Fear of Frying (Jane Jeffry Mysteries, No. 9)

In Fear of Frying neighbors Jane Jeffry and Shelly Nowack set off for some relaxation in the Wisconsin woods while scouting summer camp sites for suburban high-school students. Jane isn't exactly thrilled at the idea: any form of camping is an anathema at the best of times, and in damp midwinter it seems especially grim. Matters do not improve when this pair of amateur detectives discover one of their fellow campers smacked with a frying pan--seemingly with fatal consequences. But they suspect their own eyes (and everyone else suspects their sanity) when the body disappears along with any evidence of foul play. To make matters worse (or better) a surprisingly healthy victim resurfaces. With a mix of resentment at not being believed and amazement at the turn of events, the would-be campers are determined to discover what is really going on at their apparently secure haven in the wilderness.

Jill Churchill is a pen name for historical novelist Janice Young Brooks. Fear of Frying is the ninth in her Jane Jeffry series; the first, Grime and Punishment, won both the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel. Fear of Frying is one of the stronger in the series--the fringe characters strike just the right note between parody and believability--and Jane and Shelly investigate matters more convincingly by relying on their memories and knowledge rather than by asking brash questions. The brightness and charm remain consistent: these suburban moms love children and dogs, a good gossip and decadent food--although not necessarily in that order. A lighthearted installment in a pleasantly lighthearted series. --K. Crouch