The Curse of the Holy Pail

An Odelia Grey Mystery #2

by Sue Ann Jaffarian

Is the "Holy Pail" cursed? Every owner of the vintage Chappy Wheeler lunchbox-a prototype based on the 1940s TV western-has died. And now Sterling Price, business tycoon and a client of Odelia Grey's law firm, has been fatally poisoned. Is it a coincidence that Price's one-of-a-kind lunch pail-worth over thirty grand-has disappeared at the same time?

Treading cautiously since a recent run-in with a bullet, Odelia takes small bites of this juicy, calorie-free mystery-and is soon ravenous for more! Her research reveals a sixty-year-old unsolved murder and Price's gold-digging ex-fiancee with two married men wrapped around her breasts . . . uh, finger. Mix in a surprise marriage proposal that sends an uncertain Odelia into chocolate sedation, and you've got an unruly recipe for delicious disaster.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, Cozy, Crime, Murder Mystery

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2003

About the author

Sue 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.

Reviews

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paralegal Odelia Grey is stunned when one of her firm's clients dies hours after Odelia visits him on business. She quickly learns that the crown jewel of his antique lunch box collection is missing. Was that the motive for the murder or is something else happening? I loved the book. The characters were real and the plot kept me guessing from one page to the next. The ending was also emotionally satisfying.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Julie P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes when you get a free Kindle book, you may find an undiscovered gem of a book. Not always, but The Curse of the Holy Pail is one of those books where you understand and then buy into Amazon's marketing scheme. In other word, have they tempted me to buy more Odelia Grey mysteries? Could be. The writing was very good, the plot was well thought out, the action was well-paced, and the heroine is actually quite likable without being too kitschy cute.

[Torimac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one much better than book one. I also liked the ambiguity in the ending... it gives me something to look forward to reading next

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Odelia's shenanigans nearly get herself and Steele killed!
The conclusion illustrates the fact that you really can't reason with the mentally ill.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odelia does it again!, November 25, 2011
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: The Curse of the Holy Pail (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)
I don't know where Sue Ann Jaffarian gets her ideas but they are great and she is #1 author. In this mystery a lunch pail is the center of the story...go figure! Off the wall crazy but Jaffarian or should I say Odelia pulls it off.
The characters from the first book in this series continue and relationships evolve. Odelia grows in more ways than just her size. Her pain in the butt boss, Steele, has a complete turn around in his personality towards the last few chapters, which I definitely wasn't expecting.
There isn't a moment when some new twist appears and characters reveal their true selves. The ending was non-stop chaos with Steele and Odelia working together as well as adding two unsavory characters who join in with the good guys. Totally unexpected...that's what I love about Odelia and appreciate about Jaffarian's writing.
Lastly, the cliff hanger of an ending. Yes, I do mean Greg re-enters the picture. But does he re-enter Odelia's life? And so I await Jaffarian's next move in the Odelia series.
A definite thumbs up.

[GREGORY · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 2nd "Odelia Grey Mystery" that I have read and have come away with the opinion that it's not bad, but nothing to go on about. I wish Greg had been in the story more like the 1st book. The only part of the book that I didn't like were pages 162-169, the dinner with her father, step-mother, and step-brother. Don't understand why she even went there. Don't understand why she went in the house after talking to JJ. Don't understand why she didn't get up from the table and leave. And really don't understand why her father didn't say anything to Gigi and JJ.....like shut the hell up and leave Odelia alone. I know he's old, but still it's his beloved daughter and he just pats her leg not to say anything. Didn't like those 7 pages. I'm sure though I will read more of this series.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had all the elements of the cozy type mystery that I usually enjoy - slightly overweight heroine who can't stay away from trouble, wonderfully supportive boyfriend and best friend, pets, and murders that are not graphic. I expected and really wanted to like it. Somehow it fell short. Some of the plot elements were a bit far fetched and I found that the choice's made by the heroine annoyed rather than amused me. I was hoping to have found a new series to enjoy, but this will not be the one.

[liirogue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was #2 in a series until after I'd started, but it works fine as a stand-alone novel. Well-written and fast paced. I really enjoyed the quirky main character and her escapades. But I don't know how much I would like the series. Part of what appealed to me was the "ordinariness" of the main character. Solving multiple murders if you aren't on the police force is hardly ordinary!

I also got a weird feeling about the relationship with the boyfriend - I foresee him getting dumped for the recently-widowed cop in a future installment.

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse of the Holy Pail by Sue Ann Jaffarian is the second book in the Odelia Grey Mystery series. Paralegal Odelia Grey becomes involved in a murder investigation when one of her clients is murdered just after her visit. He had shown her his lunchbox collection, the prize piece being the holy pail, a rare lunchbox featuring cowboy star, Chappy Wheeler which goes missing after the murder. Another fun book in the series with plenty of happenings and twists. An interesting mystery with plenty of strange, crazy characters to keep us entertained.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Just OK". I had a really hard time getting into this book, but kept reading because I wanted to see how it ended. I was really disappointed! Near the end it all of a sudden takes some really sharp turns and ends in the weirdest way, with a lot of unresolved issues still hanging. It wasn't a horrible book and I would try another by this author before giving up completely, but this one just didn't work for me.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care for this one as much as the first one. The plot, in which Odelia investigates the murder of a client she barely knew, just didn't seem feasible to me. I didn't get drawn into the book and barely skimmed the last half just to get it over with. I'll put it down to sophomore slump, as I am interested in reading the next book in the series and hopefully it'll pick up a bit.

[Rusty · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second in the Odelia Grey cozy mystery. The tale opens with Odelia working with an important client who shows her his lunchbox collection. The prize in the collection is call the Holy Pail which is supposedly cursed. One of a kind, research shows that each owner has died. And, when Sterling Price dies of a heart attack she begins to believe that the curse may be true. Upon close examination it is discovered that he was poisoned by ground oleander leaves placed in his coffee grounds. Who would wanted to kill such a good man? Are his son or daughter involved? Perhaps. Odelia discovers that the family has deep disagreements about the company. Or, has a collector killed Price for the lunchbox which is now missing. Ophelia and the police have many suspects including a man who once owned the lunchbox and faked his death and a woman who was Price's fiance. The read is a quick entertaining one.

[Laura Edwards · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read. The mystery was complex enough that it had me guessing throughout. I do think that Odelia acted a little dense in this one. Why wouldn't she give information to the police, especially since she is friends with the lead detective? I find it hard to believe she would keep them in the dark and wander into danger on her own.

As much as I like Greg, I still think she and Detective Devin Frye would make a better pair. Not sure why. I thought for a brief moment near the end that it might come about. And I don't see how it can happen. What would the author do with Greg's character to give him the happy ending he deserves? Poor Detective Frye. I think he's constantly looking at Odelia and thinking "If only..." Not that she sees it. Hmm, maybe she is dense, after all.

[Valerie HappiestWhileReading · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the second book in the series, we become better acquainted with the main characters. Odelia Grey is a plus-sized paralegal with a successful career, happy personal life, and many friends. The mystery includes a death (of course) involving collecting antique lunch boxes and a fictional 1950s Western TV show. There are so many suspects in this story, I should have drawn a chart, and when everything was revealed, I'm still not sure I understand all the details. Throughout the book, Odelia wrestles with a big question in her personal life; at the end, she makes a decision, but readers are led to believe it may not be a final answer.

[Cozy Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great fun ! You will love Odealia in this next in series as she makes you laugh out loud and gasp with her fearless investigative abilities . Every reader can relate to her as she conveys so perfectly her endless escapes with humor and bravado. This is a perfect cozy read with all the right elements. Odelia is a smart, funny, brave protagonist. This is one of the best mysteries I have ever read. The sleuth was a perfect mix of suspects, danger and was enjoyable to the last page.

[Khanson919 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun mystery, with a very unique plot. Probably my favorite thing about this book was I did not figure out who the murderer was before they told me. I enjoy being surprised by the ending. Also, this book had some plot twists and turns for Odelia Grey that were surprising, but did not seem out of character for her. This is the second book in the series and I will definitely be reading the next ones.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Curse of the Holy Pail is a great mind vacation sort of book. It’s kind of silly, lots of fun, and had a little bump (not quite a twist) at the end that I did not see coming. I enjoyed reading it very much. It’s the second book in The Odelia Gray Mysteries series and while I have not read the first book that did not matter at all. Odelia is a big woman who is very secure in taking up space in the world. I recommend this book to adults who enjoy cozy mysteries.

[Clarissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling. Not being able to guess the prime suspect had me going. I enjoy writers like Sue, keep you guessing until the end. Despite what others say about having a recurring theme. Having new mysteries to solve while juggling your life can come as close to reality. Many of us deal with body issues, love, and family. We may not be solving murders or missing person but we solving the biggest known questions to the universe " who are we and what are doing here". Escape to Odelia world

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the way Odelia can think outside the box and take random facts and fit them together to solve the mysteries. She sure gets herself into some scary situations and takes some really hard knocks. The story revolves around a collectible lunch box and what people will do to get it but at the same time it's really about greed and selfishness - big time!!

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh how I've missed Ms. Odelia Grey. I read the first novel in this series as an ARC when I was much younger and loved it. This book had the same feeling for me and more. I lived the drama, the twists, the intermingling of personal and mysterious. I can't wait to pick up the next one and find out what trouble she gets up to next!

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was a bit trickier for Odelia to solve ... too many suspects! I still like Odelia but I don't like some of the choices she made while investigating this as well as in her personal life. Not going to give up on her yet since there are quite a few books in this series. She has moxie and a big heart but needs to not be afraid to trust it and herself.

[Gwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stereotypical cast of characters

A cozy mystery with humor but a little too much melodrama for me. So many people were involved, yet who the murderer was, seemed obvious early on. Some parts were realistic, keeping true to character and time, others not so much.

[Catherine Woodman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a someone cozy, somewhat slap stick murder mystery with a paralegal middle aged woman as the detective want to be. That said, I kind of enjoyed it and will read the other one I got out of the library at the same time.

[Patty Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I enjoy the main character and the idea of the plot , but I found the lengths it took to get there had too many characters and side situations that made it very drawn out and tiresome. It just wasn't so cute any longer .

[Alison (Lady Coffin) S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute series, I look forward to reading book 3

[Lora Cimino · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know an author has done her job when she makes you feel.

[Susan Banner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Odelia continues to amuse!

[Millie Dearden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a fun hard to put down series!

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her books.

[Josefa Wann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read almost all the books about Odelia. They are fun, interesting, and since I live in the area, they are somewhat familiar, as if she could be a neighbor.