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A Callie Parrish Mystery #3
Casket Case
When the town's beloved pharmacist is found floating face-down in his hot tub, Callie suspects foul play. But while she feels like her investigation is leading her nowhere, someone else seems to think she knows too much. All signs point to a con game gone dangerously wrong. Now it's up to Callie to catch a killer before she winds up being fitted for her own casket.
272 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 12, 2014
This book was set up to be funny and had unique characters, but the writing was flat and nothing ever was funny, to me at least.
Calamine Lotion Parrish works for Middleton Mortuary. She is the person who puts the make up on the corpses to make them look as good as possible for the loved ones to view before they are buried. Her best friend is a stunning red head who is blind and works as a 900 number sex "conversationalist". Her family, her bosses, her dog, the eccentric taxidermist, the old woman who is in love with a younger man, wears flirty outfits and changes the color tennis balls on her walker to match her outfits... everyone is well drawn, but the story still never came to life for me. You can probably guess how it goes; some one is trying to kill Callie for reasons she doesn't fathom, there are corpses and suspicions and a nice sheriff who has known Callie her whole life. Things work out in the end because Callie, undoubtedly, has more mysteries to solve.
Calamine Lotion Parrish works for Middleton Mortuary. She is the person who puts the make up on the corpses to make them look as good as possible for the loved ones to view before they are buried. Her best friend is a stunning red head who is blind and works as a 900 number sex "conversationalist". Her family, her bosses, her dog, the eccentric taxidermist, the old woman who is in love with a younger man, wears flirty outfits and changes the color tennis balls on her walker to match her outfits... everyone is well drawn, but the story still never came to life for me. You can probably guess how it goes; some one is trying to kill Callie for reasons she doesn't fathom, there are corpses and suspicions and a nice sheriff who has known Callie her whole life. Things work out in the end because Callie, undoubtedly, has more mysteries to solve.
September 29, 2018
Another book in the series. This time the beloved pharmacist is found dead in the hot tub with his much younger brand new wife. A new mystery on their hands especially when another woman is found dead. Jane is a suspect because the woman has been dreadful to her trying to buy her home and using her blindness as a way to pester her. Callie promises she won't investigate but she gets dragged along anyway.
November 9, 2023
Another Callie Parrish mystery which for me was just as enjoyable as the previous two. Like I had mentioned before, Callie and Jane are my favorite character's in this series. This is a simple and enjoyable whodunnit series.
January 18, 2013
A character that we had briefly met in previous books is found dead at the beginning of this book and Callie decides it's up to her to investigate. Jane, her best friend is being evicted as her landlady is marrying a man much younger and decided to sell everything to move to Florida with him. Between investigating murders, Callie takes it upon herself to help Jane and work for the brothers at Middleton Mortuary.
After the first two books I did not think I could dislike Callie less than I did, boy was I wrong. She is selfish, a brat, and completely undeserving of the awesome family she has. I also haven't liked her best friend Jane since book 1 and that hasn't improved at all. Their friendship which plays a huge part in these books does not feel genuine or like a loving, warmhearted friendship. In fact, I pray I never meet anyone like Jane or Callie in real life because they are the exact opposite of what I would look for in a friend.
Callie's love life of course takes front and center as she continues to dupe males with her inflated bra and now even padded underwear. We are introduced to Levi and he is the nicest guy to date that she has been interested in. She gets jealous of him grieving a widow but what else would we expect from the delightful (I hope my sarcasm is as apparent as Callie's southern drawl when she says believe me) main character Callie? The food in the book sounds delicious both by Rizzie and Jane. Jane is an amazing cook even with being blind and I think that sort of positive message in the book is wonderful. Jane might be annoying as a character but the message of being able to do anything you set your mind to even if you are blind is an important and powerful one.
Once again, the mystery is on the back burner (though present a bit more than the first 2 books) and I wouldn't suggest this for anyone look for a tight, good mystery. The author doesn't tell you who did it within the first few pages this book but it is pretty obvious. I am not sure if the inclusion of Dennis Sharpe was meant to amuse the readers or creep us out but I found it poorly done and distasteful. I would suggest anyone who has a serious love of animals and tends to get upset it's mentioned of animals getting hurt steering clear of this book. Mr. Sharpe's business is killing animals so they are 'fresh' as possible and preserving them. It is dark and may offend readers. My least favorite of the 3 books so far.
My thoughts on other books in the Callie Parrish series:
1. A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
2. Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle
3. Casket Case
4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There's a Body in the Car
After the first two books I did not think I could dislike Callie less than I did, boy was I wrong. She is selfish, a brat, and completely undeserving of the awesome family she has. I also haven't liked her best friend Jane since book 1 and that hasn't improved at all. Their friendship which plays a huge part in these books does not feel genuine or like a loving, warmhearted friendship. In fact, I pray I never meet anyone like Jane or Callie in real life because they are the exact opposite of what I would look for in a friend.
Callie's love life of course takes front and center as she continues to dupe males with her inflated bra and now even padded underwear. We are introduced to Levi and he is the nicest guy to date that she has been interested in. She gets jealous of him grieving a widow but what else would we expect from the delightful (I hope my sarcasm is as apparent as Callie's southern drawl when she says believe me) main character Callie? The food in the book sounds delicious both by Rizzie and Jane. Jane is an amazing cook even with being blind and I think that sort of positive message in the book is wonderful. Jane might be annoying as a character but the message of being able to do anything you set your mind to even if you are blind is an important and powerful one.
Once again, the mystery is on the back burner (though present a bit more than the first 2 books) and I wouldn't suggest this for anyone look for a tight, good mystery. The author doesn't tell you who did it within the first few pages this book but it is pretty obvious. I am not sure if the inclusion of Dennis Sharpe was meant to amuse the readers or creep us out but I found it poorly done and distasteful. I would suggest anyone who has a serious love of animals and tends to get upset it's mentioned of animals getting hurt steering clear of this book. Mr. Sharpe's business is killing animals so they are 'fresh' as possible and preserving them. It is dark and may offend readers. My least favorite of the 3 books so far.
My thoughts on other books in the Callie Parrish series:
1. A Tisket, A Tasket, A Fancy Stolen Casket
2. Hey Diddle Diddle, the Corpse and the Fiddle
3. Casket Case
4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, There's a Body in the Car
April 9, 2012
While I enjoyed the characters and the "Mayberryish" setting of this mystery, I felt it suffered from literary multiple-personality disorder. He author tries to blend humor, mystery, and technical mortuary science and, for me, it just didn't blend well. That doesn't mean that the discussion of some of the more macabre technicalities was not interesting. What it means is that the actual mystery suffers a bit by taking second place to the semi-dysfunctional family moving to a more functional attitude. Also, the blind friend, Jane, who works as a telephone fantasy actress, develops a romantic liaison with Callies brother.
The book is still fun, though I never found it funny. The mystery is wrapped up without any real investigating, which was disappointing. I mean to have the killer just pop up and say, "oh yeah I did it... Now you're in trouble!" was a disappointing conclusion. The discussion about body condition that takes place due to an exhumation was very interesting,even creating interest in the heroine that caused her tondo research on the subject, but it had nothing to do with the mystery and thus came across like a classroom lecture on body decomposition.
The author introduces a type of cursing she calls "kindergarten cussin" in which "Dalmation!" is about as strong as it gets. It was fun to read a book that was not full of cursing and profanity and the author finds a fun and interesting method to avoid it and I offer kudos for that.
I will read more of this series, but although I enjoyed this book I expected more focus on actual mystery. The actual mystery was sob far in the backseat that it ended up being far from great.
The book is still fun, though I never found it funny. The mystery is wrapped up without any real investigating, which was disappointing. I mean to have the killer just pop up and say, "oh yeah I did it... Now you're in trouble!" was a disappointing conclusion. The discussion about body condition that takes place due to an exhumation was very interesting,even creating interest in the heroine that caused her tondo research on the subject, but it had nothing to do with the mystery and thus came across like a classroom lecture on body decomposition.
The author introduces a type of cursing she calls "kindergarten cussin" in which "Dalmation!" is about as strong as it gets. It was fun to read a book that was not full of cursing and profanity and the author finds a fun and interesting method to avoid it and I offer kudos for that.
I will read more of this series, but although I enjoyed this book I expected more focus on actual mystery. The actual mystery was sob far in the backseat that it ended up being far from great.
July 6, 2011
This book has our sleuth, Callie moving on with her career, her friend's life, and her wits as a sleuth honing as she works on 'who killed the Pharmacist.'
Ms. Rizer has an ability to draw a character that is believable and incredibly humorous at the same time. Calamine Lotion Parrish, is a very sensible young lady. She only swears in Kindergarten cuss and lives her life by a strict personal code. This, however, does not stop her from wanting more in her life.
Why, can't she do a 'pick up' for the mortuary? Just because she is a girl? Nope, our Callie can and will be more involved in her job. It also helps that she is just a bit curious about causes of death.
This book is a delight. The mysteries are firmly written and make you want to reach out for the next.
Ms. Rizer has an ability to draw a character that is believable and incredibly humorous at the same time. Calamine Lotion Parrish, is a very sensible young lady. She only swears in Kindergarten cuss and lives her life by a strict personal code. This, however, does not stop her from wanting more in her life.
Why, can't she do a 'pick up' for the mortuary? Just because she is a girl? Nope, our Callie can and will be more involved in her job. It also helps that she is just a bit curious about causes of death.
This book is a delight. The mysteries are firmly written and make you want to reach out for the next.
May 8, 2009
Callie Parrish works for the local funeral home, so she's used to bodies, but she is grieved when called upon to collect the retired pharmacist who knew everybody in town, and startled to find his new wife is perhaps fifty years younger than he was. But she's soon absorbed in the problems of her blind friend Jane, who is being evicted from her apartment by the nasty new owner. The old owner, an elderly woman, is off to marry a younger man she met on the Internet. When the new owner is found dead, Jane is a suspect. Then someone tries to run Callie off the road and she narrowly escapes death. Just what's going on in her quiet South Carolina town?
January 10, 2011
I have to wonder what Fran Rizer would think if she knew one of her books had reached as far as the darkest shelves of Czech used bookstores. I found Casket Case hidden in a stack of English books in our neighborhood antikvariat this Saturday, and bought it before I even knew it was set in South Carolina. My lucky find helped make the weekend, and Callie Parrish's mishaps and adventures, not to mention her Southern Belleless nature, kept me reading. Well written and worth the time if you are a mystery reader.
May 30, 2009
The cover promises "a lively sleuth who manages to make funeral homes funny," but I am not chuckling about viewing room A or B. Callie Parrish is a fun character, although the precious conceit that her father named her Calamine Lotion Parrish is an eye-rolling case of bad judgment on the author's part. Neat sidekick in Jane, the blind friend, and neat references to Callie's reading habits. I'd read the other books in the series if I ran across them.
July 23, 2011
Love Jane, Otis and Odell, the Sherrif, The Boys...don't like Callie. "Puh-lease" and "Buh-leive me" were only cute the first time. The next several hundred times were trying too hard. If I knew her in person I wouldn't spend much time around her before that just really started to grate on my nerves. Reading it isn't much better. Sad, because otherwise I liked the books. But I won't be reading any more of them.
April 29, 2016
A bit of a strange cozy mystery, probably right from the moment you realize the main character is called Calamine Lotion Parrish. How can you take a character seriously when she's a treatment for mozzie bites? Haha.
Many parts of this book try to be funny and kind of fail, but it is upbeat and fun even when it falls flat. The characters however are good, and I liked many of them. I see this one was published in 2008, so there should be more in the series to read by now.
Four stars.
Many parts of this book try to be funny and kind of fail, but it is upbeat and fun even when it falls flat. The characters however are good, and I liked many of them. I see this one was published in 2008, so there should be more in the series to read by now.
Four stars.
September 20, 2010
I've read three of Rizer's and this one was just ok. There was a HUGE editting error right at the end. I had heard an interview she did on radio and she didn't seem happy with the publisher for changing the name of the book. She should have been more unhappy with the editing. I liked the other two I read.
September 29, 2012
This was really an entertaining, fun great read! Callie is back in the mortuary teaching us all about funerals (probably more then we might like to learn) with a sense of humor that just makes you laugh out loud! Amazing how she can get into so much trouble not doing anything! A very enjoyable series!
May 1, 2009
This book is the perfect mix of mystery and comedy... so far, I love it! Well, unfornately, the ending was a bit amatuer... No bueno!
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October 5, 2009Read an earlier book in this series, and wasn't crazy about it. This book just confirmed that first impression.
September 24, 2009
A quick read.
November 14, 2009
I hated this. First off, don't read this book if you havea death phobia or are sensitive to cruelty to animals. Secondly, I hate the way the character speaks and this is just to dark for a cozy.
October 24, 2010
Good! More unpredictable than the first two! Looking forward to any more novels to come!
November 3, 2011
This was an excellent mystery in the Callie Parrish series by Fran Rizer.
August 1, 2012
I've enjoyed all 3 books I've read in this series. Now to get the last one. I like the characters and it was a interesting read that I didn't want to put down!
August 20, 2016
Kinda cheesy and had a dime novel feel the way so much unimportant info was given. But I enjoyed reading about the mortuary talk and felt like I was reading my own biography.
October 1, 2013
Funny, lighthearted, cozy.
January 28, 2014
I love mysteries. It's so much fun to try and figure out which character did all the killings. It's a continuous mind changing thing. Love this series!
August 21, 2014
Overall, this is a good book! It kept my attention. There was mystery as well as humor.
November 19, 2014
A ridiculous laugh-out-loud fun book!
February 10, 2015
Typical Southern cozy mystery. Quirky characters. Lots of humor. Quick read.
What else is there to say?
What else is there to say?
June 3, 2015
I just could not see the humor in this book. Her best friend is a real nut and so this book will not be shared with friends.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews