Biggie and the Fricasseed Fat Man

Biggie Weatherford #3

by Nancy Bell

Good news! Biggie is back, bringing with her J.R., her ten-year-old grandson, and the rest of the Weatherford household--Rosebud, he of the tall tales, and Willie Mae, the best cook in Texas. Anyone who hasn't met Biggie and J.R. has a treat in store, those who have know what fun is ahead in this account of murderous and hilarious doings in Job's Crossing, told in J.R.'s own words. For starters, the Birdsong brothers have built themselves a chicken restaurant. The grand opening has the whole town out ready to sample "broiled chicken, baked chicken, barbecued chicken, chicken and dumplings, sweet-and-sour chicken, chicken croquettes, fried chicken." But what the citizens aren't ready for is finding three-hundred-pound Firman Birdsong under the restaurant's kitchen table, festooned with white-flour gravy and as dead as one of the hapless birds. Although the timid florist Butch Hickly has been replaced as Job's Crossing's one-man police force by Biggie's cousin Paul and Silas Wooten (yep, that is just one man), Biggie is ready to help. And then crisis strikes the Weatherford household. J.R.'s mother, who had handed him over years before to Biggie to raise, has now authorized his other grandmother to take over the boy's care. This is a real blow. The arrival of the woman and her faux cowboy husband leaves J.R. apprehensive and miserable and Biggie with an even greater problem than the murder to solve. When the first of these delightfully folksy mysteries, Biggie and the Poisoned Politician, was published, it charmed everyone who read it. People magazine made it their Pick of the Week. The Weatherfords and the citizens of Job's Crossing continue to charm, and this addition to the series is a welcome even for us all.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Audiobook

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 15, 1998

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first cozy mystery (unless we count Nancy Drew?) So I'm giving it a baseline 3 star to start. It was funny, although there was a little more filler than I'd like but I would give other books in the series a try!

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are silly books that I am listening to as audio books. Cozies at their worst but I like them anyway.

[Debby]

I love Biggie! This book was one I picked up on a whim at the library book sale. This murder solving petite grandmother and her grandson, JR, are quite the characters. The Texas drawl practically speaks from the pages. I wouldn't read this book hungry, the food descriptions will make you run to the nearest southern eatery. The odd characters of Job's Crossing remind me of any small town where everybody knows everybody. There is a charm here that you don't find elsewhere.
This book isn't a deep dark mystery but it is a heart warming, family comes first, and you accept and love the people around you-no matter how strange they are.
This is my first book by this author but it won't be my last!

[Jackson Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember liking this series more than 20 years ago and recently picked up several of them to reread from the library. They are just what I remembered and I have either completely forgotten or never read this one. I love Biggie and the small town charm of it all. The book being in the perspective of the 12 year old grandson works well. They were written almost 30 years ago and it shows in some of the language that might not be appropriate these days. But it’s minimal and the characters are kindhearted so not in malice. These are cozy reads through and through with a mystery, but nothing too bloody and it all gets solved relatively easy. Looking forward to reading/rereading others in the series. Feels like getting to spend some time with an eccentric aunt.

[Lihsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this as an audio book. The narrator nails all of these East Texas voices and accents, making the books. The stories are entertaining. It is not rocket science but it definitely makes me laugh and I enjoy it during my daily commute.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Um... I guess this book is OK, but I have a few issues about how the characters in this book treat groups of people. I don't think I need to read any more of this series.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery is told through the eyes of a 12-year-old. Super cute with a charming town.

[Elly Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3* Fun !

[Tiffany Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Bell has whipped up some wonderful characters residing in Job's Crossing, Texas. With the story taking place in the holiday season it may be a nice addition to the holiday reading pile.

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story that's fast.

[luna · Rating 3 out of 5]

so much dog violence.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's hard to say exactly why I enjoy this series by Nancy Bell, but I do rather like them. At this point I have listened to the first 5 audiobooks in the "Biggie" series, and I believe the review from Publishers Weekly, as shown on Amazon, gives a good summation without any spoilers: "Bell sticks to a formula . . . low-key humor, Southern eccentricities and lots of saturated fat in the food." The humor has a kind of aw-shucks-Andy-Griffith quality, with quirky phrases and behaviors that are stereotypically small-town east-Texan. The food, mostly that prepared by the household cook, Willie May, is also typical of Southern menus of the 1950-1970 era - lots of food with high carb and fat content, and dessert at every meal. I worry about J.R.'s drinking too many Big Reds with all that high fructose corn syrup, even though I know he's only a fictional character. I've come to really like the 12-year old. As with Murder She Wrote TV episodes, one begins to wonder how many murders can there be in such a small town, and if a 12-year-old would take them so much in stride as the J.R. character does.

I have to congratulate Nancy Bell on her portrayal of the character, Butch. He is the local florist, and a very effeminate man, with the typical exaggerated mannerisms, heavily into decorating and clothing interests, and not afraid to dress outrageously himself. Ms Bell allows this character to be effeminate, without throwing in the "gay" issue, and allows townspeople to not only accept him as he is, but like him very much.

[Mayda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A grand opening of a chicken restaurant is marred when one of the owners is discovered under a table, covered with gravy and a garnish of parsley. Of course, Biggie and her grandson JR are drawn into the investigation. The question of JR’s legal guardianship is disputed when his other grandparents breeze into town and want to take him away from Biggie. This audio version is expertly performed by Jeff Woodman in all its down-home glory and humor. An entertaining and fun cozy.

[Rhonda Gilmour · Rating 3 out of 5]

This cute, fast-moving cozy mystery takes place in East Texas. The author has fun playing with local idioms, which occasionally distract me from the narrative, but mostly add a fun element of local color. The POV character is a twelve-year-old boy who lives with his crime-solving grandmother, Biggie. Like all good cozy mysteries, Bell's collection of characters is is what makes this novel a fun, fast read.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's the third book about the folks in Job's Crossing, TX...but it's the first one that I've read. Words like 'delightful' and 'fresh' and 'lovingly' have been used to describe the townsfolk and Southern charm depicted in this series. Nice mystery series, but a bit too hokey for me. Just not my cup of tea!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little yarn (book group assignment was gumshoe grannies) about Biggie from the viewpoint of her grandson, JR. My favorite part was the language. "Papa could see evil in the crotch of a tree" and "it was cold as a frosted frog inside".

[Amy the book-bat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biggie and the gang are at it again. This time the owner of a chicken farm and restaurant is found murdered and covered in gravy. Biggie is there when the body is found and enlists the help of J.R., Rosebud, and Willie Mae to solve the crime. Oh, and it all takes place just before Christmas.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these easy to listen to books about Biggie, her grandson JB, her cook and husband. They are easy to follow and often times amusing. I would recommend them to anyone wanting a lighthearted series to get into.

[Evonne Edgington · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick and fun reads

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audio versions of this series are especially fun to listen to. I find myself laughing at the characters' lovable quirkiness.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought the book because my children named my mom "Biggie". Cute little mystery but I will not be reading the rest of the series.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick easy read

[Diane Mccormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy the characters so much! And the narrator of the audiobooks is fabulous. I can hardly wait to see how each adventure will unfold.

[Barb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light entertainment. Always some twists but overall a fairly cozy mystery.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the narrator, Jeff Woodman. He really managed a backwoods sound that was perfect. The story was great!

[Rkb 2015 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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