Hannah Malloy is quite content to live quietly in the little northern California town of Hill Creek, writing occasional poetry and gardening with the other members of the local Rose Club. Her sister, Kiki Goldstein, is likewise a widow – and not at all interested in staying that way. Kiki has also joined the Rose Club with Hannah, but her interest is in meeting men. Eligible men.

Men like Arnold Lempke. Although Hannah can't fathom the attraction, Kiki has set her sights on Arnold and coerced him into taking a cruise with her. Before they can depart, however, Hannah and Kiki find Arnold lying face-down in his flower bed, dead from a blow to the back of the head. The police have no suspects. And Kiki can't come up with an airtight alibi.

One ex-cop on the scene, retired Chief of Police John Perez, takes an immediate shine to Hannah. For reasons of her own, Hannah is afraid to let him get too close and rebuffs his advances. But she'll let him help her solve this murder, before Kiki's name is ruined. Heaven knows there are plenty of people who hated Arnold Lempke. His own daughter, Lisa, is a prime suspect. Then there's the slimy head of a local church, whom Arnold had threatened to have prosecuted. Hannah suspects him of brainwashing his congregation with drugs. Red herrings abound.

This was a fast-paced and funny story, one I read in one sitting. Hannah is a delight. Sharp, independent, past the point in her life where she worries about impressing anyone, she is genuine to the core and a person we'd all like to know. The self-absorbed Kiki comes off slightly worse, but her character is never intended to be more than a foil for Hannah. And the upscale town of Hill Creek (which appears to be Mill Valley in thin disguise) is practically a character in itself. From the chi-chi grocery store which doesn't carry Velveeta but sells Moon Pies "because they're retro" to the neighbor who "channels" an ancient Indian warrior named Red Moon, Annie Griffin gleefully skewers the pretensions of well-to-do 90's baby boomers. Parts of it are just plain laugh-out-loud funny.

One final note. Without giving away the ending, Let me say that Annie Griffin's solution to Hannah's insecurity over having scars from a major surgery was worth the price of the book. Cozy mysteries don't typically leave the reader in tears, but I confess that a few were lurking when I read the ending, where we find out how Hannah has dealt with it. In typical Hannah fashion, it's original, independent, and quite wonderful.

A Very Eligible Corpse does what every new mystery series should - leaves the reader wanting to start the next installment, right now. Kudos to Annie Griffin for getting off to a flying start. And when's the next one coming out?

--Cathy Sova