An Affair to Dismember

Sax’s series debut mashes mystery with romantic comedy but is more incomprehensible than funny. Itinerant job-hopper Gladie Burger has come to her grandmother’s small Southern California town to reluctantly take over the family matchmaking business. When a neighbor across the street is found dead, the death is ruled an accident by the police, but the deceased’s family members implausibly insist that inexperienced matchmaker Gladie discover the real cause of death. As Gladie incompetently investigates, unconvincing candidates for romantic hero wander past: womanizing police chief Spencer Bolton, who creepily invades Gladie’s bed uninvited while she is asleep, and mysterious neighbor and suspected murderer Arthur Holden. Even readers who can put up with sexism disguised as comedic characterization (“ ‘Correction, Legs,’ he said, eyeing my lower half, on display in my dress. ‘I can call you whatever I want’ ”) will find little appeal in the senseless plot. Agent: Alex Glass, Trident Media Group. (Feb.)