THE TROUBLE WITH CHARLIE by Merry Jones

I don't want to short the murder mystery factor here, but this is a very funny book with quirky characters that will have you laughing out loud throughout.  The quirkiest of all is Elle, through whose eyes we follow the story.  She and Charlie are nearing a divorce when Elle finds him dead on her couch in the study with a knife in his back.  That's the main trouble with Charlie although there are other issues as well; he's a very troublesome dead man it turns out.

The other main issue is Elle's problem.  She tends to sort of space out when things get hairy.  She imagines herself floating to the ceiling and watching whatever is happening to or around her.  She has three bosom buddies who have their own oddities and they are determined to protect her at all costs.  They have been close friends for years and know when she is "pulling an Elle" so they band together to make decisions for her - and she lets them.  The results of making decisions by committee are mixed at best.  However, one of the friends, Susan, is a lawyer and she immediately takes Elle's defense.

The spouse of course is the most logical suspect in the murder, especially in the midst of a divorce when the victim is also found in the wife's house bleeding all over her couch.  There are plenty of other candidates though, and in a departure from comedy, some of the suspects are involved in some pretty disgusting and criminal behavior.  A lot of questions revolve around Charlie's business partner for instance.  Elle is in very real danger because of these suspects and the suspense is enough to have you madly turning pages.

There are times when you want to slap Elle up the side of the head because she's so dense, but then she or her friends have you laughing too hard to stay irritated.  All in all I loved these characters, and really hated the bad guys.  This is a terrific story, perfect for reading by the pool this summer.

Highly recommended
Source:  Oceanview Publishing through Partners in Crime Book Tours