Hornswoggled (Alafair Tucker Mysteries) [Audio CD]

Donis Casey (Author), Pamela Ward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007 | Series: Alafair Tucker Mysteries

It's the spring of 1913, and love is in bloom for Alice Tucker. Alice's new beau, Walter Kelley, is handsome and wealthy. Everyone in Boynton, Oklahoma, likes him, except Alice's mother, Alafair. She sees that Walter has a weakness for the ladies--and they for him. Moreover, Walter's late wife Louise was murdered and the murderer has not been caught. Walter had an alibi, so the sheriff has cleared him of the crime, but Alafair is not so sure that he wasn't involved in some way.

Alafair sets out to prove to the headstrong Alice that Walter is no paragon. You can bet Alice will have something to say about that. As she searches for the truth behind the death of Louise Kelley, Alafair uncovers such a tangle of deceit and misdirection that she begins to think that the whole town has been downright hornswoggled.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in the prairie town of Boynton, Okla., in the spring of 1913, Casey's nostalgic, folksy second novel to feature Alafair Tucker (after 2005's The Old Buzzard Had It Coming) finds the full-time mother of 11 and part-time sleuth worried about one of her grown daughters, Alice. Alice is sweet on barber Walter Kelley, an attractive widower whom the determined and discerning Alafair mistrusts; Walter is just too popular with the ladies. Since Alice is set on having Walter, Alafair seeks distraction by investigating the unsolved murder of Louise Kelley, Walter's late wife, whose stabbed body surfaced in a creek bordering the Tucker farm eight months earlier. Dialogue rich with Midwestern speech patterns and a consistent, unobtrusive narrative voice lift this smalltown historical, which should particularly appeal to Margaret Maron fans. An appendix of down-home recipes is a bonus. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–The author evokes Oklahoma of almost a hundred years ago and peoples it with wonderfully diverse characters with intertwined relationships. Alafair Gunn Tucker, mother of 10 and amateur sleuth, is concerned that one of her daughters is falling for a recently widowed barber who may have killed his wife. Partly in an effort to protect Alice, Alafair pursues the clues left behind by the killer (or victim), and the mystery she unravels seems to tie half of the town to the murder. There are moments of farce and elements of danger. Readers can almost smell the scent of death on the bloodstained rug and taste the homemade butter and potato patties (recipes included). The book provides an entertaining way for teens to appreciate the richness of life in this time and place. The idioms and local color are delightful, and the characters are real enough for readers to fear for their safety.–Will Marston, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1433210886
• ISBN-13: 978-1433210884
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 6.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Donis Casey is the author of five Alafair Tucker Mysteries, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, Hornswoggled, The Drop Edge of Yonder, The Sky Took Him, and Crying Blood (Feb. 2011). She has twice won the Arizona Book Award for her series, and been a finalist for the Willa Award and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her first novel, The Old Buzzard Had It Coming, was named an Oklahoma Centennial Book.

While researching her own genealogy, she discovered so many ripping tales of settlers, soldiers, cowboys and Indians, murder, dastardly deeds, and general mayhem that she said to herself, "Donis, you have enough material here for ten books." The resulting historical mystery series, set in Oklahoma in the booming 1910s, features the sleuthing mother of ten children.

Donis is a former teacher, academic librarian, and entrepreneur. She was born and raised in Tulse, Oklahoma, and now lives in Tempe, AZ, with her husband, poet Donald Koozer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winner for Donis Casey!, November 2, 2006

By 

Randy Edmond (Casa Grande, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hornswoggled (Hardcover)

This is a truly wonderful book! In fact, it is one of the best books I've read so far this year, and I read a lot of books. Like the first Alafair Tucker mystery, THE OLD BUZZARD HAD IT COMING, HORNSWOGGLED is set in the small town of Boynton, Oklahoma, a few years after Oklahoma achieved statehood in 1907. This book has all the essential ingredients that every good novel should have: well developed characters, a great setting, and a gripping plot. It also has a lot of heart. Reading it was like visiting family that you love and have missed. And while the ending isn't one that a loving parent like Alafair would have wanted for her daughter Alice, it is certainly realistic given Alice's independence. I'm glad the author didn't sugarcoat it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous early twentieth century Oklahoma amateur sleuth, September 3, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Hornswoggled (Hardcover)

In 1913 Boynton, Oklahoma mother of eleven Alafair Tucker finds she is very concerned about Alice, one of her adult children. Alice wants barber widower Walter Kelley, a handsome man whom the woman adore. Alafair mistrusts the man because she believes he would not remain faithful to one woman as he seems to enjoy the female adulation.

However Alice refuses to change her mind insisting that the love of a good woman, her, will keep Walter from straying. To keep her mind off of Alice's obsession, Alafair investigates the cold case homicide of Walter's wife, Louise. Her body was found floating in a creek near the Tucker farm eight months ago.

HORNSWOGGLED is a fabulous early twentieth century Oklahoma historical amateur sleuth story that grips the audience from the start with its insight into time and place. The dialect used by the Tucker brood and their neighbors augments the strength of the plot by adding depth to the cast and the feel for the era. The whodunit investigation is fun, but the tale is more a period piece than a mystery as the investigation augments the period and locale. Fans will appreciate going down home to an Oklahoma less than a decade as a state escorted by delightful tour guide Alafair Tucker.

Harriet Klausner

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hats off to Donis Casey ..., September 12, 2006

By 

J. Karl - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hornswoggled (Hardcover)

for giving us this great book. From the moment you open to the first page it feels like walking through the door of Alafair Tucker's home, (main character), and into her life. The way this book is written makes you feel like part of the family. This book is so well crafted, descriptions seamlessly a part of the story. I love being absorbed into a tale and Donis Casey has a wonderful way of bringing the readers imagination to every page, allowing your senses to bring this mystery to life. I am in awe of someone who has this ability. I sure hope Ms. Casey is busy working on another book. This is an author I hope is around for a long, long time.