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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Chick-Lit Mystery with class!, April 16, 2007
This review is from: Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Bargain Hunters Mysteries, No. 1) (Paperback)
I took this book with me when I went with some friends to spend the day lazing in the sun on top of a ruined castle. We found a nice spot on the thick grassy wall overlooking the moat and forest. One friend dozed off while the other did cartwheels and ate pistachios, but not at the same time. In any case, my peals of laughter echoed down the valley again and again, and each time I had to explain to my friends just what was happening at that point in the story. They spent a lot of time frowning, scratching their heads, and declaring me to be crazy. Me, not the author, you'll notice.
Need I say I enjoyed this book immensely? The concept of a garage sale hobby is familiar terrain, and it's been taken one step further with the Bargain Hunters' Network. Four women in vastly different life situations, yet bound together by friendship and the passion for chasing good prices.
But this is more than just chick-lit. There's plenty of danger and excitement - there's a serious political conspiracy, a clumsy lawyer-turned-burglar with the girlfriend who learned how to break and enter from watching TV, a mechanical elk, a shopping-mall showdown, and a couple of elderly ladies who use guns, pepper sprays, lightswitches, and rouge powder to resist the villains.
And there's certainly plenty to laugh about, as you've noticed from my experience atop the castle. Whether it's a three-year-old having a conversation with a robber in the middle of the night, or her mother making frantic phone calls while giving birth, or the skater dude giving the old man advice for his marriage, it is all just delectable. Good enough to eat.
"Death of a Garage Sale Newbie" is a treasure I will hold close to my heart. It's a murder mystery with a more personal touch than most, as the victim is a close friend of the women who end up finding the killer. The tale twists and turns incredibly and relies often on girl power and the potential for goodness hidden even in the bad guys.
Ginger, the central character, goes through a tough period in her marriage as the plot unfolds, and it's a lovely side story to watch her efforts, so very human, and the way her friends support her. This victory marks the end of the story for now, but I've heard there's more to come in this series... bring it on!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
#1 of Bargain Hunter Mysteries, March 20, 2007
This review is from: Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Bargain Hunters Mysteries, No. 1) (Paperback)
Ginger Salinski is a garage sale expert and has taught her friends how to live frugally. This particular Saturday seems no different than most. Ginger and her friends go to garage sales, then they meet at Mary Margret's house to share their finds.
But Mary Margret never shows up. She's calls and leaves a message for Ginger, sharing that she discovered something scary, and giving her a gift basket with a few odd finds, which she leaves on the counter. After waiting for a time, the youngest member of the group, Kindra, offers to stay at Mary's house and wait while the others go and look for Mary.
Up near the archery club, a hiker discovers Mary's body, shot in the back with an arrow.
What did Mary discover on her hunt for bargains? Will Ginger and her friends be able to learn why Mary died, and find her killer?
Death of a Garage Sale Newbie is the first book in the Bargain Hunters Mysteries series, and its wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ginger and the others and going through their trials with them. All the characters have a well-developed character arc, with goals and motivations clearly outlined. I identified with these women, and could easily have been friends with them in real life.
The book is well-written, and held my interest from the very beginning. I had to keep reading and stayed up late to find out what happened. The inspirational theme is expertly woven in and isn't preachy.
I highly recommend Death of a Garage Sale Newbie. This is a book you will not want to miss. It's one of the best mysteries I've read in a long time.
Armchair Interviews says: The first in what we hope is many Bargain Hunters Mysteries.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been good, July 14, 2007
This review is from: Death of a Garage Sale Newbie (Bargain Hunters Mysteries, No. 1) (Paperback)
I have recently discovered garage sale shopping and love cosies so I thought what's better than a combination of the two?? I knew from reviews that there was a "Christian" element to the story and I thoroughly enjoyed the first few chapters with all the references to prayer, good christian church-going people etc etc (a little sanctimonious but OK).
I even coped with the bizarre change of tack when, from the wife saying she had been followed and attacked on her way home, the husband points out she doesn't support his inventions (what!!!).
What I didn't like was snide little elements like a description of a policewoman as built "like one of those big German women who threw the shot put at the Olympics" but who "had a pretty face" though.
Yuck! Not very "Christian" either.
Oh well, I should get 20 cents at a garage sale for "Death of a garage sale newbie".
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