odelia because she and her friend, Art Franklin, are worried about another resident – Boaz Shankleman. He seems to have disappeared and nobody, not the police or the administrators of the retirement complex, is concerned. Grace gets Odelia’s attention by revealing that Boaz is really Bo Shank, the lead singer of Acid Storm, a band Odelia loved in her college days. Though Odelia thinks there is probably a reasonable explanation for Bo’s absence, she agrees to look into it. Of course, that doesn’t mean Grace and Art stop their own investigation and soon funny situations and some real danger ensue.
Though I now know (from reading some descriptions from earlier books) that there is a rich backstory about Odelia and her mother that forms the plot lines of earlier books, I really enjoyed their banter and their shared ability to both stumble upon dead bodies and not keep sticking their nose into a case. Like most amateur detectives, Odelia has a complicated relationship with the police and then there’s the fact that her husband, who is out of town during most of this mystery, runs a security company (so she has some backup somewhere between Win and Ranger . . . dangerous but not psycho).
I finished this book thinking that I enjoyed spending time with Odelia Grey and that we have a lot to catch up on.
*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest/unbiased review.
February 21, 2017
When Odelia's eccentric mother asks her help in finding a missing neighbor, Odelia is stunned to learn that the man was one of her rock idols back in the day. But when the bodies start to pile up, Odelia has to--um--evade telling her out-of-town husband and brother that she, Mom, and her niece Lorraine are investigating in a big way. Odelia, like so many fictional detectives nowadays, has a lovable but lethal guardian angel, a shtick that may be getting a bit overdone.
March 6, 2017
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 2.5 of 5
Rhythm and Clues by Sue Ann Jaffarian is 'An Odelia Grey Mystery' meaning it's part of a series featuring the same character. Odelia Grey, is an older, over-weight (oops, sorry, the correct term is 'plus-sized') woman with a certain amount of sass and pizzazz who sticks her nose into mysteries.
I've never read an Odelia Grey mystery before this, but I was attracted to the theme of music and mystery.
Odelia's mother lives in a gated retirement community and is concerned about her neighbor - Boaz (Bo Shank) Shankleman. Bo was once a rock and roll star in a band that Odelia really loved (Acid Storm) in her younger days. Bo, it seems, has disappeared, along with his dog. But Odelia gets drawn into the situation when her mother calls her from jail. She's been arrested for breaking and entering Bo's home. But it was the dead body in the house that really got her (and her friend) in trouble.
I found this to be a pretty run-of-the-mill mystery. The music theme was pretty bland and generic. This is the sort of mystery that really relies on the main character and the reader's interest in her. While I can see why there are people who find this attractive, I was not drawn in. Again...I was drawn to this for the music angle and have never read an Odelia Grey book before
I find this to be the most difficult book to write a review for. I find nothing 'wrong' with the book except that it doesn't grab me. The writing is fine and the character is moderately interesting, just not appealing to me (and not because of her size - that was actually the most interesting part about her).
With so many different types and styles of mysteries out there, not everything will appeal to everyone. This one doesn't work for me.
Looking for a good book? Rhythm and Clues by Sue Ann Jaffaria is one of a series of 'Odelia Grey' mysteries. It is very average mystery storytelling and the music theme is not well-developed.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Rhythm and Clues by Sue Ann Jaffarian is 'An Odelia Grey Mystery' meaning it's part of a series featuring the same character. Odelia Grey, is an older, over-weight (oops, sorry, the correct term is 'plus-sized') woman with a certain amount of sass and pizzazz who sticks her nose into mysteries.
I've never read an Odelia Grey mystery before this, but I was attracted to the theme of music and mystery.
Odelia's mother lives in a gated retirement community and is concerned about her neighbor - Boaz (Bo Shank) Shankleman. Bo was once a rock and roll star in a band that Odelia really loved (Acid Storm) in her younger days. Bo, it seems, has disappeared, along with his dog. But Odelia gets drawn into the situation when her mother calls her from jail. She's been arrested for breaking and entering Bo's home. But it was the dead body in the house that really got her (and her friend) in trouble.
I found this to be a pretty run-of-the-mill mystery. The music theme was pretty bland and generic. This is the sort of mystery that really relies on the main character and the reader's interest in her. While I can see why there are people who find this attractive, I was not drawn in. Again...I was drawn to this for the music angle and have never read an Odelia Grey book before
I find this to be the most difficult book to write a review for. I find nothing 'wrong' with the book except that it doesn't grab me. The writing is fine and the character is moderately interesting, just not appealing to me (and not because of her size - that was actually the most interesting part about her).
With so many different types and styles of mysteries out there, not everything will appeal to everyone. This one doesn't work for me.
Looking for a good book? Rhythm and Clues by Sue Ann Jaffaria is one of a series of 'Odelia Grey' mysteries. It is very average mystery storytelling and the music theme is not well-developed.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
March 12, 2017
This is the 11th book in the Odelia Grey Mystery series, and it is just as entertaining as all the others. Between Odelia-the body magnet, her mother-the crazy lady, and the cast of unusual friends and relatives, each book is an exciting murder mystery that is laced with humor, Odelia and her mom's rash and often not thought through motions, and a wide variety of helpful friends. This is one series that you HAVE to read in order, or else you won't have a clue as to what has happened. I love how the author has given characters more confidence as the books progress, yet some basic things go unchanged. No matter if the notorious hit woman known as "Mother" wants to talk to her, Odelia will take care of the cat and dog, clean up the dishes, or do whatever is needed before she runs out of the house.
This book is focused on Grace, Odelia's mother, and the people who live in her retirement village. It turns out that a former rock band star (and Odelia's rock band "crush" from her college days) not only lives near her, but they are close friends. His sudden disappearance from his home is the catalyst for all sorts of terrible things happening, including another friend going missing. When a "shady criminal" friend, who is her brother's boss, steps in to help, all sorts of surprises result. Odelia's visiting niece even falls for his "associate" between murders.
The pacing of these books is excellent, with plenty of time for explanations and conjectures. I find them exciting yet not overly stimulating. That's a good thing because I wouldn't want to rush through the book and risk missing a moment of the fun!
This book is focused on Grace, Odelia's mother, and the people who live in her retirement village. It turns out that a former rock band star (and Odelia's rock band "crush" from her college days) not only lives near her, but they are close friends. His sudden disappearance from his home is the catalyst for all sorts of terrible things happening, including another friend going missing. When a "shady criminal" friend, who is her brother's boss, steps in to help, all sorts of surprises result. Odelia's visiting niece even falls for his "associate" between murders.
The pacing of these books is excellent, with plenty of time for explanations and conjectures. I find them exciting yet not overly stimulating. That's a good thing because I wouldn't want to rush through the book and risk missing a moment of the fun!
July 18, 2016
I've been a fan of this series since the beginning and Rhythm & Clues is a solid addition. I think the variety of story lines keeps the series fresh for me. This time, it's Odelia and Grace, her mom, trying to find out why Grace's friend has disappeared, along the way they find a body (no surprise there). The story clips along and most of the usual cast of secondary characters pop up, most just briefly. Lorraine, Odelia's niece, gets some nice page time. I don't recall having met her before in the series.
Grace is more humanized here and Odelia's weight is mentioned less, both pluses.
I think those new to the series get enough info. that they wouldn't be lost, but familiar readers aren't beaten over the head with backstory we've read book after book.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Grace is more humanized here and Odelia's weight is mentioned less, both pluses.
I think those new to the series get enough info. that they wouldn't be lost, but familiar readers aren't beaten over the head with backstory we've read book after book.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 7, 2016
I love love love Odelia Grey! In the 11th installment of this series, we find paralegal and "corpse magnet" Odelia embroiled in a new mystery. Her mother has asked her to look into the disappearance of a neighbor in her retirement community, Bo Shank. Before she can get too involved, a dead body is found in Bo Shank's house and Odelia's niece is a suspect! To help her niece, and figure out what happened to Bo, Odelia starts her investigation.
Odelia Grey stories are humorous, engaging, and always exciting. Ms. Jaffarian keeps you guessing who the murderer is until the end! I normally have an easy time figuring out the "whodunit" but in this case, I was wrong! I give this book 5 stars. I really recommend you read the whole series, but it's not required if you want to jump right into this story!
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Odelia Grey stories are humorous, engaging, and always exciting. Ms. Jaffarian keeps you guessing who the murderer is until the end! I normally have an easy time figuring out the "whodunit" but in this case, I was wrong! I give this book 5 stars. I really recommend you read the whole series, but it's not required if you want to jump right into this story!
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 11, 2016
I love odelia
What could be better than an Odelia Gray mystery. The characters are wonderful and the mystery is great. Sometimes I need unconventional characters to make it more interesting. Thank you Sue Ann
What could be better than an Odelia Gray mystery. The characters are wonderful and the mystery is great. Sometimes I need unconventional characters to make it more interesting. Thank you Sue Ann
November 14, 2016
Reading this book was like a trip to visit good friends! Really missed these characters!! This book was a bit different from past books giving a great mix...waiting for more
November 22, 2016
[very minor incorrect/correct proofing oversight: pg.136 She/She'd gone back to join Lorraine on the sofa.]
November 27, 2016
Looks like Odelia isn't the only 'Corpse Magnet' in the family...as she is about to learn!
It’s a rockin’ flashback for Odelia Grey when her mother asks her to look into the disappearance of a neighbor, the former lead singer for a band Odelia idolized in her youth. But when a body is found in Bo Shank’s house by another member of Odelia’s family, everything quickly gets thrown out of tune.
With a lot of bumping and grinding to her own rock tune, Odelia is about to flush the guilty parties out into the open.
It's the 11th outing for this sassy lady Odelia Grey
As always with the Odelia books, will have you laughing at the situations she and her family gets themselves into.
Sue Ann holds you captive, as she spins her stories and draws you into the world of Odelia Grey.
I Love the Odelia books. And this one will keep you laughing and on the edger of your seat, from start to finish.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Published by Midnight Ink Books and downloaded via NetGalley.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres... like, comment and follow.
It’s a rockin’ flashback for Odelia Grey when her mother asks her to look into the disappearance of a neighbor, the former lead singer for a band Odelia idolized in her youth. But when a body is found in Bo Shank’s house by another member of Odelia’s family, everything quickly gets thrown out of tune.
With a lot of bumping and grinding to her own rock tune, Odelia is about to flush the guilty parties out into the open.
It's the 11th outing for this sassy lady Odelia Grey
As always with the Odelia books, will have you laughing at the situations she and her family gets themselves into.
Sue Ann holds you captive, as she spins her stories and draws you into the world of Odelia Grey.
I Love the Odelia books. And this one will keep you laughing and on the edger of your seat, from start to finish.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Published by Midnight Ink Books and downloaded via NetGalley.
If you like the review and would like to read reviews on other books I have read, visit my blog at www.finalchapterreadersgroup.wordpres... like, comment and follow.
May 29, 2019
Another fun adventure. While Greg is out of town Odelia is caught up in another mystery.
And apparently her bad luck with corpses might be a genetic thing.
Her mother and her good friend Art, are knee high in a mystery of their own. It seems that another resident of the retirement village Grace lives is missing. While snooping around, Odelia's niece and her accomplicing Grandma stumble on a dead body. As another good friend goes missing, can Odelia keep her mother, and her niece out of jail? Will they find the two missing residents? And how does this all tie to Odelia's favorite band from college?
Another great story, another thumbs up, and another recommendation!
And apparently her bad luck with corpses might be a genetic thing.
Her mother and her good friend Art, are knee high in a mystery of their own. It seems that another resident of the retirement village Grace lives is missing. While snooping around, Odelia's niece and her accomplicing Grandma stumble on a dead body. As another good friend goes missing, can Odelia keep her mother, and her niece out of jail? Will they find the two missing residents? And how does this all tie to Odelia's favorite band from college?
Another great story, another thumbs up, and another recommendation!
August 10, 2022
Book number eleven kept my interest and me turning the pages. Another winner in this twelve book series.
This time around, Odelia, her mom, Grace, and her niece, are trying to find Bo Shank, a member of a rock and roll band Odelia loved when she was younger. Turns out Bo is a neighbor of Odelia's mom. Bo has disappeared under mystgerious circumstance and the three women want to find him. They are also trying to figure out what is going on in the senior community where Grace lives. Something ain't right!
Another fun, interesting, and exciting read! Check out this entire series.
This time around, Odelia, her mom, Grace, and her niece, are trying to find Bo Shank, a member of a rock and roll band Odelia loved when she was younger. Turns out Bo is a neighbor of Odelia's mom. Bo has disappeared under mystgerious circumstance and the three women want to find him. They are also trying to figure out what is going on in the senior community where Grace lives. Something ain't right!
Another fun, interesting, and exciting read! Check out this entire series.
November 2, 2016
**I voluntarily reviewed this ARC**
I thought this would be a little more cozy than it was. But once I got used to it being edgier than I expected, I really enjoyed it. I think the series is best read in order. It did a good job of explaining the characters and relationships, but you have to watch out for spoilers. The mystery itself was slightly convoluted but well written.
I thought this would be a little more cozy than it was. But once I got used to it being edgier than I expected, I really enjoyed it. I think the series is best read in order. It did a good job of explaining the characters and relationships, but you have to watch out for spoilers. The mystery itself was slightly convoluted but well written.
April 8, 2018
A family affair in sleuthing
In this book Odelia’s niece comes to visit and discovers a dead body. The story centers around finding two of Odelia’s mother’s friends who go missing around the time that her niece finds the dead body. Once again Odelia and her mother cannot help themselves and once again get involved with trying to solve the murder. This is another page turner.
In this book Odelia’s niece comes to visit and discovers a dead body. The story centers around finding two of Odelia’s mother’s friends who go missing around the time that her niece finds the dead body. Once again Odelia and her mother cannot help themselves and once again get involved with trying to solve the murder. This is another page turner.
October 6, 2018
Jaffarian never fails to deliver. This book like the others in the series have interesting characters with interesting relationships. All are believable characters. Jaffarian has a knack for weaving a tale, drawing you in and providing humor along the way. Love this Odelia Grey series!
June 7, 2017
The grandmother was hilarious in the book. She was my favorite character.
August 9, 2017
I love this series I just wish the books were longer.
November 19, 2017
Another entertaining Odelia Gray Mystery. I love the settings in Orange County because I am very familiar with the arera.
November 26, 2017
Another great adventure!
January 20, 2018
Great as usual
Always a great story when reading about Odelia and her adventures. My absolute favorite series to read. Time to read the next one!
Always a great story when reading about Odelia and her adventures. My absolute favorite series to read. Time to read the next one!
May 25, 2018
I love these books! I think anything Jafferian writes is worth the read!
July 14, 2018
Excellent series. This one is a winner!
I always enjoy these characters. They feel like family. I would definitely recommend this book. Sue Ann has done it again.
I always enjoy these characters. They feel like family. I would definitely recommend this book. Sue Ann has done it again.
September 5, 2018
I enjoyed this book but thought was a little talky at times.
Want to read
April 18, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
July 4, 2022
Wonderful writing. Love the characters. What disturbs me is the nastiness and violence.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews