Angel At Troublesome Creek [Paperback]

Mignon F. Ballard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 6, 2001

Meet Augusta Goodnight-a super-sleuth guardian angel who died during World War II-and who answers the prayers of a woman trying to get to the bottom of her aunt's suspicious death.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ballard (Final Curtain, etc.) begins a new series with a most unusual protagonist. Augusta Goodnight, who drew her last mortal breath during WWII, comes back to the living as a guardian angel, appearing just in time to help Mary George Murphy figure out the problems in her life. Mary George has been having a rough time: her beloved Aunt Caroline, her adoptive mother, has died recently under odd circumstances; she has been fired from her job; and her jerk of a fianc? has dumped her ("Three weeks after that hussy aerobics instructor moved in next door to him, his mind turned to tofu"). With the unpredictable assistance of Augusta, Mary George begins rebuilding her life, while she tries to sort out what could have happened to Aunt Caroline. At the center of the mystery is a missing Bible that contains an important secret. Mary George's efforts to get at the truth lead her on an important journey of self-discovery. Along the way she is reunited with a childhood friend, who just may be an important part of her future. Ballard writes with great warmth and sassy humor. The puzzle, however, is far less important than Mary George's progress, spurred by the brash Augusta, toward happiness and self-reliance. (Nov.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Mary George Murphy is depressed: her fianc? cancels their wedding, she loses her job, and her much-loved adoptive aunt dies. Just as Mary botches another half-hearted suicide attempt, a guardian angel appears on the scene. Augusta Goodnight brings with her a wild sense of humor, World War II-vintage experience, and loads of common sense. She goads Mary into investigating her aunt's suspicious death and her own years in an orphanage, then provides moral support, companionship, and comic relief while Mary fends off her ex-fianc?. Light, bouncy prose, small-town Southern perspective and characters, and a most fetching angel make this first volume in a new series a real charmer. For all collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (February 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425178544
• ISBN-13: 978-0425178546
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 3.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hushpuppies and Haunts, June 1, 2000

By 

jane grau (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angel at Troublesome Creek (Augusta Goodnight Mysteries) (Hardcover)

As usual, Ballard's take on the small-town South is right on. Her infallible eye for character and ear for language help her create engaging eccentrics, colorful colloquialisms, and mouthwatering menus. Her tastes don't stop at butter beans and biscuits, however. Her penchant is for suspense, developed with puzzles of both the criminal and romantic kind. This book features the usual rainy-day mystery cast: a forlorn but spunky heroine, innumerable snoops and suspects, and a dead body or two. But the star is Augusta Goodnight, who has a knack for baking, a flair for fashion, and a halo and wings. She's not only an unusual guardian but a refreshing departure for the genre. If you're in a curl-up-in-the-windowseat-with-a-good-book mood, read Angel at Troublesome Creek.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good balance of humor, romance and mystery, March 16, 2001

By 

Kris Backus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angel At Troublesome Creek (Paperback)

What a delightful book this was! A good balance of mystery, a little suspense, a little romance, red herrings - this book had it all, along with a whimsical guardian angel full of spunk. The book was somewhat of a cross between an Aunt Dimity mystery or a Donna Andrews ("Murder with Peacocks"), both the "lighter" style of mystery, with an aim to entertain. The book succeeded in doing just that. A great quick read.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A sweet cozy..., January 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Angel at Troublesome Creek (Augusta Goodnight Mysteries) (Hardcover)

This is the first Ballard book that I have read, so I cannot compare it with previous works. However, I truly enjoyed this outing. The mystery isn't that complicated and the motive behind the murder is dubious. So what makes this book so wonderful you might ask? The angel that visits the protagonist. Their relationship is the most interesting thing. I found myself hurriedly reading through some of the other scenes in order to find the scenes that include the angel. I definitely plan on reading Ms. Ballard's new angel book and I will hope that it perhaps includes more of a relationship between the lead and the angel. Information about the angel's life on earth would have been a plus. Some information about the angel's life is included but just enough to wet your appetite for more.