Mrs. Odboddy, Hometown Patriot by Elaine Faber
Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries Book 1
A WWII tale of chicks and chicanery, suspicion and spies.
Since the onset of WWII, Agnes Agatha Odboddy, hometown patriot and self-appointed scourge of the underworld, suspects conspiracies around every corner…stolen ration books, German spies running amuck, and a possible Japanese invasion off the California coast. This seventy-year-old, model citizen would set the world aright if she could get Chief Waddlemucker to pay attention to the town’s nefarious deeds on any given Meatless Monday.
Mrs. Odboddy vows to bring the villains, both foreign and domestic, to justice, all while keeping chickens in her bathroom, working at the Ration Stamp Office, and knitting argyles for the boys on the front lines.
Imagine the chaos when Agnes’s long-lost WWI lover returns, hoping to find a million dollars in missing Hawaiian money and rekindle their ancient romance. In the thrilling conclusion, Agnes’s predictions become all too real when Mrs. Roosevelt unexpectedly comes to town to attend a funeral and Agnes must prove that she is, indeed, a warrior on the home front.
Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot, is a riotous romp with Agnes Odboddy, as she exposes conspiracies and tracks down Nazi spies in small town America during WWII.
My name is Ling-Ling. I’m a Siamese cat. I lived with Lilly Jenyu’s family in Newbury, CA until December, 1941, when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt sent all the Japanese-Americans to internment camps, including Lilly’s family, so Agnes Odboddy took me home with her. Now I live with Agnes.
Some mornings we go into Agnes’s victory garden. She picks vegetables and I supervise as she makes pickles and cans tomatoes. Most days she volunteers at the Ration Office, the coast watch, the knitting circle, helping to collect papers and cans, or rolling bandages at the hospital. She says volunteering is her way of fighting the war from the home front.
Mrs. Odboddy lives with her granddaughter, Katherine. She works at the ‘Curls to Dye For beauty salon and in her spare time, she does the hair and make-up at the Whistlemeyer mortuary. Last week Clyde Hoffelmeister came into the mortuary. It seems, he fell off his roof saving his neighbor’s cat, Mitzie. She survived. Clyde didn’t… But when Katherine tried to make him presentable to meet his Maker, it was a terrible thing, what happened to Clyde…
I’m a very good kitty and never get into trouble. Oh wait. There was that one time. Agnes brought home six chickens and put them in the bathroom (go figure), until her friend Jackson Jackson could build a coop. Now, I ask you, what self-respecting moggy could ignore such temptation? Of course I carried out a Black Ops mission. Chickens? Birds? Aren’t they the same thing and fair game? I don’t know why she was so mad…Enough said. Oops!
Agnes doesn’t need me to get into trouble. She manages that by herself, what with seeing conspiracies and spies around every cabbage patch. Like, when she thought someone was stealing ration books and selling them on the Black Market. Or, accusing the church lady of poisoning her best friend… Or when they claim she burned down the watch tower… You get the picture. Things always get crazy when Agnes is involved.
Life during the war years was different than it is now. Everyone listened to the ration; Jack Benny and the Green Hornet. TV was a novelty. No cell phones. 35-mph speed limit. Rationing
affected everything because all US manufacturers went to making war products and most foodstuffs were earmarked for the troops.
In the humorous mystery/adventure, Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot, Agnes engages in some real WWII events most readers have probably never heard of. There’s even romance, when her old WWI lover returns to town looking for love, and the local doctor makes a play for Katherine.
So, if you’re inclined to curl up with a good book on a rainy day with your own kitty, you can’t go wrong with Mrs. Odboddy-Hometown Patriot. It’s funny, it’s clean and you’ll even learn something about life in the US during WWII. What’s not to like? Available at Amazon in paperback and e-book ($3.99). Go! Now! Buy the book…before I bite you!
About the Author
Elaine is a member of Sisters in Crime, Inspire Christian Writers and Cat Writers Association. She lives in No. Calif with her husband and four house cats (the inspiration for her three humorous cozy cat mysteries, Black Cat’s Legacy, Black Cat and the Lethal Lawyer, and Black Cat and the Accidental Angel).
Mrs. Odboddy’s character is based in no way on Elaine’s quirky personality. Two more Mrs. Odboddy adventures will publish in the near future. Many of Elaine’s short stories have appeared in magazines and multiple anthologies.
Webpage/blog: http://www.mindcandymysteries.com
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/zm2j4n5
Very nicely done. I’m impressed! Gotta read that book!
Indeed you do! Why have you waited so long??? LOL.
Love the cover. Sounds like a fun read.
Extremely fun read. Best $3.99 you’ll every spend!! Skip the Starbucks cup of coffee and treat yourself to five hours of laughs and fun!! Thanks for visiting.