Book 106, 2020
Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse by Peggy Webb
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It was a bit of a slog, but I finished reading Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse by Peggy Webb today. It's the fifth book in the "Southern Cousins" mystery series. Story is told in alternating, first-person pov by both Carolina "Callie" Valentine-Jones and her basset hound, Elvis. The dog actually is Elvis, reincarnated. While I didn't have any trouble jumping into the midst of a series, I did get the sense that I was missing some context, and I think I would have enjoyed some characters more, had I been following along from the first book. Not the author's fault; just putting it out there.
It's the holidays in Tupelo, Mississippi, but no one is in the Christmas mood. Callie's not-quite-ex husband, Jack, is currently ensconced in her home, thanks to a badly broken leg. Elvis is plotting revenge on the Lhasa Apso that's been sniffing around his ladylove, and someone has been stealing Christmas decorations. Making matters worse, the man playing Rudolph at Santa's court in the mall gets electrocuted, and Callie's Uncle Charlie, who'd stepped in to play Santa, is injured in the same incident. It seems a tragic accident until another Santa gets electrocuted.
With Jack out of commission, Callie and her larger-than-life cousin, Lovie, take it upon themselves to find out who's holding a grudge against the holidays. Elvis does not approve, nor does Callie's mother, Ruby Nell. And, if Jack and Uncle Charlie (both "company" men) find out, the jig will be up.
The story was lighthearted and funny. Callie and Lovie manage to get themselves into the most ridiculous predicaments as they try to snoop and sleuth their way to clues. Each of them is having man trouble: Callie has been dating Luke "Champ" Champion while trying to keep Jack at arm's length, and Lovie is angry at her (ex) boyfriend, Rocky. If Elvis has his way, Callie and Jack will kiss and make up, and he's not the only one trying to push them back together. Characters were done well; I especially liked Fayrene--she was a hoot! Pacing was good, but we rarely saw Callie at work (her salon); it seemed the investigation consumed her time and attention. I also gotta say, I wasn't on board with Elvis the dog being the real Elvis. I'm okay with sentient pets and pets that are people reincarnated, but not so much with one being the reincarnation of an actual celebrity.
Favorite lines:
♦ "If poor Jack catches ammonia while you're gone, we'll call an avalanche."
♦ "It's a good night for skullduggery."
A good story, overall, in spite of my misgivings about Elvis and everyone trying to throw Callie and Jack back together. Four stars.