Elvis and the Dearly Departed-Peggy Webb

Elvis and the Dearly Departed
Peggy Webb
Kensington, Oct 2008, $22.00
ISBN: 075822589X

All the Elvis sightings in the world are bogus because he lives in a small Mississippi town reincarnated as a basset hound dog with all his memories intact. Right now he is torn between Daddy Jack Jones and Callie Valentine Jones, who both want custody of him. He observes and connects the events that Callie is not aware of including how her soon to be ex husband makes a living. She works in the family owned Eternal Rest Funeral Home.

They are taking care of the late well-known Dr. Leonard Laton, whose will cuts off his children without a dime except for his adopted son Kevin who he left a million dollars. The rest of his fortune goes to Las Vegas stripper, his mistress Bubbles Malone. She makes a surprising visit to the funeral home. After she leaves, Laton’s corpse disappears. Callie and cousin Lovie follow Bubbles and they hope to find Leonard in Vegas. They find a body in a deep freezer owned by Bubbles, but when they open it they find the murdered body of Bubbles. The two learn the body of Laton reappeared and is back in its’ coffin at the funeral home, but Callie and Lovie have to figure out who killed Bubbles which means investigating the ugly Laton family.

Readers will enjoy this amusing amateur sleuth as Elvis’ sidebar commentaries make for a humorous reincarnated celeb lit mystery. In some ways the whodunit plot supports the antics of the characters especially the cousins, Jack, Elvis and the corpses. Peggy Webb provides a light heard hilarious romp as Elvis can’t even find blue suede shoes that fit his paws.

Harriet Klausner