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Morgue Mama: The Cross Kisses Back Audiobook
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(3.07) - 85 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Most people think of the morgue as that cold and sterile facility where medical examiners do their necessary, albeit dreadful, work. Less familiar is the other type of morgue, the dry and dusty version, the newspaper morgue, usually housed in the basements and backrooms of newspaper buildings, where old news clippings are filed away. Dolly Madison Sprowls has been in charge of the Hannawa Herald-Union’s morgue for more than forty 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 Sprowls’ well-ordered world gets turned upside down when the paper hires twenty-four-year-old Aubrey McGinty for its police beat. Aubrey loses no time in questioning the conviction of Sissy James for the murder of televangelist Buddy Wing. It’s true that Sissy had quickly confessed—live on television—to poisoning the famous preacher, and the evidence does seem overwhelming. But the ambitious young reporter doesn’t believe Sissy is guilty. Aubrey enlists the help of Morgue Mama to dig into the morgue’s files. Their search for the truth soon becomes harrowing—and dangerous—as they uncover enough suspects to fill a church with those who do the devil’s work
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"i enjoyed this mystery. well-written, fast-paced and much of it takes place in my favorite locale, the newsroom. this is the first one with this character -- a divorced woman in her 60s who zealously guards her curmudgeonly reputation."
— colleen (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“A bell ringer of a crime novel. Everything about the setting rings absolutely true, and the plot is great.”
— Dana Stabenow, Edgar Award–winning and New York Times bestselling mystery novelist -
“In Corwin’s witty and engaging caper…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…Her matchup with Aubrey brings her and the reader genuine excitement right through the stunning conclusion to this lively adventure.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Retirement-aged but still formidable newspaper librarian Dolly Madison Sprowls teams up with youthful police reporter Aubrey McGinty to investigate a recent murder case…Serviceable prose, knotty characters, and major unexpected plot twists should endear this first novel to most readers.”
— Library Journal -
“While many mysteries feature crusty newspaper librarians who hinder as much as help detectives, C.R. Corwin’s debut novel places its archivist in the limelight. The resulting story is a refreshing and welcome entry to this genre.”
— January Magazine -
“An ambitious, young Ohio crime reporter teams up with the wise, old curmudgeon heading up the newspaper’s morgue. Dolly Madison Sprowls, sixty-seven, thinks she’ll be teaching newcomer Aubrey McGinty, twenty-four, 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…Wry handling of the irrepressible Dolly and her takes on aging, youth in heat, and diner specials are very appealing indeed.”
— Kirkus Reviews
Morgue Mama Listener Reviews
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" Very cute and even a bit surprising. The perfect easy read for summer or a weekend. "
— Shannon, 10/19/2013 -
" I thought the "plot twist" simultaneously predictable and far-fetched. But I liked the "morgue mama" character and would read others in the series. "
— Sarah, 6/8/2013 -
" Super story!! Looking for more! "
— Vickie, 5/16/2013 -
" Much of this book is the set up - identify and describing the characters who will surface in subsequent Morgue Mama books. It was a fast read with a surprise twist at the end. "
— Susie, 4/3/2013 -
" This was a good mystery. I loved the twist at the end. Can't wait to get my hands on the second in the series. "
— Carrie, 2/11/2013 -
" A quick read. Interesting twists. I like that the author leaves the reader out of the loop (we don't see the protagonist really getting the details...just an overview) but gives us enough to make us think in the right direction. "
— Jenn, 12/18/2012 -
" I learned there is life after romance--morge mama is a fiesty older woman-working in a young person's world-but she does way more than survive! "
— Carol, 10/16/2012 -
" First book I have found set in Ohio. "
— Louise, 10/13/2012 -
" Great new series for me to read. "
— Tammi, 9/9/2012 -
" Had to laugh about the title after the surprising ending to a good puzzle. "
— pjreads, 8/29/2012
About C. R. Corwin
C. R. Corwin, a pen name of Rob Levandoski (1949–2008), was a newspaper reporter, teacher, and author from Ohio. He taught a workshop on “Writing That Novel” through the University of Akron and was a recipient of the Individual Artist Fellowship from the Ohio Arts Council. He wrote three novels under his own name, Going to Chicago, Serendipity Green, and Fresh Eggs, and three novels as C. R. Corwin in the Morgue Mama mystery series, Morgue Mama, Dig, and The Unraveling of Violeta Bell.
About Lorna Raver
Lorna Raver, named one of AudioFile magazine’s Best Voices of the Year, has received numerous Audie Award nominations and many AudioFile Earphones Awards. She has appeared on stage in New York, Los Angeles, and regional theaters around the country. Among her many television credits are NYPD Blue, Judging Amy, Boston Legal, ER, and Star Trek. She starred in director Sam Raimi’s film Drag Me to Hell.