The Corpse in Oozak's Pond (The Peter Shandy Mysteries) Paperback – May 16, 2017

Seriously. Firstly, the setting is unique. I can't think of another cozy mystery set in an agricultural college. Heck, I can't think of any type of book set in an agricultural college. What makes it truly unique is the writing. Charlotte Macleod had a great gift for blending humor and mystery. Her characters, both secondary and primary, are painted with a fine brush. She is a delight. Start with the first book, "Rest you Merry". You won't regret it.

The story is well written and full of interesting characters and background color. Figuring out the guilty party is no mean feat either.

After the extreme silliness of the last entry in this mystery series, it's good to be back on solid ground in a manner of speaking.The ground is Oozak's pond and two generations after a murder victim was pulled from it, the crime appears to be repeated.Professor Shandy is up against a killer with a weird sense of humor. All the stalwarts are there as Peter must solve a mysterious death and foil a lawsuit that aims to tear Balaclava Agricultural College apart.Back on the hunt with Cronkite Swope and Chief Ottemole, Shandy finds it hard to find the correct threads that connect a murderer to his crime. Back in the saddle again. Enjoy!

THE CORPSE IN OOZAK'S POND by Charlotte Macleod is another addition to the Peter Shandy series with all the style and zaniness her fans expect.Peter and the gang at the college are not to be left out of Ground Hog Day festivities, but before the day is over a poor soul finds a corpse floating in the power plant's pond.To make matters worse the college is being sued by a branch of the Buggins family for ownership of the pond, hence the power supply.A fun read which will keep you laughing.Nash Black, author of PRELUDE OF DEATH.

I enjoy Charlotte Mac Leod. But one of my pet peeves is an author who asks a million questions about people who really are not likely to have done the crime. 'Could she have. And then etc etc or could he have and then etc. Etc. Just on and on when the suggestions are ridiculous at best.

Years ago, I read this book in Paperback. Since my eyes aren't what they use be and wanted to read them again I found the hard copy. I enjoyed it just as much as I did then. I found the complete series in hard copies from various dealers and I'm having a ball reading the books over again. They are "who done its" but Hilarious to boot. For those who haven't read them I'd highly recommend you do. I think you'll get just as much pleasure as I did.

This was a strange book, with silly characters and a poor plot. I wouldn't suggest reading it, unless you are very bored. Solitaire would fill your time more productively.

I've enjoyed several of the Peter Shandy stories but this one defeated me. Even with the genealogical chart at the front, there were too many characters with too coyly unlikely names and too many cousinships to keep straight. After a couple of chapters, reading gets to be more work than pleasure.

"Tho' waterlogged in death, may heEnjoy a dry eternity,While still we dwell with mem'ry fondUpon the corpse in Oozak's Pond."That spectacularly bad poem sets the tone -- and the title -- for "The Corpse In Oozak's Pond," the sixth of the Peter Shandy mystery series. As always, Charlotte MacLeod seems to have been having a marvelous time careening through the wacky community centered on an agricultural college, and spinning a complex little mystery that tangles itself in complicated family trees, legal challenges and the occasional mass of duckweed and beard.The annual Groundhog's Day festivities are ruined when someone spots a stray corpse (in period dress) floating in Oozak's pond, and it's discovered to be one of the Buggins clan -- but which one? Almost all the descendants are accounted for, except a pair of twins who have been MIA for several decades. To make matters worse, on the same day Professor Svenson receives a letter alleging that Oozak's pond -- which helps feed the methane plant and power the town -- doesn't belong to the college, but to Purvis and Persephone Mink.Then the corpses of Persephone's parents pop up the same day, and Peter Shandy suspects fouler play than usual. When all three deaths are confirmed to be murder, Shandy must unravel a complex web of Bugginses, legal allegations, cleaning solutions, possible real estate schemes and other delightful details, even as his wife Helen digs through decades of Bugginsalia. But even if he can figure out who the corpse in Oozak's pond is, can he figure out who killed the three victims -- and why?One of the best things about a Charlotte MacLeod mystery is that it will invariably take place in a place that is wacky in a pleasant, homey sort of way. Balaclava College is a sort of down-to-earth place where elitist attitudes are mocked and nylon snowsuits are commonplace... not to mention people named Woozle, carbonated battles, bad poetry, and a massive college president who likes to roar his way through the woods with a bunch of horses named after Norse gods.And somehow, MacLeod manages to weave a solid little whodunnit that never gets distracted by the weirdness floating around the Balaclava campus, or the many enjoyably odd individuals working there. And even as Shandy digs up bottles of toxic cleaner and finds ever-expanding numbers of suspects, MacLeod also maintains a solid atmosphere of hominess and a wicked sense of humor, expressed mostly in banter ("... so would I kindly hide the comic books under the cot mattress to make the lockup look more official?").Best exchange of all? Frederick Ottermole struggling to understand what Miss Mink is saying when she accuses Shandy of being a "minion of the vested interests against the workers of the earth." He interprets that as "a minion in a vest," and immediately debunks the idea of Purvis and Sephy being "workers of the earth," since he is a security guard and she's afraid of bees.There is one downside: "The Corpse in Oozak's Pond" does require a certain amount of attention to the complicated family tree of the Buggins family, and the extensive history that comes with it. And since these things are tightly intertwined with the central mystery, casual reading won't be sufficient.But one thing you can rely on MacLeod for is a cast of thoroughly quirky, endearing characters. Shandy (mostly) plays the straight man to the sensible "Dr. Who"-fan police chief Ottermole and the sniffling ace reporter Swope, as well as the stress ball of the towering Thorkjeld Svenson ("Why should Shandy catch a sniffle instead of me?"). And between teaching impassioned classes on turnip parasites, he encounters a lot of unusual people, including a prissy spinster, a blustering librarian and the odd Mae West impersonator.For those seeking a solid mystery that will also make you feel comfortable and cozy, "The Corpse in Oozak's Pond" is second to none -- just remember to bring your mittens, and avoid the moonshine.

Absolutely puerile. I'll never read another.

I read this book in one sitting so obviously could not put it down but I'm not exactly sure why. It was an amusing story for sure. The names alone were laugh out loud entertaining but almost impossible to keep track of and in retrospect probably should have jotted down on paper who was who & where they fit in to plot! In years of reading never had that problem before. Enjoy!

Much as I enjoy the Shandy Books I did fine this confusing at times with too many names similar. A good read none the less.