Revenge of the Crafty Corpse

October 15, 2012
When Anastasia Pollack’s curmudgeonly Communist mother-in-law, Lucille, falls under suspicion after someone strangles Lucille’s roommate at the Sunnyside of Westfield Assisted Living and Rehabilitation Center, Anastasia can’t resist the temptation to sleuth in Winston’s entertaining third cozy featuring the New Jersey magazine crafts editor (after 2012’s Death by Killer Mop Doll). As luck would have it, a weekend art therapy vacancy at Sunnyside offers the perfect cover as well as cash that Anastasia, a recent widow, and her two teenage sons sorely need. It also plunges Anastasia into a surprisingly fraught stew of jealousy, greed, and sex to rival the shenanigans at Casa Pollack, particularly those of her own much-married mother. The Sopranos-worthy lineup of eccentric characters and Anastasia’s droll reaction to the gutter balls life rolls her more than make up for the predictable plot. Agent: Denise Dumars, the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency.