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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Awful, May 26, 2007
This review is from: Faux Finished: An Interior Design Mystery (Paperback)
This is one of the worst books I've ever read.
Around page 40, I put it down and hopped onto Amazon thinking I had surely missed the first book in the series when Jean started talking about her previous amateur sleuthing case in detail. However, surprisingly, this was the first in the series. I found that to be a very questionable decision by the author.
The main character, Jean, was completely unlikeable, as was her daughter Jean Jr. Charlie was annoying, and Mary was just plain stupid. There were far too many characters to keep track of, and I found it annoying and trying to keep straight so many characters with similar names (Harmon and Harrison, Mac and Matt, Jean and Jean Jr.), or trying to figure out someone's gender (I was on page 150 of a 200-page book before finding out that the twins, Kelly and Kerry, were a boy and girl and not two girls). It made for a confusing story.
I also hated the fact that so many things happened "off-page." The reader is given vague hints as to what's going on ("She gave me the information I requested. Then I went out to make some phone calls. After the calls were made, I got in the van and drove to the next stop in the plan."). When I'm reading a book, I want to know what's going on -- I don't want vague references as we progress, only to be hit over the head with a bunch of fill-in-the-blanks as the author tries to wrap up the story.
Overall, the book was just bad, and if there were an option for 0 stars, I would've chosen that. I definitely won't be looking for anything else by this author, and will be dropping this one off at the local used bookstore, rather than even passing it on to anyone else.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Window treatments?, December 14, 2007
This review is from: Faux Finished: An Interior Design Mystery (Paperback)
Designer Jeans is the only interior design firm in the small town of Seville, Indiana, run by Jean Hastings and her daughter, Jean (aka JR). Having provided new designs for some of the local residents, Designer Jeans has been hired on to redecorate the local country club's dining room. Glad for the work and the chance to prove their skills, Jean and JR go to work on the dining room when the country club's manager Harrison Fowler appears highly distraught and upset about the refurbishing. Jean immediately puts him in his place, informing him that he works for the members of the club - and that includes Jean and her husband, so he'd better tread carefully. What Jean doesn't suspect is that she may be threatening a murderer!
Jean manages to keep her nose out of the investigation of local bookseller and country club board member Harmon Brinker's supposed accidental death, but her eye for finding the just right thing at flea markets and yard sales has pointed out some discrepancies she can't reconcile. Still, she tries to continue with her work on the club's dining room without being too nosy. But when the grand opening of the refurbished dining room is crashed by none other than Harrison Fowler - literally, as he collapses as he begins his toast - she is asked to find the culprit. Matt, Jean's son-in-law, orders, pleas and begs with her to leave the investigating to him and the rest of the police force, but as the bodies pile up, Jean feels that there is little time to lose before someone else is killed. We follow Jean and her best friend and sister-in-law Mary as they interview suspects and search for motives from their fellow country club members, discovering secrets about their small town and its people that they never suspected.
I was pleasantly surprised by this new cozy series featuring interior design. A lot of the plot includes designer tips, but the plot is sturdy and the characters are well-developed and easy to relate to in their foibles and follies. I enjoyed the banter amongst them, but I was a little confused when previous escapades popped up in the story when this was the first in the series. However, once I discovered that I wasn't crazy and there were no previous books featuring these characters, I liked the fact that the author gave the protagonist a history of investigative (nosy) behavior, even if we didn't get to read along with her for the ride.
I doubt I'll be doing any interior design simply because it isn't something I excel doing, but I will be keeping an eye out for the next book in this cozy series featuring Jean Hastings and her friends and family. For those of you whom enjoy decorating, that's the icing on the cake in this book.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The perfect design for a winning new series!, April 12, 2007
This review is from: Faux Finished: An Interior Design Mystery (Paperback)
Jean Hastings always believed that she'd be happy once her children were out of the house, and she could devote her time to her beloved husband, Charles, a retired investment banker, and her fuzzy Keeshond friend, Pesty, along with hobbies that would please her for a change. Sure, not having to drive her offspring to various school activities, and sports practices is nice, but Jean is surprised to realize that she is actually suffering from...empty-nest syndrome. Suddenly, the change that she once craved has left her feeling unneeded and depressed. Charlie, happy with his discovery of golf - even though he manages to lose just about every game he plays - thinks that Jean needs something new to keep her occupied. A hobby, of sorts, that will take her mind off of being lonely. So he proposes an idea...she should turn her love of interior design into a business. After all, she has the know-how and the knack of the industry, and could really help out her Seville, Indiana neighbors with her knowledge of art deco, and whimsical furnishings. Enlisting the help of her daughter, Jean Jr., the two Jean's open up their workshop - Designer Jeans - and begin taking jobs throughout their hometown, as well as the greater part of Indianapolis. With their business well underway, they begin their quest for flea market bargains and treasures. When they land a job to redo the Sleepy Hollow Country Club's dining room, however, the Jean's throw all caution to the wind, and dive headfirst into their new assignment. Jean senior has always longed to turn the bland, old-fashioned dining room into something splendid that would truly make people's heads turn, and, with the help of Jean Jr., along with a perfect color scheme, and some well-placed decorations, the two Jean's are able to accomplish their task of turning the Country Club's dining room into a place of Art Deco splendor. But, on opening night of the newly refurbished dining room, the club's manager, Harrison Fowler, rises to make a toast, only to fall down dead - a series of gurgling sounds emitting from his lifeless body. Jean would simply write the death off as nothing more than a normal casualty. But, considering Harrison is the second person to kick the bucket in less than a week - the first being Harmon Brinker, owner of the local bookstore, The Book Cellar - Jean suspects foul play. Sticking her nose where it certainly doesn't belong, Jean begins doing a bit of digging into the mysterious deaths of two of Seville's prominent residents, and instantly turns up some interesting - if not altogether surprising - info. The only question Jean seems to keep stumbling upon, however, is how, exactly, the two deaths are connected; and why either one was committed. Now, in between searching for makeshift patterns, and elaborate color schemes for her next big project, Jean finds herself smack dab in the middle of a good, old-fashioned murder mystery. But, if she's not careful, she could find herself in a position most deadly at the hands of a killer.
I have never shown an interest in interior design, and easily prefer cooking over the dreaded thought of redecorating. However, I threw these thoughts out the window when I discovered Peg Marberg's debut FAUX FINISHED. The synopsis on the back cover was intriguing, and from page one I realized that I had made a fabulous decision in purchasing this book. While many mystery novels feature a slew of characters who rally around the heroine, Marberg keeps it simple by making Jean possess a personality comparative to that of a loner, providing her with a handful of acquaintances, but only a few very close pals - her sister-in-law, Mary, and daughter, Jean Jr. among them. This actually makes for a less-complicated read, as Jean hoofs it all over Seville and it's neighboring towns on her own, in an attempt to capture the killer. While I love Jean and her nonchalant, oft-times cynical outlook on everything around her, from her smoking problem to her sister-in-law's penchant for overeating, I was slightly baffled by the fact that Jean's title of resident amateur sleuth was already well-established, as opposed to being introduced for the first time. As this is the first book in the series, I felt that it was strange to be reading about Jean's prior girl detective escapades, and thought that FAUX FINISHED would feature her first foray into the world of investigations. That said, I don't feel that this slight peculiarity does anything to mar the book for readers, and only works to give us a better, more in-depth look into Jean's world. Featuring a collection of quirky characters, a town with enough charm to overwhelm, and some decorating tips that could help turn a room from bland to grand, Marberg's debut covers all the bases, and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment into Jean's hectic life. The perfect design for a winning new series!
Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer
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