Customer Reviews

Guess Who's Coming to Die? (Thoroughly Southern Mysteries, No. 9)

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

 

 

Each time I pick up one of Patricia Sprinkle's stories about Mac Yarbrough, I am sure that she will not be able to top the last one. However, each time I am pleasantly suprised with an even more complex mystery with extraordinary characters, all with convoluted reasons for being suspected of the crime or crimes.
For me, it just doesn't get any better. Having been born and raised in the south, these characters recall people I remember from my long-ago childhood.
Mac is a fictional character with whom I am sure I could be friends. I can picture friendly visits and lengthy conversations about things interesting to both of us.
The method of her reasoning and the teasing out of obscure information about the other characters keeps me guessing until the end of the book. The "reveal" in this book is presented in a manner that is every bit as good as any final act in a thrilling play. The scene has been set and that description has been written so well I can picture it all in my mind.
I can't imagine that anyone would be disappointed with this mystery. The rich descriptions of the characters, their motives and actions (sometimes irrational, just as in real life) and the ultimate solution by a very real and interesting protagonist, are all reasons to read this book.

What fun! I can always count on a Patricia Sprinkle book to brighten my day. Oh sure, there's a dead body -- sometimes in a gruesome predicament -- but Sprinkle manages, like every good mystery writer, to give us a compelling puzzle, a well-planned plot, a satisfying denouement, and plenty of side information along the way. In GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DIE? she manages to eviscerate developers who clear-cut land without thinking of the consequences, with a sideswipe at owners of gas-guzzling SUVs. And she does it without sounding like she's on a soap-box. Quite a trick to that.

This one is a winner!

Guess Who's Coming to Die by Patricia Sprinkle is one of the Thoroughly Southern Mystery series. This series (and book) is set in small southern town, so you have to try to figure out who is related to who, and how, and how all of the characters know each other and why they interact in the ways that they do. (Ah, small town life!) You have to understand all of that to get full worth out of the plot...in this, a woman who is a judge, small business owner, wife, mother, and grandmother is the sleuth. When she is invited to join the investment group made up of women of the local aristocracy, she finds a murdered woman (also a member of the club) in the ladies' room. The rest of the book deals with her attempts to discover who did the dirty deed and why. You seem to have to know all of the genetic relationships for generations, who has been or is sleeping with who, and why some women do or do not get along in their various social clubs in order to follow the judge in her investigation...

Nontheless, the sleuth is quite likable, though most of the people she is investigating are anything but...

I have really enjoyed this mystery series and have found and sent large-print versions to my oldest sister in Florida. The writing is intelligent and humorous without being cute. When I tell you I normally read Lee Child, Greg Iles, Nevada Barr, Harlen Coben, John Hart, John Sandford and Val McDermid, all complex suspense/thriller authors, you might question my satisfaction with this lighter, small-town series. However, that's just why I like it! It's a nice change. Also, my sister prefers cozies, which avoid lots of sex and gore, and this fits her reading taste. Note: I highly recommend Patricia Sprinkle's genealogy series.

I did not like this author. Book was not read, tried to read it did not hold my attention.

The latest in a series featuring Georgia magistrate MacLauren Yarbrough and her family. Set in a hither-to small town, the problems of growth have begun to spring up. Pushed by her husband Joe, MacLauren accepts an invitation to join the Magnolia Ladies' Investment Club. Murder strikes on her first night there, and once more MacLaren finds herself involved in solving a crime. Who done it? This enjoyable read gives you the answer.

PATRICIA SPRINKLE: Wonderful Author. Her stories never disappoint the reader. The characters she develop-es in each of these Southern Mysteries come to life. You feel the emotions surrounding the story line of the person. Each new book in the series is a joy to enjoy! The Artist who creates each Book Cover does an excellent job.