Customer Reviews

Dove in the Window: A Benni Harper Mystery (Beeler Large Print Mystery Series)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is Earlene's fifth book in the series and you know that with Dove in the title, Grandma Dove will be featured a bit more. I enjoyed this book from the first page to the last and didn't want the book to end. I highly recommend it!

In this fifth book of the Earlene Fowler quilting series, the community of San Celina is getting ready for Heritage Days and Benni Harper, the curator of the local folk art museum is encouraging quilters, painters and photographers to complete their projects for the show. An exhibit of women artists who specialize in Western scenes is expected to be very popular with the visitors.

Benni and her husband Gabe are still working out the kinks in their new marriage and the surprise visit of a former brother-in-law causes dissention between them. Grandmother Dove is as feisty as ever and cousin Emory visits from Arkansas. At the annual Harper family barbecue, a young and talented photographer is found dead and Benni's concerned because the young woman had confided a serious problem to her.

There's always a lot going on in these stories and the author does a great job of keeping the reader interested in all of the different plots.

Once again, Earlene Fowler had me hooked right from the beginning in this fifth book in her series. For those of us who love Grandma Dove, this book is especially wonderful since she is featured a bit more -- and there's a new man in her life! As with the other books, I feel I know Benni and Gabe as I read. Great reading.

I love all of Earlene Fowler's books. The Benny Harper series is a great one to read at the beach. Fun, Light mysteries, that don't give you a headache trying to figure it out. You feel like Benny and her husband are old friends dropping by for a visit.

Earlene Fowler manages to deal with tender and poignant family struggles as well as giving the reader an exciting whodunnit. Benni has to learn to let go of her past and move on, allow Dove her own life as well as be loyal to family members. These are things all people experience and will be able to identify with as they read. A good story that has humor as well as heartbreak.

Earlene Fowler has peopled her Bennie Harper series with plenty of enjoyable small-town characters and an authentic, humorous, feet-on-the-coffeetable ambiance. Two things, though, were enough for me to lop off some stars in my rating.

I took off one star for the irritating practice of mentioning an event several times throughout the book--in this case, a "hot" date between Benni's best friend and her cousin--and then having the event happen sometime out of the time frame of the book. Unfair, annoying, and unnecessary, near as I can tell.

I took off another star because a young photographer gave Bennie an album of her pictures on page 13. When the photographer is subsequently killed, I waited--and waited--and waited--for her to finally remember the album and look at it. It's one of those times when you want to shout at the character for being such a numbskull. On page 289, I could finally rest easy. I love San Celine; I think its inhabitants are a lot of fun, so much so that I resented being tripped up by the author and reminded that this is, after all, a manufactured story.

"I'm going to kill you, Benni Harper." Benni's gone and done it again.....gotten herself mixed up in a murder mystery. During the annual Day-after-Thanksgiving barbeque at Benni's childhood home, a body is discovered. It's up to Benni to figure out who among the 200+ relatives and friends is a murderer. This book is the fifth in a series written by Earlene Fowler. The writing is witty, crisp and realistic. Benni is every bit as feisty and sarcastic as in the first book FOOL'S PUZZLE. I highly recommend this series - although each book stands on its own, it's best to start from the beginning. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!

Earlene Fowler is one of favorite authors. You can't miss when you read any one of her books. Enjoy and happy reading.

I am slowly working my way through the Bennie Harper mysteries and enjoying each and every one so far. There are a few things that make this book (and series in general) stand out for me:

1) the characters are very well developed
2) the way the characters behave actually is within the bounds of being reasonable
3) the setting is well described and vivid
4) the motive for the murder is plausible

Overall a very good series and this is another strong installment. Even though the setting of a ranch in central California isn't my favorite setting, the books are still very, very good. I compare this group of books favorably to those of the Coffee House series by Cleo Coyle which is my all-time favorite mystery series.

Hint: There really isn't any quilting in this book, even though that is what the name implies. Not even really much folk art in this one if that's what you are looking for.

I'm a big fan of Earlene Fowler and this installment doesn't disappoint. Lot's of interesting characters and twists. She kept me guessing til the end!