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10th out of 102 books
—
55 voters
Too Big to Miss (An Odelia Grey Mystery #1)
by
Sue Ann Jaffarian (Goodreads Author)
Too big to miss--that's Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she's not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there''s her knack for being in close proximit...more
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
February 8th 2006
by Midnight Ink
(first published January 1st 2001)
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I was at a BBW Bash, and happened to meet the author. In fact, after I bought a copy of her book and had her sign it for me, I won another during a lecture she was giving. Luckily for me, the copy that was later stolen was NOT the signed one!
I haven't gotten to read her other books yet, but they are on my list of books to get soon!
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Since I wrote this review in 2007, I've read each "Odelia" and "Granny Apples" books as they came out. I still love them, and wi...more
I haven't gotten to read her other books yet, but they are on my list of books to get soon!
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Since I wrote this review in 2007, I've read each "Odelia" and "Granny Apples" books as they came out. I still love them, and wi...more
Oh yes, Odelia Grey is large--like 5'1" and 215 pounds. She is also middle aged and the way she looks at it, if you don't like it, you can kiss her big you-know-what. Odelia is comfortable in her own skin, however, she would like to be able to stand up for herself more. In her professional life, Odelia is a corporate paralegal who is highly regarded within her law firm--which leads to her being assigned to an attorney she can't stand. She also has relationship issues, a family that is beyond dys...more
A gifted author-Bravo, October 9, 2011
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: Too Big to Miss (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)
I've previously read 2 of Jaffarians other series and loved them. This was my first book in her Ophelia Grey series and Jaffarian does it again. This author included all the characters most writers wouldn't dare to include. Thank-you Sue Ann for your consideration of all of us.
This story opened up more of each character with each passing page. I became one of t...more
By Ellen Rappaport
This review is from: Too Big to Miss (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) (Paperback)
I've previously read 2 of Jaffarians other series and loved them. This was my first book in her Ophelia Grey series and Jaffarian does it again. This author included all the characters most writers wouldn't dare to include. Thank-you Sue Ann for your consideration of all of us.
This story opened up more of each character with each passing page. I became one of t...more
Jun 27, 2011
Marfita
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fat, middle-aged paralegals
Shelves:
mysteries
Disclaimer: I'm fat, middle-aged, and a former paralegal.
I devoured this in one day. Most of the ickier bits (the death is a gritty one that's revisited through retrieved screen captures) I skimmed over. Jaffarian has created some interesting characters, many of them plus-sized which is nice to see. The mystery was a good one and there is a spot of romance, where Jaffarian falls into the fatal blunder of making the sex "the best [Odelia] ever had." Writing like that makes me want to bang my hea...more
I devoured this in one day. Most of the ickier bits (the death is a gritty one that's revisited through retrieved screen captures) I skimmed over. Jaffarian has created some interesting characters, many of them plus-sized which is nice to see. The mystery was a good one and there is a spot of romance, where Jaffarian falls into the fatal blunder of making the sex "the best [Odelia] ever had." Writing like that makes me want to bang my hea...more
Synopsis (from BN.com):
Too big to miss–that’s Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she’s not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there”s her knack for being in close proximity to dead people . . . .
When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-ca...more
Too big to miss–that’s Odelia Grey. A never-married, middle-aged, plus-sized woman who makes no excuses for her weight, she’s not super woman just a mere mortal standing on the precipice of menopause, trying to cruise in an ill-fitting bra. She struggles with her relationships, her crazy family, and her crazier boss. And then there”s her knack for being in close proximity to dead people . . . .
When her close friend Sophie London commits suicide in front of an online web-ca...more
3 1/2 stars
Odelia Grey is not your skinny, mid-life aged (possibly divorced or some similar crisis) lady with two and a half kids, a dog and a mortgage to juggle, but someone with whom I actually can relate to a point, including size (she's a large/overweight person), her type of job is somewhat similar to mine and she has a cat. Her family, however, leaves a lot to be desired and I hope one of these days she gets the steel in her back to tell her step-mother off. She's also one of those who doe...more
Odelia Grey is not your skinny, mid-life aged (possibly divorced or some similar crisis) lady with two and a half kids, a dog and a mortgage to juggle, but someone with whom I actually can relate to a point, including size (she's a large/overweight person), her type of job is somewhat similar to mine and she has a cat. Her family, however, leaves a lot to be desired and I hope one of these days she gets the steel in her back to tell her step-mother off. She's also one of those who doe...more
This series is new to me, but after reading two pretty intense books, I was ready for something else! Odelia Gray is a paralegal in southern California, who is also a member of a local group that works to end discrimination against heavy/overweight people. She has a life she enjoys, friends, and a job that she likes, in spite of the fact that it turns out that her boss is retiring, and one of the attorneys she doesn't like is going to be her new boss.
Odelia's world is rocked when her friend Soph...more
Odelia's world is rocked when her friend Soph...more
First Line: My weekend was D.O.A. ... dead on arrival.
Odelia Grey is a middle-aged, never married, plus-sized paralegal who has a boss from hell and a family that-- if she had the choice between being beaten up or going to visit her relatives, she just might choose the beating. She's a much-valued employee, and she makes no excuses for her weight, her age, or her lack of husband and children. But she could stand up for herself a little more. In order to do that, she's always looked to her friend...more
Odelia Grey is a middle-aged, never married, plus-sized paralegal who has a boss from hell and a family that-- if she had the choice between being beaten up or going to visit her relatives, she just might choose the beating. She's a much-valued employee, and she makes no excuses for her weight, her age, or her lack of husband and children. But she could stand up for herself a little more. In order to do that, she's always looked to her friend...more
Ever since I read two of the later books in this series I've been eager to find earlier titles. This is book #1. In it we meet Odelia Grey, a 40 something single paralegal who is a plus-sized sassy woman. In this first story Odelia gets involved in the whys of the suicide of her good friend, Sophie London, a large beautiful woman who is the advocate for overweight women everywhere. But something doesn't seem right that confident Sophie would kill herself, even though she did so on camera in fron...more
This first in the series featuring plus size paralegal Odelia Grey delved into the on-line sex trade while still having the feeling of a cozy about it. The mystery is solid, though as with any cozy, there are stretches of suspension of disbelief. But it’s Odelia herself who will take me back to more of this series. She’s fun, she’s sexy, she has a life, she’s plus size, and although she’s aware of the world’s perceptions of her (“Weight was the last acceptable prejudice. It was still politically...more
Odelia Grey, I think I love you. No, really, I do.
"Too Big To Miss" by Sue Ann Jaffarian is wonderful. The story introduces us to Odelia Grey, an overweight, middle-aged paralegal who makes you laugh with her sharp tongue, and her infectious humor. She pokes fun at her weight in a way that I'd be willing to bet most women can relate. When she finds out her very confident, beautiful, and overweight friend, Sophie, commits suicide online via webcam, she finds it nearly impossible to believe.
One of...more
"Too Big To Miss" by Sue Ann Jaffarian is wonderful. The story introduces us to Odelia Grey, an overweight, middle-aged paralegal who makes you laugh with her sharp tongue, and her infectious humor. She pokes fun at her weight in a way that I'd be willing to bet most women can relate. When she finds out her very confident, beautiful, and overweight friend, Sophie, commits suicide online via webcam, she finds it nearly impossible to believe.
One of...more
I must say that I really enjoyed this book. I mean I felt like the author really created a book that demonstrates what many plus sized women ecperience on a daily basis. The only reason that I did not give this book five stars was the fact that I felt that the lead character Odelia and even part of Sophie's character seem to project or give the impression that most women who are larger than most are dying for affection from any man that comes their way. I found this to be a tad disturbing becaus...more
Looking forward to more mysteries with Odelia, Zee, and Seamus. Wondering how long Seamus will remain green, if he and Wainwright ever call a truce, and if all of my fave characters will return in the next installment. Fortunately, my mom bought the whole set! At least one of the other reviewers had a problem with how rude some characters in the book were. While I had a problem with their behavior too, I am sad to say that the level of rudeness does really happen, is often based on appearance (a...more
A fun read. There are places where the belief had to be suspended pretty high but, all in all, I enjoyed it. The unfolding of the life of the victim was so well-handled and adroitly paced. It was the linchpin of the book and made everything Jaffarian achieved with it possible. Sophie (the woman who is dead from the very beginning of the book) was a very complex character and well worth the unraveling. Her background was full of surprises, even to those close friends who are trying to figure out...more
This book was a free kindle download and I had never heard of it, so I didn't come into it with any particular expectations. But I like mysteries, so why not?
I was quite pleasantly surprised - this was a fun read. I liked the characters, I thought the plot was interesting, and the whole background - the relationship of overweight women to society - was so true!
Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between the amateur detectives and the police. The primary police officer on the case was sm...more
I was quite pleasantly surprised - this was a fun read. I liked the characters, I thought the plot was interesting, and the whole background - the relationship of overweight women to society - was so true!
Another thing I enjoyed was the relationship between the amateur detectives and the police. The primary police officer on the case was sm...more
I liked this book because I liked odelia. She is a kind caring person, & Im glad she met greg. Seems like they both need someone to share their lives with. And the mystery was good, enough digging around to keep me interested-plus the end was a total surprise. The only problem I had was the situation with her dad. She should of ignored the in-laws & talked to him and spent time with him. Took him to another room, for a ride-anything-instead of just leaving with her dad laying there with...more
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!! I had no idea what kind of book I was going to read when I started this humdingah!
Best of all, I loved Odelia's moxie, once she found it. Bless her, she's a big girl like me, plenty to love, but has to work on her 'go get 'em 'tude. Thankfully, she has her plus size bud, Sophie. Sophie has helped many other zaftig women in the area with her support group and morning walking group. Sophie is larger than life in more than dress size. So when she commits suicide, Odelia kn...more
Best of all, I loved Odelia's moxie, once she found it. Bless her, she's a big girl like me, plenty to love, but has to work on her 'go get 'em 'tude. Thankfully, she has her plus size bud, Sophie. Sophie has helped many other zaftig women in the area with her support group and morning walking group. Sophie is larger than life in more than dress size. So when she commits suicide, Odelia kn...more
Too big or not, for me, this was a miss.
Plus-size Ophelia Grey learns that her friend committed suicide live on the web with tons of witnesses. Ophelia then finds out that her friend led quite the double life - championning the rights of the overweight by day and running a live sex website by night. Despite the apparent open and shut aspect of the suicide, Ophelia doesn't buy it. As she investigates her friend's increasingly complicated double life, she finds that her hunch is on target and she...more
Plus-size Ophelia Grey learns that her friend committed suicide live on the web with tons of witnesses. Ophelia then finds out that her friend led quite the double life - championning the rights of the overweight by day and running a live sex website by night. Despite the apparent open and shut aspect of the suicide, Ophelia doesn't buy it. As she investigates her friend's increasingly complicated double life, she finds that her hunch is on target and she...more
This was an awesome, quick read that I breezed through in one day. At just 231 pages, the pages flew by. I was hooked from the first paragraph and found this book hard to put down. It was a nice mystery that I enjoyed because there was really no foul language and no graphic depictions of sex (despite one of the characters owning and being the star of an adult website. Sometimes it IS nice to read a book without all that stuff in it.) I also really liked the main character, Odelia Grey. I will be...more
I came across this series quite by accident when I decided to visit the Midnight Ink website after reading Terri Thayer's first Dewey Pellicano Quilter's mystery. The company puts out a lot of great sounding mysteries! This is the first Odelia Gray mystery and it was a really good first outing. Odelia is a "plus-sized" forty-something paralegal in southern California. It looks like her friend Sophie has just committed suicide, but there are a lot of unanswered questions, and all kinds of things...more
I heard this book recommended on a WGBH TV program. It was delightful summer read. Not too dark or complex like "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's nest." The main character, Odelia, is an overweight paralegal who was named as executrix of her friend's estate. The friend committed suicide, or did she? In the course of solving the mystery, through Odelia the book increases awareness of day to day life of heavier women.
This is the first in a series of what is right now 6 books. I got the 1st two free for my Kindle. My first book by Sue Ann Jaffarian was her Granny Apples series. While I didn't like this book as much as that, I still liked it. Odelia reminded me a little of myself. Both a bit overweight and slightly defensive because of it. It has a good mystery and the love interest is not what you usually get in a book.
i'd classify this as a quickie mystery, even tho its a 'bigger' book.
the cover said it was 'laugh out loud' i didnt find myself laughing in it. i was looking fwd to a fat steph plum sort of book and this wasnt it. HOWEVER, that said it wasnt a bad read. i could totally relate to some of the 'fat' comments and her eating habits!(GS thin mint cookies). i also had the culprit figured out about half way thru the book.
i wouldnt recommend running out to buy this book but if you happen upon it its not...more
the cover said it was 'laugh out loud' i didnt find myself laughing in it. i was looking fwd to a fat steph plum sort of book and this wasnt it. HOWEVER, that said it wasnt a bad read. i could totally relate to some of the 'fat' comments and her eating habits!(GS thin mint cookies). i also had the culprit figured out about half way thru the book.
i wouldnt recommend running out to buy this book but if you happen upon it its not...more
Odelia Gray has a pretty normal life as a single plus-size paralegal with a crazy family & a good group of friends, so she's blown away when a dear friend who started a support group for plus-sized women & is a kind, generous soul, apparently commits suicide. Her feeling that this was completely out of character leads her to look into things, where she discovers that she really didn't know much about Sophie London's life at all. The characters in this first entry in a series are very wel...more
Entertaining read. Read the books out of order and it may have increased my liking this book. I like our intrepid protagonist - Odelia is plus-sized paralegal who stumbles upon a suicide that turns into a murder. Some of the outside plot details are a little outrageous. I like the sweet love story, the friendship, and the description. Our author is a fan of the details. Not bogging you down details but little throw aways that make the read enjoyable.
Not the tightest of tales but entertaining.
Not the tightest of tales but entertaining.
I enjoyed this murder mystery. Odelia Grey is a great character. I loved that she is plus sized. I felt that Sue Ann Jaffarian had the insecurities of a plus size woman down pat. Even though I figured out who down it halfway into the book; I still was not sure until the end. There are alot of suspects that I was left wondering to the end. I loved this positive role model for women of any size and of any age. I have the next book in this series on order at the libray and I can't wait to get.
Her friend dies and she discovers that her friend had a sordid secret. She had a son with a man who used women as his own personal chattel and was not adverse to getting them to kill for him or have sex with his clients or even selling them into slavery. She finds all this out and along the way discovers that her friend was murdered by someone they thought was her friend. She is injured and shot and falls in love. She also makes new friends.
This was my first introduction to Odelia Gray. I admit to being shocked by the subject matter. I enjoyed the portrait painted of Odelia and her co-horts, but I was uncomfortable with the mystery.
By the end of the book (yes, it was well worth reading,) the mystery was tied up strongly and I looked forward to the next book.
By the end of the book (yes, it was well worth reading,) the mystery was tied up strongly and I looked forward to the next book.
It was good... amusing enough but cheesy. I can understand the character and I identify with her, the mistery was such a surprise. I felt the murderer was a little bit unbelievable... and that the climax solved 5 pages later; even though it was enjoyable but I realy hated the romance part... too cliche, too cheesy
Odelia Grey is confident and smart and a great character for a murder mystery. The plot in this book moves steadily toward solving the mystery and Odelia doesn't seem to take any unnecessary risks to crack the case. I had already read and enjoyed the second book in the series and now I'll definitely read more.
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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.
She has also launched a Holidays From Hell short story series for e-readers only.
Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian is a middle-aged, plus-sized paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles and writes mysteries and general fiction, as we...more
More about Sue Ann Jaffarian...
She has also launched a Holidays From Hell short story series for e-readers only.
Like the character Odelia Grey, Sue Ann Jaffarian is a middle-aged, plus-sized paralegal. She lives in Los Angeles and writes mysteries and general fiction, as we...more
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