Murder Shoots the Bull

May 31, 1999
George's Southern Sisters mysteries, which launched in 1997 with the Agatha Award-winning Murder on a Girl's Night Out, feature two siblings, sensible Patricia Anne Hollowell and rich, erratic Mary Alice Crane. These lifelong residents of Birmingham, Ala., may be in their 60s, but they are still up for a lively bout of sleuthing. As this sixth series entry (after Murder Gets a Life) opens, Arthur Phizer, Patricia Anne's next-door neighbor of 40 years, is accused of murdering his ex-wife by poisoning her at a local restaurant. Patricia Anne can't believe that her mild-mannered neighbor is really a fiendish killer, so she determines to find out who is framing him for murder. Then someone tries to burn down Arthur's house, and a sniper shoots him in the buttocks. George has a sure touch for creating comedic dialogue and believable characters. Her predilection for filling the narrative with brand names can annoy, but this light, amusing romp of a mystery makes good use of the tradition of Southern eccentricity, exuding a properly cozy atmosphere and a nifty web of subplots and domestic complications. Author tour.