The Gourdmother: The First Gourd Craft Mystery [Large Print] [Paperback]

Maggie Bruce (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 16, 2005

Includes gourd crafting facts and tips

In lieu of payment for six months' work, Brooklyn girl Lili Marino was given a cottage in the tiny village of Walden Corners, where she has the time and space to cultivate her love of gourd craft. Although some residents are wary of the city transplant, Nora Johnson, the wife of the high school football coach, welcomes her. Lili is just starting to carve out a place for herself when she finds Nora's husband dead on the first day of hunting season.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In gourd artist Bruce's strong debut, the first in her gourd craft mystery series, Brooklynite Lili Marino takes a cottage in Walden Corners, N.Y., in lieu of payment for a writing job she did for a man she never met, Tom Ford, whose foundation has just gone belly-up. She makes instant friends with the town's only black family, Henry "Coach" Johnson (who coaches high school football), wife Nora and son Scooter. When Lili finds Coach dead face down in a pond, the obvious culprit is a hunter, but nothing proves to be obvious. Bigotry, old feuds and football rivalries surface, as Lili picks up on a few smalltown problems like corporate pollution and Tom Ford's rise and fall (and rise?). Plus there's Lili's alcoholic mother, a baseball star brother, a sister she can't connect with and an attractive local guy. Bruce deftly weaves insightful instructions on dealing with grief and loss as well as details of the ancient craft of gourding into the plot. The resolution is as inevitable as it is unexpected.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

"Smoothly crafted mystery."
-- Margaret Maron

Product Details

• Paperback: 421 pages
• Publisher: Wheeler Publishing (December 16, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597221317
• ISBN-13: 978-1597221313
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,861,794 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Who ever thought that a girl from Brooklyn would fall in love with...gourds? But I did, on trip through the southest with my husband, and life hasn't been the same since! I now decorate them, write about them in the Lili Marino series, and have a whole room of my house set aside for gourd work.

In my life BG (Before Gourds)I wrote seven mystery novels and edited six anthologies as Marilyn Wallace. I've been a high school English teacher, a potter, a pastry chef, and a computer programmer, and now those experiences are fair game for my fiction.

After living in upstate NY and in northern CA, my husband and I have returned to our roots in Brooklyn, NY, where our two grown sons also live.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, October 8, 2005

By 

Dulcie Anne - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gourdmother (A Gourd Craft Mystery) (Paperback)

It's been quite a while since I've read such a satisfying mystery. Nowadays I'm demanding more of them than just a puzzle with a dead body, and "The Gourdmother" delivers. Lili Martino, feeling her way in a new environment, remains steadfastly herself--loyal, generous and darn-near fearless. The tragedy of her best friend's husband's death spurs Lili into relationships and situations that uncover not only the mystery, but also Lili herself.

"The Gourdmother" is the perfect blend of characters and plot--and a riveting mystery as well. It's hard for me to believe that this is Maggie Bruce's first book. I'll certainly look for more from this talented author.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, but put-off, November 20, 2005

By 

Jean Barley "series lover" (Carlisle, Pa USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gourdmother (A Gourd Craft Mystery) (Paperback)

I really am enjoying the story line and characters of this book but am totally put-off by the absense of some of the prepositions and articles of normal writing. Is it the author or the proofers? I don't like having to inject words myself as I read. It breaks my concentration. Is the author a real person or is this a computer-generated story? I'm kind of put-off by all the "anonymous and pseudonym-type" authors today. Publishers, please proof-read and maybe you'll have a great series.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fine amateur sleuth who-done-it, September 6, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gourdmother (A Gourd Craft Mystery) (Paperback)

Former long time Brooklyn resident Lili Marion wonders how a city gal can be street smart when she lives in a place without streets when she earned the cottage as remittance from Tom Ford for developing a mutual fund perspective. Besides her philosophical musings, she enjoys living in Walden Corners, New York though most of the residents remain leery of a city slicker. She makes friends with Nora Johnson and likes the open space for her to convert gourds into works of art or useful pretty functions.

On the first day of hunting season, someone kills Nora's husband Coach. Lili fears she heard the scream of death, which she originally assumed was a nightmare. As she gathers her wits about her, Lili decides to investigate the homicide of the spouse of her only upstate friend not realizing she sets herself up as a prime target.

Though readers will question why Lili had to investigate the murder even with her best local pal involved and threatened, fans will appreciate this fine amateur sleuth who-done-it. Lili brings her Brooklynese into her inquiries that drive the local police crazy as she interferes in their investigation. Readers will appreciate this urban take no prisoner protagonist as she seeks to uncover the identity of the killer while providing the audience with a glimpse including making a pendant into the world of gourds.

Harriet Klausner