Customer Reviews

Home Again, Home Again (E. J. Pugh Mysteries)

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

 

 

The first half of this book was not half bad for its description of family life and mid-life crisis of the husband. E.J.'s, the wife, reaction to her missing husband, is pretty well written and seems true to life. The author loses me completely in Willis'story about his disappearance. When he has the chance to escape and doesn't; I completely lost interest. I detested the character of Rogene so much, it would have been alright with me for anything to have happened to her. Why Willis would want to help Tater and Rogene is completely baffling. And Tater is as much a criminal as the other bad guys in this book. E.J.'s cop friend Luna is also apparently stupid. She doesn't call for back-up when she goes to the turkey farm-truck stop. However, I gave this book a 3 because I did finish it and the story of the rock made up for the stupidity of the story. This rock sounds like a really interesting place to visit!

I agree with the reader from Star, except that I didn't find the rock as interesting as they did. The first section of the book, told from E.J.'s point of view, held my interest. However, it didn't feel like a mystery -- there was more ruminating and grieving than detecting. The second part of the story is told from the viewpoint of E.J.'s husband, Willis, who has been kidnapped. Willis has a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome, as he inexplicably helps and sympathizes with his kidnapper. The same kidnapper who threatens to murder him and refuses to let him tell his wife he's alive. Willis lets numerous opportunities to seek help pass him by. When he does make attempts to escape/call home, they're usually at the dumbest possible times! Willis' level of fixation on a rock comes across as more than a mid-life crisis; he seems a tad demented. For much of the book he is also so resentful of and inconsiderate toward his wife and children, that I found it hard to root for him. The solution to the murder mystery seems to arrive just because the book is nearing its end.

This book isn't *hideous*, it's just sort of silly and pointless. Overall I thought it was insufficiently entertaining. It is, however, a quick read and the first third or so is fairly engrossing. I do tend to read less "cozy" mysteries, so perhaps I'm being somewhat harsher than a cozy fan would be.

I did not consider this one to be as good as her first two. The first two I enjoyed very much! I could not put them down. Home Again, Home Again was good, but the switching back and forth between Willis' story and EJ's story put me off a little, especially since they were both written in the first person. It got to be confusing at times. Other than that, I would highly recommend the EJ Pugh series and I am eagerly waiting for her next book due out early next year.

In the small Texas town of Black Cat Ridge lives the Pugh family consisting of the rational and even-tempered Willis, romance novelist and part-time sleuth EJ, and their three children and three cats. Usually, it is EJ who lands in the middle of trouble as she investigates a homicide. However, this time in HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN it is Willis who finds himself in the midst of a situation that is more than he can handle alone. As the family patriarch nears his fortieth birthday, he wonders about the meaning of his life. Acting totally out of character, Willis insists on climbing Enchanted Rock. ..... Willis and his business partner go camping near Enchanted Rock, but Willis fails to return home. EJ wonders if her man had an accident or even deserted her. Instead Willis is being held hostage by the man who gave him a lift when his own vehicle broke down. A series of events lands Willis in a backwoods diner where he is forced to investigate the murder of the husband of the trucker's sweetheart. Willis makes no progress until E.J. arrives on the scene, placing both of their lives in jeopardy at the hands of a killer. ..... Susan Rogers Cooper's third EJ Pugh mystery brings back old and familiar faces, while intertwining them into a riveting and original story line. The supporting characters are caricatures of good ole boys which adds a good deal of humor to this intriguing murder mystery. Ms. Cooper is a gifted writer whose vision of human nature transform magnificently into the printed word. This is a definite read for anyone who enjoys a lighthearted and colorful amateur detective tale. .....Harriet Klausner