Book Review: All Body Bags and No Knickers

Reviewed by Elizabeth Reiser

A slow-burn mystery featuring a unique cast of characters

What starts out as a tale celebrating the marriage and honeymoon of Catherine and Chance quickly takes a dark turn when three people wind up murdered. With details about the victims emerging, questions about friendships of the past and present come boiling to the surface. 

All Body Bags and No Knickers begins on a happy note, with Catherine and Chance preparing to wed in London. They are building a nice life together, with Catherine working at a flower shop, Chance managing a jazz bar, and a group of unique friends as a local support system. After their wedding, they head to China to celebrate their honeymoon, as well as give Catherine the opportunity to meet Chance’s family. However, it’s not long before their time spent exploring the food and culture and connecting with family is tainted by the murder of three people Catherine and Chance just met. What is their tie to the honeymooners and how will this impact Catherine’s relationship with her new family?

The characters and setting in this book stand out most in this intriguing read. Chance’s life is shrouded in mystery, making him more captivating than the overly trusting Catherine, but neither are boring. Another nice aspect of this book is the exploration of food and culture in China; it is easy to get hungry while reading parts of this book, a nice way to showcase the role food plays within the family dynamic. 

This is a great pick for anyone looking for a character driven mystery, as relationships are much more the focus. As this is book three in a series, it does come across like some background is missing, but not enough to make it confusing as a standalone. Reading the other two beforehand would likely enhance the plot though.  

The bulk of the first half of this book focuses more on setting and Catherine with the actual murder not taking place until Chapter 13. The connection between the main characters and the victims feels slight and, in addition to the core of the mystery not happening until late in the book, there are some other confusing side plots, like chapter 15’s interlude of the characters getting colonoscopies.

Still, the dynamics amongst the characters and the descriptions of their surroundings make it easy to get pulled into this story. It is an enjoyable read for those seeking culture and character with their slow-burn mystery.

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