The Body in the Fjord: A Faith Fairchild Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Katherine Hall Page (Author)

Book Description

Series: Faith Fairchild Mysteries | Publication Date: November 1, 1998

This time out, smalltown caterer and minister's wife Faith Fairchild's neighbor, Pix Miller, takes center stage, heading off to Norway to investigate the sudden disappearance of a family friend. Determined to discover the truth, Pix is drawn into a suspenseful world of intrigue, stolen antiques, secret histories, and deadly echoes from Norway's past and the Nazi occupation. Surrounded by the country's breathtaking beauty, the ever-resourceful New Englander perseveres -- until at last she finds herself face-to-face with a remorseless killer...with no way out.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Caterer Faith Fairchild's part-time employee, Pix Miller, departs for Norway, where a friend has suddenly disappeared. Eighth in a charming series, complete with food talk, stolen antiques, murder?and recipes.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Eighth in a homespun series (The Body in the Bog, 1996, etc.) usually focused on busybody Faith Fairchild, a minister's wife in Aleford, Mass., who runs a catering service with the help of Pix Miller, a mother of two. Here, Pix's own mother, Ursala Rowe, has had a call for help from her old friend Marit Hansen, longtime resident in Norway: Marit's granddaughter Kari has vanished after the drowning death of her fianc‚e Erik. The two had left their jobs as guides on a Scandie Sights tour, supposedly to elope. In short order, Ursala and Pix are on their way to Norway to join the ongoing tour and help Marit find her granddaughter. As the tour group moves from town to town and fjord to fjord, Pix and Ursala cross-question the other travelers, mostly American, and the current guides Carl and Jan, finding out little but provoking someone to lock Pix in a sauna. It's also her misfortune to discover the body of Oscar Melling, an obnoxious New Jerseyite, who's been killed in a seemingly accidental fall. The huge swastika painted overnight on the front lawn of one hotel is bad enough, evoking connections to the country's Quisling past, but it takes the kidnapping, imprisonment, and eventual escape of our heroine to accomplish the trip's mission. Masses of tourist-guide information; lots of inane chitchat; an endless parade of food and drink (recipes included), and a string of common-sensedefying plot developments: all make, together, an uncompelling, often tedious outing. (Author tour) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Avon; First Thus edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380731290
• ISBN-13: 978-0380731299
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,081,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Katherine Hall Page is the author of seventeen previous Faith Fairchild mysteries, the first of which received the Agatha Award for best first mystery, and recently The Body in the Snowdrift was honored with the Agatha Award for best novel of 2006. Page also won an Agatha for her short story "The Would-Be Widower." She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best of this series, January 18, 2001

By 

Karen Potts (Lake Jackson, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Body in the Fjord: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Let's face it--Faith Fairchild is a much more interesting heroine than her friend Pix Miller. In this installment of "The Body....." books, Pix accompanies her mother on a trip to Norway. She has been summoned by her childhood friend, Marit Hansen whose daughter has disappeared after the death of her fiance. The theory is that since the two young people were tour guides, the group of women can join the tour and discover the culprits to the apparent murder/kidnapping. The best part of the book is the background of Norway with frequent references to the geography, climate, customs, and food of the country. Somehow this book doesn't come across as well as others of the series and it's hard to care about characters who are never fully developed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars disappointed, July 13, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Body in the Fjord: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

The book held no suspense and the story was lacking. Its only redeeming quality is the setting, especially if you've been to the fjords.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mystery and Travelog combined, December 12, 2001

By 

Daniel L Pratt (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Body in the Fjord: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

Warning -- this could be an expensive book -- you may find yourself longing to tour Norway yourself! All the standard elements of the genre are present, leavened with Norwegian humor (What does Sweden have that Norway doesn't? Good neighbors.), recipes (lutefisk is fish steeped in lye, so I'll aim for the ginger cookies), and such original similes as "Her voice was as bitter as an unripe lingonberry". Highly recommended.