Kansas Troubles [Mass Market Paperback]

Earlene Fowler (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley Pub Group (1997)
• ASIN: B001588ERW
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,779,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greetings from a native Southern Californian!

I've been married 37 years to my high school sweetheart, Allen, who was born in Kansas. We met when we were fifteen. We don't have children, but are owned by a spoiled and extremely intelligent Pembroke Welsh corgi named Boudin. We call him Boo. Though I'm a native Southern Californian, my parents are not. My father was born in Colorado and grew up in a migrant worker family. My mother's family were cotton sharecropers in Arkansas. I've been writing since I was in my late-twenties. I published my first novel, Fool's Puzzle, when I was in my late thirties. I like to ride horses when I can (and luckily, have friends who own horses), walk my dog, travel with my husband, sometimes do scrapbooking when I have time. I have three sisters. I'm the number two sister.

I was named after my father and my grandfather. Both of them are named Earl. The first book I remember reading by myself was Curious George. I think it was the one where he went to the circus. My favorite fictional character is Old Yeller. He had courage and loyalty, two virtues I admire greatly. If I wasn't a writer, I'd love to be a dog trainer. Back in the 1980's, for a year and a half, I taught a weekly craft class at a retirement home in Covina, California. My youngest member was in her late sixties; my oldest was ninety-eight. Those fifteen women taught me way more than I ever taught them. I love strawberry ice cream and fried tacos. Together or separately. Doesn't matter.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kansas, Quilts and Murder, August 10, 2002

By 

Judith Miller (Bluemont, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kansas Troubles (Benni Harper Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Benni Harper and her new husband, Gabe Ortiz leave California for a vacation in Kansas so that Benni can meet Gabe's family and old friends. The experience is stressful for Benni because she knows very little of Gabe's background or former life. As usual, Gabe is not into explaining things to Benni and they are constantly locking horns in between their flirting. Gabe's sister shares Benni's love of quilts and asks for her help in setting up a local quilt show. In the mean time, the murder of a young woman singer named Tyler takes place. She happened to be dating Gabe's old friend Rob and he is a suspect in her death. Tyler was also a runaway wife from the local Amish community and a superb quilter. When Benni sees the last quilt that Tyler made, she discovers some clues that could lead to the identity of the killer.

There's a lot of fascinating "quilt talk" in this book and some interesting facts about the state of Kansas. This is the third book in the Benni Harper series and I'm now committed to reading them all.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved the trip to Kansas!, May 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Kansas Troubles (Benni Harper Mystery) (Hardcover)

I enjoyed learning about Gabe's roots as well as Amish customs in this book. Even though Benni and Gabe are still working out their roles in their new relationship under the scrutiny of his mother and sisters, you know they are there for each other. And as for figuring out who the murderer really is, well, Earlene keeps you guessing. Another great book from Earlene Fowler!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Going home is never easy..., June 5, 2002

By 

Sharon Knutson "chinamomma" (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kansas Troubles (Benni Harper Mystery) (Mass Market Paperback)

Many people dread their first meeting with their new in-laws, it does not help that Benni and Gabe married after only knowing each other 3 months nor that Benni insists on keeping her last name (that of her dead husband) instead of taking Gabes. Meeting Gabe's family is hard enough, but after the murder of a beautiful young singer, Tyler Brown, Benni finds herself deep in a murder mystery where her husband's best friends are all prime suspects. She and Gabe struggle to find their footing in their marriage which seemed so right in California but under the scrutiny of his family seems ill advised. Discovering Tyler's true background as an Amish wife who has fled the community resulting in banishment from her family is startling. How did her life with the "English" lead to her death? Bennie is thrust into danger as she gets closer and closer to identifying the murderer. Will Gabe be able to protect her? Ms. Fowler's writing is fast paced and the story moves well. I did think there were a few loose ends in the story but nothing that will keep me from reading the rest of the Benni Harper mysteries. They are currently all on the top of my reading list. I love all the characters and enjoy seeing them fleshed out in each of the books, they have depth and multi-layers to them which I really like. Gramma Dove is an absolute hoot!