Plot or Premise

A funeral home is doing above-average business, shipping a lot of dead bodies from Florida back to their home states. Something doesn’t smell right, so the company’s financial officer asks Archy to look into it.

What I Liked

It is very clear that the officer isn’t telling the whole truth about the source of angst, but Archy and his father think at first it will turn out to be nothing significant. Meanwhile, Binky convinces Archy to train him as a discreet detective, although Binky ends up swinging with some of the suspects, so the discreet part is gone. There is one character in the book, the wife of the CEO, who is dying of cancer and is absolutely delightful in every scene with Archy. She’s written in almost the same terms as Archy’s mom, and the affection shows.

What I Didn’t Like

There is a whole substory with the FBI to help with the investigation problem for other jurisdictions, but it rings false and unnecessary. Even the motive for what is going on seems light for the outcome.

The Bottom Line

Buy a casket, get a mystery for free