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hlmaueraGraduation is over; the reception's behind us. Time to worry about the move. But not today. Today I read a book.
I haven't had much time to read but I've picked up a couple new authors and thought I should update y'all on my thoughts.
Earlene Fowler Benni Harper series:
Interesting. A little cynical, a little lonely. The main character, Benni Harper has lost her husband in a drunk driving hit and run. The story is mixed with her emotions dealing with the death of her husband. I enjoyed the first two books, the mysteries seemed well written but sometimes I had to go back to follow the logic. The emotional play of Benni dealing with her late-husband's family, her grandmother and aunt, and all of the friends that she shared with her husband were heartrending and yet often very funny too. Add in the new detective's interest and his error of sitting in her husband's chair and it's all very human. I'll keep reading.
Diane Mott Davidson Goldilocks catering:
The main character in this series is a caterer raising a pre-teen son and dealing with her abusive ex living in the same town. She gets along with her ex-in-laws although her mother-in-law is an alcoholic. Actually, alcoholism and addiction is a theme in the first book. The inclusion of the recipes was bit disruptive since they were thrown in wherever they were used and didn't wait for any logical break in the story. In the first book Goldy's catering business is shut down when someone is poisoned at a party she caters. As her only source of income, Goldy is desperate to solve the mystery of the poisoning so that she can reopen. This desperation leads Goldy to do some really stupid stuff. She's careless and reckless and I found myself being a little impatient with her. I want to read the second book to see if she is a bit more logical without desperation making her stupid. This book is a bit dark and deals with some pretty difficult issues- teenage angst, sexual abuse, battery, addiction and divorce.
Joanna Fluke Hannah Swenson myseries:
Hannah Swenson owns a cookie shop that has become the hub in a small town. Her brother-in-law is a cop who, in the first book is trying to make detective. Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with some eligible male so that she won't hit the dreaded 30 without being married. Her sister is a co-conspirator and ali. Hannah has no love interests at the start of the book but things start heating up towards the end. This book made me smile. If Hannah did some foolish things, it fell under the category of "It seemed good at the time." While this book also had a few serious topics, spousal abuse and addiction, they were dealt with in a sensitive manner without taking over the book. I am looking forward to continuing with this series.
Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries:
Theo owns a tea shop in the historic district of Charleston. She employs a tea connoisseur (Drayton) and a lovely young baker(Haley). The three of them keep things lively and humorous. Drayton is an older gentleman and belongs to the historic society. He left a high paying job in hotel management to come to the tea shop to blend, brew, and teach about teas. Theo and Drayton use their contacts in the historic district to gather leads. When Theo runs out of leads, the tea shop crew tries to set elaborate traps for the felons but aren't always successful. Detective Tidwell adds to this mix a delightfully dour personality. And although neither Theo nor Detective Tidwell really like each other, they find mutual respect and an advantegous collaboration. I find the characters engaging, the environment enchanting, and the mysteries interesting. I'll keep reading this series.
I haven't had much time to read but I've picked up a couple new authors and thought I should update y'all on my thoughts.
Earlene Fowler Benni Harper series:
Interesting. A little cynical, a little lonely. The main character, Benni Harper has lost her husband in a drunk driving hit and run. The story is mixed with her emotions dealing with the death of her husband. I enjoyed the first two books, the mysteries seemed well written but sometimes I had to go back to follow the logic. The emotional play of Benni dealing with her late-husband's family, her grandmother and aunt, and all of the friends that she shared with her husband were heartrending and yet often very funny too. Add in the new detective's interest and his error of sitting in her husband's chair and it's all very human. I'll keep reading.
Diane Mott Davidson Goldilocks catering:
The main character in this series is a caterer raising a pre-teen son and dealing with her abusive ex living in the same town. She gets along with her ex-in-laws although her mother-in-law is an alcoholic. Actually, alcoholism and addiction is a theme in the first book. The inclusion of the recipes was bit disruptive since they were thrown in wherever they were used and didn't wait for any logical break in the story. In the first book Goldy's catering business is shut down when someone is poisoned at a party she caters. As her only source of income, Goldy is desperate to solve the mystery of the poisoning so that she can reopen. This desperation leads Goldy to do some really stupid stuff. She's careless and reckless and I found myself being a little impatient with her. I want to read the second book to see if she is a bit more logical without desperation making her stupid. This book is a bit dark and deals with some pretty difficult issues- teenage angst, sexual abuse, battery, addiction and divorce.
Joanna Fluke Hannah Swenson myseries:
Hannah Swenson owns a cookie shop that has become the hub in a small town. Her brother-in-law is a cop who, in the first book is trying to make detective. Her mother is constantly trying to set her up with some eligible male so that she won't hit the dreaded 30 without being married. Her sister is a co-conspirator and ali. Hannah has no love interests at the start of the book but things start heating up towards the end. This book made me smile. If Hannah did some foolish things, it fell under the category of "It seemed good at the time." While this book also had a few serious topics, spousal abuse and addiction, they were dealt with in a sensitive manner without taking over the book. I am looking forward to continuing with this series.
Laura Childs Tea Shop Mysteries:
Theo owns a tea shop in the historic district of Charleston. She employs a tea connoisseur (Drayton) and a lovely young baker(Haley). The three of them keep things lively and humorous. Drayton is an older gentleman and belongs to the historic society. He left a high paying job in hotel management to come to the tea shop to blend, brew, and teach about teas. Theo and Drayton use their contacts in the historic district to gather leads. When Theo runs out of leads, the tea shop crew tries to set elaborate traps for the felons but aren't always successful. Detective Tidwell adds to this mix a delightfully dour personality. And although neither Theo nor Detective Tidwell really like each other, they find mutual respect and an advantegous collaboration. I find the characters engaging, the environment enchanting, and the mysteries interesting. I'll keep reading this series.
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