Elvis and the Dearly Departed by Peggy Webb

Synopsis: They say you can't get to Heaven without passing through the Eternal Rest Funeral Home. And no one gets into Eternal Rest without passing muster with Elvis—the basset hound who's convinced he's the reincarnation of the King of Rock ‘n' Roll. Brewing up a big ol' pitcher of Mississippi mystery, Peggy Webb's delightful new series is as intoxicating as the Delta breeze.
Normally, Callie Valentine Jones spends her days fixing up the hairdos of the dead, but when the corpse of local, prominent physician Dr. Leonard Laton goes missing, it's bad for business. So Callie and her cousin Lovie (Eternal Rest's resident wake caterer) have no choice but to go in hot pursuit of the recently embalmed, last seen bound for Vegas by way of downtown Tupelo.
In Vegas, Callie and Lovie hit the jackpot when they find the dearly departed inside a freezer owned by his showgirl mistress, Bubble Malone. But their luck runs out when Bubble decides to join her man in the afterlife. With the poisonous Laton family tree providing plenty of rotten suspects, Callie, along with some help from her basset hound, Elvis, is determined to crack this case—and have a killer singing “Jailhouse Rock” in time for her next haircutting appointment. . .

Quotes: I wonder if I'll ever know a passion such as that. Or have already known it, and let it slip through my fingers.

Having spiked coffee and crumpets around a coffins not your everyday sort of social, but the Valentine family takes a more broad-minded view of death.

Why this book you might ask: I got this book for Christmas. It was a combination of several things I enjoy in books: a dog, a southern setting, humor, and it is a cozy mystery. I figured it was worth a try.

My thoughts: What a silly bunch of nonsense. I loved it! It was a fast, fun, light hearted read with plenty of charm. Even the chapter titles were funny. Do not get this expecting a great work of literature but do expect to laugh and be entertained. Through out the book Callie's pet Basset Hound, Elvis (the reincarnated King) made comments on his humans and his surroundings. I enjoyed his funny little asides, and the details they brought to the story. Callie and her cousin, Lovie (The Southern Cousins) were likable characters. I intend to read the next in the series, I must find out what is going on with Jack. Elvis knows but he is not telling.

Links:
Peggy Webb Homepage
Preview the book

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington (September 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758225903
ISBN-13: 978-0758225900

Challenges:
100+ Reading Challenge 2010
Monthly Mixer Mele
NaJuReMoNoMo

Pages read in 2010:
In this book - 295
Total- 722