Revenge of the Crafty Corpse

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 3

By: Lois Winston

Narrated by: Alexandra Bitton-Bailey

Length: 7 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Anastasia Pollack’s dead louse of a spouse has left her with more bills than you can shake a crochet hook at. Teaching craft classes at her mother-in-law’s assisted living center seems like an easy way to supplement her meager income. But when Lyndella Wegner—a 98-year-old know-it-all with a penchant for ruffles and lace—turns up dead, Anastasia’s cantankerous mother-in-law becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Upon discovering that Lyndella’s scandalous craft projects—and her scandalous behavior—made her plenty of enemies, Anastasia sets out to find the real killer before her mother-in-law ends up behind bars.

©2013, 2015 Lois Winston (P)2023 Lois Winston

Fun listen

Audiobook Review

Trouble never ceases to find Anastacia when it comes to dead bodies.

Thinking she’ll get retrieve from her mother-in-law who must do rehab at a home but it only the start of her troubles as she manages to get a part time job to pay off ct. dead husband debts. Soon her mother-in-law’s roommate is found dead, and she is the prime suspect.

Seems the dead woman was not well liked by all as Anastacia will discover a secret past that made her prime target for murder. Can she figure out who wanted her dead and why before bodies start to pile up?
A sharp funny read that will keep you entertain.

Sly Cozy Mystery

I thought that book 3 of the "An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery" series was somewhat darker than the first two books. Anastasia was pulled into a murder investigation, as her mother-in-law was the prime suspect. The story presented some dark themes through the subtext of the tale. I appreciated that the author didn't go into graphic details. I enjoyed trying to figure out who the culprit was based on the clues found within the story. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Alexandra Bitton-Bailey's performance kept the ambiance of the story. My only issue was the way that the dog's name was pronounced. The dog's name was Manifesto, but the way it was pronounced sounded as if there was an e in the first syllable instead of an a, which I found a little distracting. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Delightful

Although I do not usually read cozies, I found Lois Winston’s Revenge of the Crafty Corpse delightful. With well-developed characters and plot twists and turns, the book kept me engaged to the end.

This was my first Audible book, so I can’t compare the quality of the performance to others. There were some spots where I had to sort out which character was speaking. In the whole though, a credible job.

Elizabeth Eby

Fun listen of a favorite

I love this series, and think Anastasia is a great character. I was expecting more of a Jersey voice, not just the accent but also the inflection. I took my phone with me to listen to the book and laughed out loud more than once. Definitely a fun listen, would definitely recommend.

Enjoyable

Ms. Winston's writing is clear as well as clever. Her main character is likable with just a hint of sarcasm and at times very humorous. An enjoyable mystery to listen to.

Anastasia needs help with her bills and homelife

This is the first of Lois Winston’s Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries that I have read or listened to. I own 6 other installments and plan on starting them from the beginning after listening to this one.
I feel for Anastasia. You can’t pick family and she has both her mother-in-law and mother living with her. Neither appreciate all that she does for them. I’m surprised she hasn’t packed them off.

If her mother can afford $450 dollar dresses, then maybe she can afford an apartment of her own. Her mother-in-law is a real piece of work. She wouldn’t be living with me with her current attitude. I find it appalling the way she treats Anastasia.

I’m so happy she has Zach in her life.
I did not figure out who the killer was since we didn’t have all the info. The mystery was interesting.

I listened to this and thought the narrator did a good job and added to the overall entertainment value of the story.

Entertaining with a creative plot.

Anastasia is a great leading character. Her life is a mess, but she keeps on going and doing the best she can. She’s funny, smart, creative, and loyal. The supporting characters in this book are a hoot. You have her mother-in-law whose as spiteful as can be, her own mother, whose on the look-out for husband number 6, and Zach, her mystery solving sidekick, tenant, and who she has just started dating. The plot was creative and kept your attention from the moment the narrator started talking. I had listen to a previous Anastasia book and found the narrator a bit hard to listen to. Because I was use to her style, I was able to enjoy this book better. I would recommend reading book one to know the backstory to certain characters and moments. I haven’t read book two in the series yet, but I didn’t find it difficult to follow along with this book.

My review is voluntary and all comments and opinions expressed are
my own.