A Pain in the Tuchis: A Mrs. Kaplan Mystery

Mark Reutlinger

Nov 2015 · Alibi

About this ebook

Combining the classic charms of Agatha Christie with the delightful humor of M. C. Beaton’s Agatha Raisin novels, Mark Reutlinger’s Mrs. Kaplan mystery series returns as a notorious crank meets an untimely fate.
 
Yom Kippur is a day of reflection and soul searching. But at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors, Vera Gold misses this opportunity to atone for her many sins when she up and dies. Indeed, Vera was such a pain in the tuchis to all those around her that when her sister claims Vera was deliberately poisoned, the tough question isn’t who would want to kill her—but who wouldn’t?
 
Having already solved one murder with her dear friend Ida, Rose Kaplan has a sleuthing reputation that precedes her. It’s only natural that Vera’s sister turns to Mrs. K for help. So do the police, but when her conclusions conflict with theirs, they tell her to butt out! This case has more twists than a loaf of challah. And with a homicidal scoundrel on the loose, Mrs. K has to act fast—or she might be the guest of honor at the Home’s next memorial service.

Praise for A Pain in the Tuchis
 
“A pure joy to read . . . This book oozes with charm, humor and mystery.”—Socrates’ Book Reviews
 
“A relaxing cozy mystery as comfortable as a warm knitted shawl on a cold winter night.”—Mallory Heart Reviews
 
“It is a treat to read about Rose and Ida as they sleuth—making a list of suspects, working out the motives and opportunities—always keeping in mind WWSD (What would Sherlock do?).”—Jane Reads
 
“Ironic, intriguing and engaging . . . This cozy mystery is wonderfully well written, full of humor, intrigue and plot twists. I love the style of this writer.”—LibriAmoriMiei
 
“One of the most enjoyable things about A Pain in the Tuchis was the narration of the story by Ida. She defers all the brains to Mrs. K, but, in reality, Ida’s voice is the humorous glue that holds the whole story together.”—Bubble Bath Books
 
Praise for Mark Reutlinger’s Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death
 
“Is there kosher food in jail? These two heroines have gotten themselves in quite a pickle! Well, it’s a matzoh ball mess, really. Too deliciously funny!”—Rita Mae Brown, bestselling author of Nine Lives to Die

Ratings and reviews

A Pain in the Tuchis by Mark Reutlinger is the second book in a Mrs. Kaplan Mystery series. Rose Kaplan and her sidekick, Ida Berkowitz live at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors. Vera Gold (who was a pain in everyone’s tuchis) just passed away (on Yom Kippur). Her sister, Fannie Kleinberg does not believe that Vera died from a natural death (since she was getting better after having been ill) and asks Rose to look into the matter. Rose had previous success solving a crime and has been helpful in finding items for residents (and solving disputes). Rose and Ida start talking to various people to find out what happened to Vera Gold. When it turns out that Vera was poisoned, Rose will have to try and narrow down the suspect pool (since Vera managed to alienate everyone she met) to find the killer. I found A Pain in the Tuchis to be just a satisfactory novel. The story is told from Ida’s perspective so we do not know everything Rose is thinking and doing during the book (which leaves us missing clues since she is the one solving the crime). There are also many (way too many) Yiddish phrases in the book (some are explained and some are not). The mystery was extremely easy to solve (though the author tries to mislead the reader). There are also several side stories going on during the book (Motorcycle Moishe who wants to date Ida, Sol and his issues with his mother-in-law) that have nothing to do with the mystery. I had trouble getting into this story. I wanted to enjoy it, but I did not. I think part of it is the rambling nature of the book. It is written like Ida is talking to you and telling you a story (but we get everything not just the mystery—i.e. shopping, dinner, tea time). I give A Pain in the Tuchis 3 out of 5 stars. I believe the story just needs a little more work (like getting rid of the extraneous characters and all the Yiddish phrases). I also think the story would be better if it was told from Rose’s point of view instead of Ida’s. A Pain in the Tuchis is the second book in the series, but can easily be read alone. I received a complimentary copy of A Pain in the Tuchis from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Adorable!

Enjoyable

About the author

Mark Reutlinger is the author of the novels Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death and Made in China. A professor of law emeritus at Seattle University, Reutlinger was born in San Francisco, graduated from UC Berkeley, and now lives with his wife, Analee, in University Place, Washington.