From Library Journal
A pair of delightful and witty sisters, both in their sixties, captivate the natives?and nearly everyone else?when they go sleuthing in Florida. Wealthy "big" sister Mary Alice (6', 250 lbs.) invites "little" sister (5'1", 105 lbs.) and two others to share her condo and enjoy the beach, but their discovery of a mangled body interrupts the fun. The body belongs to Mary Alice's neighbor, a woman whose recent foray into real estate development may have led to disaster. Enjoyable characters and light humor compensate for a plot that's hardly unique?and Florida still has a singular attraction. The first of this series (Murder on a Girl's Night Out, LJ 2/1/96) to hit hardcover.Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Kirkus Reviews
Not too many waves, though--just enough to put a dent in the vacation that retired schoolteacher Patricia Anne Hollowell and her much-married sister, Mary Alice Crane, have planned with their friend Frances Zata and Patricia Anne's daughter Haley. Mary Alice (she's Sister, the hefty one with the dyed hair and the brassy laugh) owns a condo in the almost-fashionable Florida fishing village of Destin that seems to offer her and Patricia Anne (she's Mouse, the petite one) a respite from the dreary round of kudzu, barbecue, and Piggly Wigglys back home in Alabama. So the ladies pile into their car and arrive at Destin, land of Gulf sunsets and land fraud, just in time to admire resident manager Millicent Weatherby's new makeover before she gets killed. The obvious suspect is Millicent's incorrigibly flirtatious husband Fairchild, but a little nosing around--well, enough nosing around to uncover a second body--suggests that Millicent's surprisingly extensive holdings in the Blue Bay Ranch development made her vulnerable to a wide array of miscreants. Even so, the emphasis in the sisters' hardcover debut--they're veterans of three paperbacks--is on their domestic fun (with no men around, they take breaks from driving whenever they like, and Mouse gets her own hair disastrously dyed); the mystery carries about as much weight as a nice bit of gossip at a family reunion. A regional aimed at Joan Hess's fans, though considerably gentler in its bite. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.


Book Description
Those hilarious southern sisters, who prove that sibling rivalry never ends, are heading for a vacation at the beach. Mary Alice's flamboyant behavior aside, serious, sensible Patricia Anne looks forward to relaxing at her sister's beachfront condo in Destin, Florida, so she kisses her ever-loving spouse Fred god-bye, reminds him to water the plants and feed the dog, and the girls head south for some fin in the sun. Mary Alice loses no time in making the acquaintance of just about everyone in sight, so watching the sun go down on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Mexico is a welcome respite as far as Patricia Anne is concerned. . .until a dead body washes up in the waves and the victim turns out to be one of Mary Alice's newfound friends. With no witnesses t the crime except a few great blue herons, the sisters have no choice but to bypass the clueless police and follow their own instinct to find the killer. Before long they_re on a murky trail of dirty real-estate deals, giant turtle habitats, and a sea of evidence pointing to a mammoth motive for murderer.


About the Author
Anne George (c.____ - 2001) was the Agatha Award-winning author of the Southern Sisters mystery series which culminate in Murder Boogies with Elvis, publishing in August 2001. Like Patricia Anne, she was a happily married former school teacher living in Birmingham, Alabama. Ms. George was also a former Alabama State Poet and a regular contributor to literary publications. During her lifetime she was nominated for several awards, including the Pulitzer. Being a true lady of the Old South, her date of birth will forever be a mystery.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Birmingham, Alabama, is a great place to call home, but even practical-minded Patricia Anne is feeling a need to get out of her rut and - sibling rivalry aside - a vacation with Mary Alice in her luxury beachfront condo in Destin, Florida, sounds like heaven. Their friend Frances and Patricia Anne's widowed daughter Haley jump at the chance to join them, so Patricia Anne kisses her ever-loving spouse Fred good-bye, with instructions for watering the plants and feeding the dog, and the girls pack up the car and head south for some fun in the sun. No one's against a little excitement, least of all Mary Alice, and watching the sun go down on the beautiful shores of the Gulf of Mexico looks pretty tame...until a dead body washes up in the gentle waves. Since Mary Alice has managed to make the acquaintance of just about everyone in sight, the murder victim is no stranger to the sisters and they feel obliged to find the killer. But with no witnesses to the crime except a few great blue herons, the sisters have no choice but to bypass the clueless police and follow their own instincts down a murky trail of dirty real-estate deals, giant sea turtle habitats, and enough big money interests to point to a mammoth motive for murder.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal

A pair of delightful and witty sisters, both in their sixties, captivate the nativesand nearly everyone elsewhen they go sleuthing in Florida. Wealthy "big" sister Mary Alice (6', 250 lbs.) invites "little" sister (5'1", 105 lbs.) and two others to share her condo and enjoy the beach, but their discovery of a mangled body interrupts the fun. The body belongs to Mary Alice's neighbor, a woman whose recent foray into real estate development may have led to disaster. Enjoyable characters and light humor compensate for a plot that's hardly uniqueand Florida still has a singular attraction. The first of this series (Murder on a Girl's Night Out, LJ 2/1/96) to hit hardcover.

Kirkus Reviews

Not too many waves, though—just enough to put a dent in the vacation that retired schoolteacher Patricia Anne Hollowell and her much-married sister, Mary Alice Crane, have planned with their friend Frances Zata and Patricia Anne's daughter Haley. Mary Alice (she's Sister, the hefty one with the dyed hair and the brassy laugh) owns a condo in the almost-fashionable Florida fishing village of Destin that seems to offer her and Patricia Anne (she's Mouse, the petite one) a respite from the dreary round of kudzu, barbecue, and Piggly Wigglys back home in Alabama. So the ladies pile into their car and arrive at Destin, land of Gulf sunsets and land fraud, just in time to admire resident manager Millicent Weatherby's new makeover before she gets killed. The obvious suspect is Millicent's incorrigibly flirtatious husband Fairchild, but a little nosing around—well, enough nosing around to uncover a second body—suggests that Millicent's surprisingly extensive holdings in the Blue Bay Ranch development made her vulnerable to a wide array of miscreants. Even so, the emphasis in the sisters' hardcover debut—they're veterans of three paperbacks—is on their domestic fun (with no men around, they take breaks from driving whenever they like, and Mouse gets her own hair disastrously dyed); the mystery carries about as much weight as a nice bit of gossip at a family reunion.

A regional aimed at Joan Hess's fans, though considerably gentler in its bite.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

Anne Geoge's southern mysteries sparkle with wit, ambience, and the cleverest set of sister-sleuths in history. I love these books. — Carolyn Hart