Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back (Morgue Mama Mysteries)

From Publishers Weekly In Corwin's witty and engaging caper, the start of a new series, newspaper archivist Dolly Madison Sprowls (called Morgue Mama "behind her back") and a determined cub reporter, Aubrey McGinty, team up to investigate the poisoning of TV evangelist Buddy Wing at the Heaven Bound Cathedral in "the Hallelujah city" of Hannawa, Ohio. Part satire and part social commentary, the story is far from a standard whodunit, since Aubrey, rather than finding the culprit, seems bent only on clearing the name of convict Sissy James, the badly abused ex-girlfriend of a rival preacher. The irrepressible, 67-year-old Maddy (as she prefers to be called), a lonely divorcee clinging to her post as manager of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue, helps Aubrey search the newspaper's records, which yield a multitude of suspects, some amusing and some tragic, but each adding an intriguing dimension to the ever more complex case. Small town politics and office love affairs entangle almost everyone except poor Maddy, whose existence before now has revolved around filing news articles in steel cabinets for brash reporters to paw through. Her matchup with Aubrey brings her and the reader genuine excitement right through the stunning conclusion to this lively adventure. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. Review "An ambitious young Ohio crime reporter teams up with the wise old curmudgeon heading up the newspaper's morgue. Dolly Madison Sprowls, 67, thinks she'll be teaching newcomer Aubrey McGinty, 24, a thing or two about proper Hannawa Herald-Union procedure when she comes looking for file clips on the Buddy Wing murder. But Aubrey immediately convinces the acerbic Morgue Mama to help her prove the televangelist wasn't poisoned by Sissy James, even though she confessed. High on their list of new suspects are Tom Bandicoot, Sissy's lover and the former assistant pastor at the Heaven Bound Cathedral until Buddy cast him out, forcing him to start up the rival New Day Epiphany Temple; his wife, Annie, desperate to have him reclaim his former eminence; Guthrie Gates, the new golden boy at Heaven Bound; disgruntled parishioner Wayne F. Dillow, whose wife died despite healing sessions with Buddy; several Kent State students working at the Cathedral as part-time interns; and Elaine Albert, who's responsible for getting the reverend's sermons on the air. Verbally abrasive Dolly and seductively manipulative Aubrey are soon offending town nabobs, cops, managing editors, rival reporters, and each other before newcomer Corwin throws in a couple of twists.... That's unfortunate, because the wry handling of the irrepressible Dolly, and her takes on aging, youth in heat, and diner specials, are very appealing indeed." --Kirkus Reviews The morgue is that cold and sterile facility where medical examiners do their necessary but, to many of us, dreadful work. Less familiar is its dry and dusty version, usually housed in the bowels of newspaper buildings, where old story clippings are filed away. Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of The Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue for more than 40 years. She is gruff and salty, well past the age of retirement, the unchalleneged queen of her ink-stained domain. Reporters call her Morgue Mama - but only behind her back. Maddy Sprowls' well-ordered world gets turned upside-down when the paper hires 24-year-old Aubrey McGinty for its police beat. Aubrey loses no time in questioning the conviction of Sissy James for the murder of TV evangelist Buddy Wing. Yes, Sissy had quickly confessed to poisoning the famous preacher live on television - and the evidence does seem overwhelming - but the ambitious young reporter doesn't believe Sissy did it. Why, then, does Sissy embrace guilt? Aubrey enlists Morgue Mama's help and together they begin a harrowing search for the truth. Digging into the morgue's file, they soon - dangerously - uncover enough suspects to fill a church with those who do the devil's work.... The morgue is that cold and sterile facility where medical examiners do their necessary but, to many of us, dreadful work. Less familiar is its dry and dustry version, usually housed in the bowels of newspaper buildings, where old story clippings are filed away. Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue for more than 40 years. She is gruff and salty, well past the age of retirement, the unchalleneged queen of her ink-stained domain. Reporters call her Morgue Mama--but only behind her back. Maddy Sprowls' well-ordered world gets turned upside-down when the paper hires 24-year-old Aubrey McGinty for its police beat. Aubrey loses no time in questioning the conviction of Sissy James for the murder of TV evangelist Buddy Wing. Yes, Sissy had quickly confessed to poisoning the famous preacher live on television--and the evidence does seem overwhelming--but the ambitious young reporter doesn't believe Sissy is guilty. Why, then, her claim? Aubrey enlists Morgue Mama's help and together they begin a harrowing search for the truth. Digging into the morgue's file, they soon, and dangerously, uncover enough suspects to fill a church with those who do the devil's work .. 'A brainteaser and a comic salute to the rather terrifying charm of its heroine.'—New York TimesIn the world of newspapers, the morgue is the place—usually somewhere in the bowels of the building—where old story clippings are filed away. Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of The Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue for more than 40 years. She is gruff and salty, well past the age of retirement, and the unchallenged queen of her ink-stained domain. Reporters call her Morgue Mama—but only behind her back.Maddy's well-ordered world is turned upside-down when the paper hires 24-year-old Aubrey McGinty for its police beat. Aubrey loses no time in questioning the conviction of Sissy James for the murder of TV evangelist Buddy Wing. Sissy had confessed live on television, and the evidence seems overwhelming, but the ambitious young reporter doesn't believe she did it. But why did Sissy embrace guilt? Aubrey enlists Maddy's help and together they begin a harrowing search for the truth. Digging into the files, they soon—dangerously—uncover enough suspects to fill a studio with those who do the devil's work. He will take seventeen to the match - how many will he bring back? In Cibola football is a matter of life and death. Sir Tristram must reunite his Blood City teammates - Knights, Pirates and Westerners - to win the prestigious Seskie tournament against their oldest rivals. Behind the match is a bigger power play, a king's mission to bring down his greatest rival by persuasion, trickery or force. Needing a squad of soldiers as well as footballers, Sir Tristram must also find a place on tour and in his heart for the teenage child he has not addressed by name since infancy... Young reporter Aubrey McGinty enlists the assistance of Dolly Madison "Morgue Mama" Sprowls, who has been charge of the Hannawa Herald-Union's morgue for more than forty years, to help her prove that Sissy James, the convicted killer of TV evangelist Buddy Wing, is not guilty of the crime