Customer Reviews

Mayhem in Miniature: A Miniature Mystery

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

 

 

Who wouldn't want to spend time with Geraldine Porter? She's a wonderful grandmother to Maddie and not above ice cream for dinner. Not only does she impart all kinds of neat hints about miniature making - like using salt to fill a tiny pillow, but tracks down the real murderer when of one her craft students is accused of the crime.

The small town setting with the Lincoln theme is fun and a nice place to escape into during this warm and intriguing story.

I love Mayhem in Miniature! What a treat to have a clean, well written book to read when I am going to sleep. I have to admit, it did keep me up a little too long!

It's a few weeks before Christmas, and the only things on Geraldine "Gerry" Porter's mind are pleasant things like the upcoming Mary Todd ball and her granddaughter's visit. But all that changes one morning with a phone call from a friend. Dolores is in a panic because her grandmother, Sofia, has vanished from her retirement home. Since Sofia is a member of Gerry's crafting class, she immediately agrees to help find her.

But things take a turn for a worse when Sofia is found covered in blood over the corps of the nursing home's gardener. While dazed, Sofia claims she is innocent. Can Gerry clear Sofia of the crime?

As with the first book in the series, there was good and bad in this one. Among the good are the characters. Gerry is surrounded by a cast of loving family. Her granddaughter and nephew are two of my favorites, in fact. Her friend Linda was much less annoying here than she was in the first book. The mystery had some nice twists that made the book difficult to put down.

On the other hand, the pacing of the mystery was way off. It started pretty slowly, and the ending was rushed. Gerry had all she needed to solve the case; in fact, she knew that. And yet she doesn't actually put those pieces together, which is one of my biggest pet peeves in any mystery. The time Gerry spent agonizing over leaving her granddaughter with various people so Gerry could investigate also got old.

My issues with the book were tiny. I like the supporting cast enough that I think I hear the third book calling me. I wouldn't rush out and get these books, but if the miniatures theme interests you, you'll find lovable characters to entertain you.

I really liked book 1 of this series, and so was looking forward to book 2.

Book 1 struck me as original, in this book I thought the author had a contract to write a book, but no idea what to write about. For example, one thing a nosey parker type detective has to have is a good, believable reason for getting involved with a crime in the first place. It was never explained why a half stranger would ask our detective to get involved and why Gerry would get involved with it, since her grand child was visiting.

At one point in the story, the main character's tires were slashed. If nothing else, she should have quit then since she was imperiling herself and grandchild for no real reason.

Believe me, I do understand that no one really involves themselves in murder and to do so in any situation would be dangerous, but in most mysteries, there's a semblence of reason for getting involved. In this one, a supposedly loving grandmother imperils herself and theoretically the grand child for someone she barely knows and wasn't much interested in before the crime. It never mades sense to me. (understand that no one ever threatens the grandchild, Gerry just wonders about it from time to time.)

The story seemed to be written to formula, and you could pop anyone into the story as the main character with out changing it.

I wouldn't bother with this one.