Silence of the Hams by Jill Churchill

Book Details
Silence of the Hams by Jill Churchill
Paperback, 288 pages
1996, Avon Books
ISBN: 0380777169
Series: Book 7 of Jane Jeffry Mysteries

Synopsis
When loathed attorney Robert Stonecipher is felled by a rack of hams at the opening of a neighborhood deli where Jane's son works, she and her friend, Shelley, begin snooping. With reluctant help from her boyfriend, homicide detective Mel VanDyne, Jane uncovers plenty of skeletons in closets, all the while trying to find time to restock her own pantry, chaperone the school's grand night party and make peace with her teenage daughter.

Review
Silence of the Hams is one of the very best Jane Jeffry mysteries. It has tons of stuff going on with Mike's graduation, multiple deaths and the resulting investigation. A shockingly unexpected killer was almost just an added bonus with so much interesting back story.

The graduating seniors are treated to a mandatory school-sponsored post-graduation party. The entire thing sounded fabulous, from the decorations in each themed area to the prizes each kid won. Jane's mother-in law and brother-in-law are in attendance for the graduation and any visit from the in-laws always results in funny rudeness. Two characters in Silence of the Hams are controlling types always on one crusade or another for the betterment of the community against the actual desires of said community. Plus, a dead body found under a pile of hams that leads to a lot of time we get to see Jane investigating with Shelley in tow. Silence of the Hams was a delightfully fun, quick and breezy book with a very surprising killer and motive.

Rating

Links

Jill Churchill's website