I received a digital ARC of this novel for exchange for an honest review.
Drop Dead Sisters is a cozy mystery by Amelia Diane Coombs that centers on Remi (or Rem) Finch and her family. Remi, being the youngest and least-loved of her siblings has gone out of her way to avoid her family at any opportunity. Especially her sisters. But when her parents decide to go camping for their 40th anniversary, Rem can’t exactly say no, can she?
If you are an anxiety-riddled black sheep of your family, you will feel so seen by this novel. Rem is short, she doesn’t look like her siblings, nor does she fit in with her hippie family members who eat tofurkey, do shrooms, and get highly competitive at Pictionary. She’s the odd one out, always has been, and while she loves her family (except for her sisters), she would rather love them at a distance. For someone quiet, they can be are a bit much. But she’ll make the weekend work, she doesn’t want to spoil the celebration after all.
Trigger Warning: Attempted Sexual Assault
When Rem is molested by a childhood bully (Guy) at the camp, her sisters come to her rescue, but said rescue goes a little too well. Guy takes a nasty fall. And while that doesn’t kill him, something or someone does. But should the three sisters call the cops? Well, maybe not. But what should they do? That next morning, they decide to make things right, but the body is missing. All in all, the series of events made for a pretty comical narrative that kept the suspense well.
Stars: 4/5
My favorite aspect of the novel is that we get it entirely from Rem’s POV which means her anxiety is palpable. Her sarcasm is hilarious and well-written, she feels like a whole person. Besides, we all have that person, or persons, in our family we’d rather not be around. What would happen if you were forced in close proximity because you were hiding a dead body in your tent and so had to sleep in your Barbie-perfect sister’s? These are questions I never thought to ask myself, but one’s I didn’t mind getting the answer to.
Rem is a terrible liar which adds to the comedic aspect of the novel. The sisters figure that one of their family members might have done something with the body, but they don’t know who or why. Add in a hot park ranger that keeps turning up and Rem is sure they’ll be caught any minute.
In short, I enjoyed it and while I wasn’t thrilled about the ending, I don’t think I’d mind reading more from this author. It was funny in all the right ways but that didn’t take away from the suspense. More importantly, I liked seeing the quirky family dynamic and a protagonist that knows their shortcomings. That’s not usually how cozy mysteries work, after all.
Are you a cozy mystery reader? Any recommendations? Leave a few in the comments, please!
Sounds fun! I’m going to read it!