The Corpse Pose: A Mantra for Murder Mystery

by: Diana Killian

Published by: Berkley Prime Crime / Penguin

Reviewed by Kathy Perschmann

Freelance marketing consultant A.J. Alexander is contacted at an event in New York City for an author she is promoting. She is told that her beloved aunt Di has been murdered. Her mother, the flighty and famous ex-model and actress Elysia, flies in from London, and the two drive to Di’s farmhouse in rural Stillbrook, New Jersey.

Diantha Mason had run a profitable yoga studio, and had many spin-off businesses related to yoga and organic living. She was found early one morning, dead, in her yoga studio. A.J. had spent a lot of her youth with her Aunt, due to her mother’s alcoholism and unusual life style and her father’s working so much, and then his early death.

Despite her strained relationship with her famous mother, A. J. finds her company increasingly necessary as they try to figure out who killed Diantha. One of the reasons the relationship is strained is that Elysia refuses to accept that A.J.’s 10-year marriage to the darling Andy is over even though they have been divorced for months. Andy had left her for Nick, the handsome F.B.I. agent who ran him down accidentally during a car chase. A.J. is worried that she is the principal suspect in the murder as she is her aunt’s main heir–inheriting in the neighborhood of eighteen million dollars. “That’s a lovely neighborhood,” Elysia
remarked, “You’ll enjoy living there.” pg. 81.

Jake Oberlin, the hunky police detective who is trying to solve the case despite meddling by A.J. and Elysia, finds himself increasingly attracted to the quirky heiress. Will A.J. escape the clutches of the murderer? Is it the dairy farmer who felt maligned by Diantha’s anti-dairy products rant on a radio show? Or the other yoga teacher who thought she was going to inherit the studio? Or the young married Olympic hopeful with a very strange relationship with Diantha?

This well written and enticing book in a new series is bound to please. It will make you feel as good as a vigorous yoga stretching session!

Armchair Interviews agrees: Stretch yourself gently and read this book.

Author’s Web site: http://www.GirlDetective.net