Protagonist and narrator May Ferth describes herself as “thirty-three ears old, attractive, …[with] a certain kind of charm… if biting humor and self-deprecating wit could be called charming.” She’s a professional mourner—a task that involves being paid to fake-mourn the dead, say, when a realistic girl-friend is required. But sometimes fake-mourning turns into real-investigating when mysteries abound around the death,. Soon this daughter and sister of cops is treading on familial toes as she uses her acting talents in trying to uncover a deathly plot.

Blending humor, pathos, mystery and even scares, Mourning Commute is a cozy mystery with bite, starring a protagonist whose follies and romances match her stubborn curiosity, and a collection of humorously over-the-top friends and family. It’s a fun read, and a nice introduction to the series—book two, but it really stands alone.

Disclosure: I got it on a deal. ( )

Quite a strange mystery. May Ferth hires herself out as a professional mourner. Her gig puts her right in the middle of a murder case which she ends up investigating with a PI named Eddie Dietz, over the objections of her police lieutenant father. ( )

This was an enjoyable read with good characters, good story line and a little unbelievable shenanigans. The main character, May Ferth, isn’t a Hollywood actress but she is an actress for hire to go to funerals. That got my attention right way. The best part of the book is that it is a clean, mystery book. It had some twist and turns and some funny moments. It’ a light read and I certainly recommend it. ( )