Georges Simenon's classic mystery character is Chief Inspector Maigret. It's hard reviewing a "classic". Is it classic because it is timeless? (These stories are fairly timeless.) Or is it a classic because the author was in the right time and place in the fiction - in this case - mystery timeline?
I read two books featuring Maigret. The first was Maigret Goes Home. He goes back to solve a murder in the village where he grew up. Most of the locals do not remember him. But he remembers the murder victim - the Countess of the estate that he grew up on. Maigret's main detecting style is to ask a lot of questions and wait to see what shakes loose. And while he is waiting he watches village life slowly pass by.
The other book was Maigret and the Hotel Majestic. Set in a Paris luxury hotel, the setting is bustling and frantic. The guests come in, the help makes them comfortable and the process starts again. A bit of a bump is caused when one of those guests is found murdered in the kitchen staff's area. Why would this elegant lady be down there? Who was she really? And who knew her before she was so rich and important? It is a story of youthful loves, dreams and abandoning it all to reach more practical goals. Maigret is well known in this local, but finds himself digging into the pasts of guests and staff alike. Again, he asks all the questions and sees what rises to the surface.
I liked the second better book much better than the first. Once I finally figured out Maigret's style, I think I finally understood the author's pacing. Simenon has tried to make his books a representation of France as he had known it. The timeless cafes, coffees and cigarettes. He succeeded so well - that the Hotel book contains no clue as to when it was written - during the occupation of Paris in World War II. But that does not interfere with Maigret. Perhaps that is why he is a classic. A good read.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Candace Camp's Matchmaker series
Candace Camp has finished her fourth book in her Matchmaker series. And I just finished reading them all. (Yes, it was a bit of a marathon weekend.) It is great to read a romance series that:
1.) isn't too long
2.) has some great continuing characters - Francesca and Irene are my favorites
3.) has a mix of the "reality" of the time period with the froth and gloss
4.) and may have a bad guy to mess up the romance - but it's not necessarily an outsider. Nasty relatives were around in history too, folks.
The Marriage Wager is Dominic and Constance's story. Francesca, a lovely fashionable widow, takes a bet from the Duke, that she can make over the dowdy Constance. Constance takes the chance that the season can bring her more than just chaperoning her younger cousins. She doesn't even imagine that she could fall in love with Francesca's brother Dominic. He is supposed to be looking for an heiress. Nice steady lead characters.
The Bridal Quest is Francesca's next task. How can she find a wife for Gideon? He's a long lost heir that was finally found. He grew up on the streets and his relatives are trying to tame him by getting him married. Irene has not had a good view of marriage and is not interested in getting a husband. Her plain speaking has not won her many fans. But Francesca thinks Irene can help her to get Gideon to be more like a gentleman. These are some great characters - fairly unusual for romance and this book has a bit of a mystery element too.
The Wedding Challenge has Francesca finding a husband for her ex-fiance's sister. Callie wants to get married but is tired of all the fortune hunters who want to wed a Duke's sister. She manages to find Bromwell herself, but she doesn't know his family's past history with her brother. But who is telling the truth? Brom or her brother Sinclair? There are some great scenes in this book. While the leads are good, you can tell that this book sets up the next one with Francesca and Sinclair.
The Courtship Dance is finally Sinclair and Francesca's story. And I think the best one in the bunch. We finally get some answers to their early romance, and Francesca's own unhappy marriage. She feels she has let the Duke down and decides she is going to find him a suitable wife. He decides to let her, but he really only wants her. Some great characters who deal truthfully with their past lives and troubles. You will find that you are really rooting for them by the end of the story. A most satisfying read.
And there you have it. A strong romance series. Some great leads, some fun secondary characters - love the great-aunt Lady Odelia - and some good story lines. Some very fun and frothy reads.
1.) isn't too long
2.) has some great continuing characters - Francesca and Irene are my favorites
3.) has a mix of the "reality" of the time period with the froth and gloss
4.) and may have a bad guy to mess up the romance - but it's not necessarily an outsider. Nasty relatives were around in history too, folks.
The Marriage Wager is Dominic and Constance's story. Francesca, a lovely fashionable widow, takes a bet from the Duke, that she can make over the dowdy Constance. Constance takes the chance that the season can bring her more than just chaperoning her younger cousins. She doesn't even imagine that she could fall in love with Francesca's brother Dominic. He is supposed to be looking for an heiress. Nice steady lead characters.
The Bridal Quest is Francesca's next task. How can she find a wife for Gideon? He's a long lost heir that was finally found. He grew up on the streets and his relatives are trying to tame him by getting him married. Irene has not had a good view of marriage and is not interested in getting a husband. Her plain speaking has not won her many fans. But Francesca thinks Irene can help her to get Gideon to be more like a gentleman. These are some great characters - fairly unusual for romance and this book has a bit of a mystery element too.
The Wedding Challenge has Francesca finding a husband for her ex-fiance's sister. Callie wants to get married but is tired of all the fortune hunters who want to wed a Duke's sister. She manages to find Bromwell herself, but she doesn't know his family's past history with her brother. But who is telling the truth? Brom or her brother Sinclair? There are some great scenes in this book. While the leads are good, you can tell that this book sets up the next one with Francesca and Sinclair.
The Courtship Dance is finally Sinclair and Francesca's story. And I think the best one in the bunch. We finally get some answers to their early romance, and Francesca's own unhappy marriage. She feels she has let the Duke down and decides she is going to find him a suitable wife. He decides to let her, but he really only wants her. Some great characters who deal truthfully with their past lives and troubles. You will find that you are really rooting for them by the end of the story. A most satisfying read.
And there you have it. A strong romance series. Some great leads, some fun secondary characters - love the great-aunt Lady Odelia - and some good story lines. Some very fun and frothy reads.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Pel and the Faceless Corpse
Mark Hebden's Inspector Pel series features a lead character who a bit of a worry wart. Pel is concerned about his digestive system, his hostile television addict of a housekeeper and his smoking habit. But he isn't worried about murder. It happens and he solves it with his team. How pragmatic. How French.
This case, Pel and the Faceless Corpse, brings Pel to a tiny town in the mountains, where outsiders are easily noticed and memories of the war (WWII) are long. The dead man is an outsider, but because of the way he was murdered it is hard to tell who he is. Maybe the better question is who do the locals think he is? He was found at the base of a monument dedicated to the local group of Resistance fighters who were shot during the war. Was he a Nazi or just a German? For some the label is enterchangable. Pel and his team must straighten out the past, and look into the rumors of money that the Germans lost when they left the town. Who is telling the truth?
Pel is a engaging character and his team provides a bit of realism that some mysteries do not. And it is an interesting view of small town France. I would like to take a look at other books in the series. A good read.
This case, Pel and the Faceless Corpse, brings Pel to a tiny town in the mountains, where outsiders are easily noticed and memories of the war (WWII) are long. The dead man is an outsider, but because of the way he was murdered it is hard to tell who he is. Maybe the better question is who do the locals think he is? He was found at the base of a monument dedicated to the local group of Resistance fighters who were shot during the war. Was he a Nazi or just a German? For some the label is enterchangable. Pel and his team must straighten out the past, and look into the rumors of money that the Germans lost when they left the town. Who is telling the truth?
Pel is a engaging character and his team provides a bit of realism that some mysteries do not. And it is an interesting view of small town France. I would like to take a look at other books in the series. A good read.
Busman's Honeymoon
I have a habit of not reading the last book in a series. I put off the inevitable because I usually want the author or the characters to go on and on. The last book seems so final. (Nowadays it is possible for them to go on and on because the author's estates sell the rights to the name or the character.) But in this case Dorothy L. Sayers concentrated on writing other things and gave us the last Lord Peter Wimsey book entitled Busman's Honeymoon. However in the 1937 version that I read, the book is subtitled A Love Story with Detective Interruptions. And that gives the reader a big clue that this particular Wimsey book is not going to be all about finding evidence.
At the beginning, we find Lord Peter and Harriet Vane attempting to finalize their long romance by marrying. It sounds much easier than it is, with the press hounding them and Peter's sister-in-law making plans that no one wants. How ever they manage to do the deed and slip off to the countryside to their new country home. The new home is not all that is it was promised to be, and with the help of Bunter, Lord Peter's man, the happy couple has a lovely evening just the same. However the following day brings a corpse in the basement and it embroils them in a local mystery that they can not get away from.
But along with the mystery, Sayers gives the characters time to figure out some things about their marriage. How will they go on? Will Harriet accept that Peter will always have to have his hand in a case? Will Peter remember to keep her involved? They are trying to figure out their new roles and how Bunter, the man of all trades, fits into the mix.
Sayers gives us a realistic ending. Lord Peter has never been very good with the end result of a case. In those days, they hung murderers. It usually brought back memories of the war (WWI) for him. But this time he has Harriet to help him. A very good read.
At the beginning, we find Lord Peter and Harriet Vane attempting to finalize their long romance by marrying. It sounds much easier than it is, with the press hounding them and Peter's sister-in-law making plans that no one wants. How ever they manage to do the deed and slip off to the countryside to their new country home. The new home is not all that is it was promised to be, and with the help of Bunter, Lord Peter's man, the happy couple has a lovely evening just the same. However the following day brings a corpse in the basement and it embroils them in a local mystery that they can not get away from.
But along with the mystery, Sayers gives the characters time to figure out some things about their marriage. How will they go on? Will Harriet accept that Peter will always have to have his hand in a case? Will Peter remember to keep her involved? They are trying to figure out their new roles and how Bunter, the man of all trades, fits into the mix.
Sayers gives us a realistic ending. Lord Peter has never been very good with the end result of a case. In those days, they hung murderers. It usually brought back memories of the war (WWI) for him. But this time he has Harriet to help him. A very good read.
CookOff: Recipe Fever in America
Do you watch eagerly any and all cooking competitions on the Food Network? Do you dream of entering the Pillsbury BakeOff? If so then Amy Sutherland's book Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America is for you. Sutherland captures the history, enthusiasm and a bit of the wackiness that is inherent in these contests that are promoted as being all American. But do these contests really reflect what America eats? Or is this a case of the contestants giving the big food conglomerates what they want? And are they really cooking anyway? Or just assembling ingredients?
Sutherland delves into all those questions and many more as she follows contestants to the Pillsbury, garlic fest and other cook offs and well as a couple chili competitions. Just who are these people who compete? Some are what they call "contesters" people who have been doing this for quite a while. (Pillsbury has limits now on how many years you can compete at the contest - three!) Some are fresh faced newcomers just thrilled to be at their first contest. Most of the branded contests have women as the majority of their contestants. Men on the other hand dominate the chili and BBQ contests.
Sutherland has a great way of making these folks come alive in her writing. And she shows them to be very human with all their foibles, humor and passion. Most of these people love food and love to be creative in the kitchen. And it shows. Check out the mania and maybe you too will compete. A very entertaining read.
Sutherland delves into all those questions and many more as she follows contestants to the Pillsbury, garlic fest and other cook offs and well as a couple chili competitions. Just who are these people who compete? Some are what they call "contesters" people who have been doing this for quite a while. (Pillsbury has limits now on how many years you can compete at the contest - three!) Some are fresh faced newcomers just thrilled to be at their first contest. Most of the branded contests have women as the majority of their contestants. Men on the other hand dominate the chili and BBQ contests.
Sutherland has a great way of making these folks come alive in her writing. And she shows them to be very human with all their foibles, humor and passion. Most of these people love food and love to be creative in the kitchen. And it shows. Check out the mania and maybe you too will compete. A very entertaining read.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Murder in the Marais
Cara Black starts off her series with lead character Aimee Leduc in the book Murder in the Marais. What starts out as a simple and overpaid job of hunting down a encripted website, ends up becoming a case of murder. Aimee finds the body and sets in motion an investigation that goes all the way up to the top level of French politics.
The Marais is the traditionally Jewish section of Paris. And this is where the French Jews were rounded up during the occupation. Memories are long for injustices, and Aimee finds she is sifting through the history of the occupation in order to find out who would want an elderly Jewish woman murdered and who wants her to stop investigating.
This is a fast paced story but Black gives the reader enough time to get to know Aimee and her unusal background. Black hints at the fact that Aimee has secrets of her own that will be revealed in later books. Aimee is a tough character who has been trained by her recently deceased father in the art of detection. And it does not take the reader long to admire her tenacity and skill at going undercover to figure out the case. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series. A good mystery and a very good read.
The Marais is the traditionally Jewish section of Paris. And this is where the French Jews were rounded up during the occupation. Memories are long for injustices, and Aimee finds she is sifting through the history of the occupation in order to find out who would want an elderly Jewish woman murdered and who wants her to stop investigating.
This is a fast paced story but Black gives the reader enough time to get to know Aimee and her unusal background. Black hints at the fact that Aimee has secrets of her own that will be revealed in later books. Aimee is a tough character who has been trained by her recently deceased father in the art of detection. And it does not take the reader long to admire her tenacity and skill at going undercover to figure out the case. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series. A good mystery and a very good read.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Seven Ages of Paris
If you decide that you have forgotten anything you have learned about French history, or if you have decided that you are woefully ignorant of the French in general, you need to take a look at Alistair Horne's book Seven Ages of Paris.
In a fairly concise and enlivening book, Horne takes us on a whirlwind journey through the ages of Parisian life. This is definitely his view on things. But his view is a very good one - and it helps the ignorant like, yours truly, get a handle on the magnificent city that is Paris. From 358 AD to the rise of Mitterand, he gives us the politics, the people, architecture and artists that have given rise to the current "City of Lights." And he manages to interconnect them all as he goes along.
He has a bit of a "chatty" style for a historian, but he reminds you of the friend that is really going to tell you the highlights of what you need to know and nevermind the rest. I was amazed that his writing drew me in and kept me reading in the great saga that is PARIS! I was a bit disappointed by the lack of information about the French Revolution - a bit sketchy there - but the discussion of the aftermath, kept me from protesting. And besides he did tell you he was going to do the history - his way. An excellent book to look at the history of an exciting city. Viva la France!
In a fairly concise and enlivening book, Horne takes us on a whirlwind journey through the ages of Parisian life. This is definitely his view on things. But his view is a very good one - and it helps the ignorant like, yours truly, get a handle on the magnificent city that is Paris. From 358 AD to the rise of Mitterand, he gives us the politics, the people, architecture and artists that have given rise to the current "City of Lights." And he manages to interconnect them all as he goes along.
He has a bit of a "chatty" style for a historian, but he reminds you of the friend that is really going to tell you the highlights of what you need to know and nevermind the rest. I was amazed that his writing drew me in and kept me reading in the great saga that is PARIS! I was a bit disappointed by the lack of information about the French Revolution - a bit sketchy there - but the discussion of the aftermath, kept me from protesting. And besides he did tell you he was going to do the history - his way. An excellent book to look at the history of an exciting city. Viva la France!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
When the dead body of a stranger lies in the garden of an disheveled ancient family home, what's an eleven year old girl with a passion for chemistry (and a unnatural knowledge of poisons) supposed to do? Solve the mystery of course. Welcome to Flavia's world.
Flavia de Luce is 11 going on 4o. She's the neglected youngest daughter of an absent minded stamp collector in Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. With her trusty bicycle Gladys, Flavia is determined to solve this crime. When her father is charged with the murder, it becomes even more important. She doesn't realize that the investigation will lead her to finding out more about her father's past.
Bradley does an excellent job showing us an eccentric dysfunctional family and manages to make it seem "normal" to Flavia. And when her older sisters lock her up in a closet or tell her she was really brought home as a baby from a store, she does what any normal youngest child does. She takes revenge. She just does it a little differently, with poison ivy in a lipstick.
I'm excited that this is to be a series. There are too many de Luce family secrets that have been hinted at and need to be uncovered. As a reader, I am looking forward to seeing Flavia and her sisters growing up in this odd environment. A very fun read!
Flavia de Luce is 11 going on 4o. She's the neglected youngest daughter of an absent minded stamp collector in Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley. With her trusty bicycle Gladys, Flavia is determined to solve this crime. When her father is charged with the murder, it becomes even more important. She doesn't realize that the investigation will lead her to finding out more about her father's past.
Bradley does an excellent job showing us an eccentric dysfunctional family and manages to make it seem "normal" to Flavia. And when her older sisters lock her up in a closet or tell her she was really brought home as a baby from a store, she does what any normal youngest child does. She takes revenge. She just does it a little differently, with poison ivy in a lipstick.
I'm excited that this is to be a series. There are too many de Luce family secrets that have been hinted at and need to be uncovered. As a reader, I am looking forward to seeing Flavia and her sisters growing up in this odd environment. A very fun read!
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monsieur Pamplemousse - A Gastronomic Sleuth
The world knows author Michael Bond for his creation of Paddington Bear. But have you heard of his other literary creation for adults - Monsieur Pamplemousse? Monsieur Pamplemousse is a man of many talents. He was on the National Police force - but there was that chorus girls scandal in Paris (but no specifics - hmmm). He is now working undercover for Le Guide - the premier French publication which rates restaurants and food establishments throughout France. He brings along his dog Pomme Frites, on his food excursions in French countryside. He is a bit annoyed when his much awaited special dinner, is served with a fake human head. Has this renowned restaurant gone down hill? Mon dieu!
This series of adult books are bawdy bits of fun. Is it the French? Or Mr. Bond's quirky sense of humor? These are characters to be savored and enjoyed. Even Pomme Frites' has something to say. The mysteries are solved in the end, but the wacky winding and funny road it took to get there - well, c'est la vie. Definitely fun and frothy.
So far I've read:
Monsieur Pamplemousse
Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission
This series of adult books are bawdy bits of fun. Is it the French? Or Mr. Bond's quirky sense of humor? These are characters to be savored and enjoyed. Even Pomme Frites' has something to say. The mysteries are solved in the end, but the wacky winding and funny road it took to get there - well, c'est la vie. Definitely fun and frothy.
So far I've read:
Monsieur Pamplemousse
Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Fortunes' Kiss
Lisa Manuel's book, Fortunes' Kiss, seems like it might be a standard historical romance, but it has enough quirks in it for a reader to sit up and take notice. Moira is trying to find out about her late stepfather's will. Having no male relative to step forward for her, she goes to London herself to see the new Baron and figure out what monies are left to her and her mother. She doesn't figure on the new heir being the slightly notorious Graham Foster, adventurer and Egyptian antiques expert.
Estranged from his family, Graham is not happy about returning to England. And he definitely is not happy when Moira accuses him of stealing her inheritance. But he starts to help her find out what happened and in the process she helps him and his family adjust to their new situation.
This book has some nicely done quirky characters (some great scenes with Graham's pet Sun Spider), and the leads are nicely normal. The author makes them very appealing and the reader wants them to succeed and solve their puzzle. A fun read.
Estranged from his family, Graham is not happy about returning to England. And he definitely is not happy when Moira accuses him of stealing her inheritance. But he starts to help her find out what happened and in the process she helps him and his family adjust to their new situation.
This book has some nicely done quirky characters (some great scenes with Graham's pet Sun Spider), and the leads are nicely normal. The author makes them very appealing and the reader wants them to succeed and solve their puzzle. A fun read.
Blow Me Down - a Virtual Romance!
What if you got trapped in a virtual reality game? Would you panic? Would you be able to support yourself as you went through the "game?" Just what are the rules in this new world? Kate MacAlister deals with those issues in her book, Blow Me Down.
Amy is just trying to relieve some tension by playing her daughter's virtual reality game. She just thinks she is playing the part of a wench in this pirate world called Buckling Swashes. And she doesn't realize she is trapped until she meets up with Black Corbin who recognizes her as a fellow real person and not a game character. He thinks she is great even when she bests him in a duel. She thinks he is arrogant but realizes he knows the rules since he was one of the games programmers. And he thinks he know how they got trapped in the game.
On a island filled with pirates, taverns, and houses of ill repute, Amy finds herself using a sword again, learning how to sail a sloop, and trying to organize a finance system for a local brothel. And teaming up with Corbin leads her to wonder - if he likes her in the VR world, will he like her in the real world? A fun and frothy good time.
Amy is just trying to relieve some tension by playing her daughter's virtual reality game. She just thinks she is playing the part of a wench in this pirate world called Buckling Swashes. And she doesn't realize she is trapped until she meets up with Black Corbin who recognizes her as a fellow real person and not a game character. He thinks she is great even when she bests him in a duel. She thinks he is arrogant but realizes he knows the rules since he was one of the games programmers. And he thinks he know how they got trapped in the game.
On a island filled with pirates, taverns, and houses of ill repute, Amy finds herself using a sword again, learning how to sail a sloop, and trying to organize a finance system for a local brothel. And teaming up with Corbin leads her to wonder - if he likes her in the VR world, will he like her in the real world? A fun and frothy good time.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Murder on the Eiffel Tower
Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner is a wonderful book that combines history and mystery to produce a fun work of fiction. We are immersed from the beginning in the 1889 World Exposition in Paris. The entire city is focused on the new Eiffel Tower and the exposition. The joy and the excitement of going up to the viewing platforms has visitors in a frenzy. And when someone is murdered on the platform, the case makes front page news. But who would murder a maiden aunt taking her niece and nephews on an outing? Victor Legris, a young bookseller, is on the platform with newspaper friends when this happens and wants to find the culprit. And when more people start dying after visiting the viewing platforms and the exposition, he is determined to solve the case - even as his friends are turning into suspects.
The author (really a pen name for two lady booksellers in modern France) brings to life the Paris of the time, and Victor's occupations as bookseller and book critic. Victor is a compelling character who is trying to be modern but finds he is more conservative than he thinks he is. With a cast of interesting secondary characters, the story allows us a brief glimpse into their world. And we had a wonderful time. A very fun read.
The author (really a pen name for two lady booksellers in modern France) brings to life the Paris of the time, and Victor's occupations as bookseller and book critic. Victor is a compelling character who is trying to be modern but finds he is more conservative than he thinks he is. With a cast of interesting secondary characters, the story allows us a brief glimpse into their world. And we had a wonderful time. A very fun read.
The Perfect Poison
The Arcane Society continues in Amanda Quick's The Perfect Poison. Quick (who is Jayne Ann Krentz) has written her sixth book in the series - the third historical one. And much to this reader's joy - she keeps the excitement in the series. (Can I tell you how many times books within a long series, have clunkers through out because the author can not keep up the quality?)
Finally Quick brings us Colin's story. Colin Jones' talent is a difficult one - he has a talent for strategy and making connections. He sees the patterns in his head and connects the dots so that the Society and his new project, Jones and Company can figure out what is going on in the battle for the founder's formula. He doesn't have Miss Lucinda Bromley in his pattern however.
Lucinda has a talent for botany - more specifically figuring out what botanic ingredients have been combined to create potions for good or for evil. She's been helping a member of Scotland Yard, with various cases that involve poisons and she discovers that one of the ingredients she has figured out was stolen from her greenhouse. She decides to enlist Jones and Company to find out who the thief is and where is her plant. She also has a bit of a reputation - she is rumored to have poisoned her fiance, and wants things handled as quickly as possible. When they meet - they end up surprising each other - with their talents and intelligence. And when Colin figures out her thief is connected to his quest - the hunt is on.
Quick once again gives us great characters, with pithy dialogue and a roller coaster ride of a plot. And she brings us an excellent subplot of an Arcane Society matchmaker in action. (It would be fun to have her again in another book!) Along the way she manages to deftly fill in more details about the Jones family, the Arcane Society, their history, and their members' talents. I can hardly wait for the next installment! A very good read!
Finally Quick brings us Colin's story. Colin Jones' talent is a difficult one - he has a talent for strategy and making connections. He sees the patterns in his head and connects the dots so that the Society and his new project, Jones and Company can figure out what is going on in the battle for the founder's formula. He doesn't have Miss Lucinda Bromley in his pattern however.
Lucinda has a talent for botany - more specifically figuring out what botanic ingredients have been combined to create potions for good or for evil. She's been helping a member of Scotland Yard, with various cases that involve poisons and she discovers that one of the ingredients she has figured out was stolen from her greenhouse. She decides to enlist Jones and Company to find out who the thief is and where is her plant. She also has a bit of a reputation - she is rumored to have poisoned her fiance, and wants things handled as quickly as possible. When they meet - they end up surprising each other - with their talents and intelligence. And when Colin figures out her thief is connected to his quest - the hunt is on.
Quick once again gives us great characters, with pithy dialogue and a roller coaster ride of a plot. And she brings us an excellent subplot of an Arcane Society matchmaker in action. (It would be fun to have her again in another book!) Along the way she manages to deftly fill in more details about the Jones family, the Arcane Society, their history, and their members' talents. I can hardly wait for the next installment! A very good read!
Fool's Puzzle
When you are reading the first book in a series, you hope for the best. The best would be that you are interested enough in the character, her surroundings and situations to continue reading the rest of the books in the series. The worst would be that nothing touched the reader enough to bother looking up the next book in the series. I'm here to say that Earlene Fowler's Fool's Puzzle has brought out the best.
Benni Harper is a widow who has taken up the job of a director of a small town folk-art museum. The museum also rents out studio space to various artists. Benni happens to stumble upon one - a dead one - when she is supposed to be setting up for her first quilt exhibition. Was it a former boyfriend? A stranger? Blackmail? Benni keeps getting hints from the local police chief to leave it alone. But as she asks more questions, she keeps finding more clues about what happened the night her husband died.
Fowler sets up a series filled with an interesting location - a farming/cattle area in small town California, quirky characters - her best friend Elvia is a stitch, and a question of romance between the Hispanic police chief and Benni. She leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next to these folks. A good read.
Benni Harper is a widow who has taken up the job of a director of a small town folk-art museum. The museum also rents out studio space to various artists. Benni happens to stumble upon one - a dead one - when she is supposed to be setting up for her first quilt exhibition. Was it a former boyfriend? A stranger? Blackmail? Benni keeps getting hints from the local police chief to leave it alone. But as she asks more questions, she keeps finding more clues about what happened the night her husband died.
Fowler sets up a series filled with an interesting location - a farming/cattle area in small town California, quirky characters - her best friend Elvia is a stitch, and a question of romance between the Hispanic police chief and Benni. She leaves the reader wanting to know what happens next to these folks. A good read.
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