cover image Killer Cousins

Killer Cousins

June Shaw, . . Five Star, $25.95 (321pp) ISBN 978-1-59414-730-2

At the outset of Shaw’s uneven second cozy to feature nosy parker Cealie Gunther (after 2006’s Relative Danger ), Cealie stumbles on a corpse in her cousin Stevie Midnight’s backyard; Stevie had asked Cealie to come to Gatlinburg, Tenn., after receiving a psychic hunch that she, Stevie, was in danger. The murder victim turns out to belong to the Quitters Group, Stevie’s support system for beating cigarette addiction. Despite her obvious dislike for her obese cousin, Cealie agrees to stay in Gatlinburg until she can solve the mystery, which grows more complicated after the death of another Quitters member. Some uninspired prose (“Disappointment tinted his tone”) and labored attempts at humor weigh down the narrative, while Cealie’s criticisms of Stevie soon get tiresome. Still, the cousins become more likable as they unite in their fight against smoking and flab. Recipes and life improvement tips round out the volume. (Jan.)