| Title | : | A Corpse Called Bob (An Izzy Palmer Mystery #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 330 |
| Publication | : | Published November 27, 2019 |
Nobody at work liked Bob Thomas, but who hated him enough to finally do him in?
When Izzy Palmer finds her much loathed boss stabbed to death in his office, she’s convinced she’s the only one who can solve the case. Izzy is a crime fiction devotee, a life-long fan of whodunits and she’s determined to find the killer. Okay, the police have zero interest in her help, her best friend is acting super suspicious and she might sort of, possibly be falling for one of the suspects, but she won’t let any of that get in her way. She's almost certainly the detective that South London has been crying out for.
Will a detailed knowledge of every golden-age mystery plot be enough to work out who killed Bob or could Izzy end up as the next victim? A Corpse Called Bob combines all the intrigue of a classic Agatha Christie novel with the wit and warmth of Sophie Kinsella.
Early readers have described the book as, “a hilarious mix of classic detective story and modern murder mystery which keeps you gripped to the very end.”
A Corpse Called Bob (An Izzy Palmer Mystery #1) Reviews
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"Quirky"
There are very few writers who can match Agatha Christie in the murder mystery genre. It's almost impossible to add humour of this style into the mix. As a result, after a promising start I found myself increasingly irritated by Izzy and her failed attempts to make me laugh. One book in this series will be enough for me. -
4 1/2
I loved Izzy right away, then quickly came to love her best friend and her family. This is a fun, funny cozy with a complex plot that moves along at a good pace. This is the second series I've read by this author. I wasn't sure I'd like it as much, but was won over quickly. Now I have more Benedict Brown books to catch up on! -
Evil Murder
Set in East Croydon, England, this humorous murder mystery promises to be a great series. Izzy Palmer is 6'3", an avid Christie buff, works as an assistant data analyst's assistant, and her BF is head of I.T. When the cruel Deputy Director is murdered, and Izzy finds the body, she feels compelled to solve the case. Her family makes it a team sport. -
Perhaps I simply wasn't in the mood but this book went on and on. The murderer wasn't a surprise,
sadly. I don't know if I have the patience to try another one. -
Loved it!
I usually figure out modern mysteries before the middle of the book. Not this one! Read it! You will be glad you did. -
The bucket list
A terrific read. Okay i must admit that i live in the area and it does make it more real. But I have also worked with and for people like Bob. Who had no excuse for their behaviour, at least he knew his fate. The characters are real, so real in fact that you can see them in your minds eye and your emotions are tugged along with their suffering. Plus you probably have come across the bully's "pet" and had to suffer there too. The plot is the murder of an obnoxious bully who has made life hell not only for his staff, senior management but also the customers that he's supposed to be dealing with. Our heroine who lives in her own mind more than she will admit is accused of the murder by some of her colleagues. Secrets, sins and vengeance all come to light as she and her BFF look into the murder. Can they work out who and why?
This was poignant, amusing and a jolly good read. Loved it. -
Cute, quirky and easy read. There are some laughs to be found and well worth the afternoon or so it will take to read. I did take off 1/2 star due to the over use of the phrase " tossed a carrot baton into my mouth" - has to be a dozen ways to say "ate a carrot" but nope - author went with carrot baton each time ( I stopped counting at 4x - who eats that many carrots? I assume calling carrot sticks batons is an english thing.)
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The book starts out kind of slow and I wasn't sure I would finish the book, but then the story really takes off as Izzy and her co-worker Ramesh set out to solve the mystery of who killed Bob. Izzy channels her inner Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot to tickle out a most unexpected ending!
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Fun and funny.
This would be a great beach read, if only I could get to the beach during the pandemic. I'll probably forget much of it before too long, which is what I consider to be a prime asset of beach reads. -
A thoroughly enjoyable tale with a REALLY clever denouement!
When Izzy Palmer enters Bob Thomas’ office and finds him dead with a knife sticking out of his back, she is shocked, but not as shocked as you might expect, because EVERYONE in the office hates the guy. She is also excited, because this is her chance to play Hercule Poirot, a role she take on with real alacrity, down to the grand denouement at the end involving a gathering of all the suspects. And it is a GRAND denouement worthy of Poirot or Miss Marple. I did NOT see it coming, but it all fit after Master Detective Izzy sussed out all the clues.
Izzy narrates the book as well. She is a likable heroine, and the story flows really well. It was a perfect choice for high-quality entertainment, and I am very much looking forward to reading the other books in the series, as well as the free novellas the author offers if you sign up for his mailing list.
In all honesty, though, I have to mention the one flaw that disappointed me and was the reason I did not give the book five stars. As likable as she is, Izzy’s attitude towards possible romantic partners reminded me of a fourteen-year-old, and it becomes annoying. The author is male, and I might recommend he get some advice on writing that aspect of his stories from a female friend. But that will not stop me from reading or recommending this book. -
First person narrative can be tricky if you do not have a well developed character or better yet a multilayered character. Izzy is borderline adolescent in her approach to life, telling the story from her point of view hurts the narrative. If one takes Agatha Christie’s example (she was quoted many times) Hastings narrates the story and show us Poirot at his best. Can you imagine Poirot as the central character narrating his adventures?
It does not help that the characters are almost cartoonish, from Izzy to their parents to Ramesh and Wendy. I thought Izzy was an eccentric 29 year old but almost everyone in her life including her is either eccentric or stuck in an eternal juvenile approach to life.
For some reason Izzy does not react to situations like a woman, from friendships to love, she is like a 13 year old boy or girl.
The story also lacked depth and it repeats itself but the worst part was the revealing, not at all Agatha Christie.
I received a novella that I will read but if the main character and the plot continues to be childlike then I will stop and give up on the series. -
Zany Detective Beware!
Izzy Palmer, who describes herself as plain faced and tall is definitely NOT what you expect when you think - detective. An Agatha Christie devotee who would love to be a detective like one of the detectives in her novels turns out to be a hodgepodge Hercule Marple Pink Panther one instead. A character and a half with a family crazier than a barrel of monkeys, Izzy goes about solving crimes in hilarious ways with assistance of a budding BFF - Ramesh. Regardless, she does correctly identify the culprit. Bob, is a despicable bully who terrorizes everyone at work as the “boss” is found dead in his office by Izzy. Falsely accused by others she works with, Izzy sets to work hunting down the real murderer. And true to most murder mysteries, she gets her man — or is it woman? Guess you’ll just have to read the book to find out! -
Bob, you rascal you!
I had read the Mistletoe Hall book and needed a break from high tension and suspense in other books I'm reading. So, I came back by Benedict.
This book is different from Mistletoe. It took me a while to get into it. I even sneaked to the end early on to get the culprit. But I'm glad I went back through and read the details because they are full of vitality and wit. I came to like Izzy.
Highly recommend this book. I'm going to take a break before the next one. I don't want to get used to the style and disrespect it. But I shall return. -
Keep Reading-The Ending Makes It Worthwhile
Some of the early parts of the story seemed slow and our protagonist, Izzy, takes a long time to become a believable detective. However, the murder mystery is intriguing and the ending is not that obvious.
I forced myself to stay with the story and was rewarded. The characters are well developed- even the murder victim. This is very contemporary with a great display of love for Agatha Christie. -
This novel grabbed me enough to keep turning the pages and abandon one I'd started earlier. It's funny. Izzy is a lot different to the usual slick amateur sleuth. Some of the one liners made me laugh out loud. I enjoyed the very dry wit which brings out the meaning behind certain phrases, especially compliments and makes them hilarious. It has all the frills and fancy of a Christie novel and the humor of Jones. A great read.
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A hilarious who done it
What an introduction to Izzy Palmer! What a complete goof ball character with a knack for solving mysteries. The internal monologs she has with her brain are hilarious. When her jacka$$ of a boss ends up dead, Izzy decides to solve the crime. What she finds out about her office mates as she pieces things together, is interesting to say the least. Can she figure out who done it? Highly recommend! -
Quite humorous, but rather in the vein of The Office (which I don't like), so just not for me. Also, we are dumped rather unceremoniously into the plot right at the start, and then it slows way down, without a lot of explanation for why our main character is getting involved in detective work (other than that she likes Agatha Christie). There's also a slur in chapter 5 (which absolutely could mean something different in the UK), but it made me uncomfortable.
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A highly entertaining and witty murder mystery in the style of Agatha Christie with lots of twists and turns that surprise and malign. I loved the witty dialogue throughout and the mindspeak that Izzy has going on. A variety of interesting characters that add zest to the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it. Thanks Benedict Brown for a pleasurable few hours of reading.
