Customer Reviews

Murder in the Mist

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

 

 

I've enjoyed Willard Scott as a weatherman for many years. Now I am enjoying him as an author. Murder in the Mist is a great book to read that doesn't take forever and you want to finish it to find out "who done it". I thoroughly enjoyed it and can hardly wait to read Murder Under Blue Skies.

Willard Scott, along with Bill Crider, does a wonderful job of giving us that small town feeling. I enjoyed this book immensely (as I did the first one). It is an enjoyable series, and I really liked the idea of a battle reenactment. Willard Scott does an admirable job of modeling Stanley Waters after himself, faults and all. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like a nice, light weekend read.

Am sorry to hear from Bill Crider that this series will not be continued. I really enjoyed both of them.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Stanley Waters makes for an interesting host of a B & B. It has all the charm and warmth of a small town. The kind of place that parents want to raise their children in. Willard Scott makes it all seem real and makes you comfortable like favorite pair of worn slippers. Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to your next book.

Stanley Waters, former weatherman for a popular network morning show, still has a passion for appearing in front of the cameras. He has a new found love, amateur sleuth. In this new novel by NBC TV personality Willard Scott we find bed and breakfast owner Waters in the thick of an investigation, again. When local businessman Rance Wofford is fatally wounded in a Civil War reenactment. Stanley is also wounded; and there's speculation that Stanley might have been the real target and not Wofford.

The Higgins, VA folk are in this novel. "Murder in the Mist," as they were in "Murder Under Blue Skies." The romantic interests between Stanley and his high school sweetheart, now chief of police, Marilyn Tunney intensifies. Both Stanley Waters mysteries are fun, light reading. Scott wrote both with Bill Crider a highly acclaimed writer of mysteries in his own right.

I loved this book. I had read the first one by Willard Scott and had to have this one. Great read. It goes so fast that you don't want to put it down.

The premise of a murder at a reenactment has much potential. Unfortunately, no interesting scenarios or characters exploiting this premise are presented in this book. Nor will you learn anything at all about reenacting or the War Between the States. Neither author could have possibly researched the book by attending an actual reenactment as either a spectator or a participant.

While nothing in this book is offensive (the reason I gave it 2 stars), this is extremely light, non-engaging reading. In fact, is seems to be written for young readers rather than adult mystery readers. One author would surely be better than the "as told to" collaboration attempted here.

To be honest I read this book because I enjoy Willard Scott on NBC's Today's Show and other endeavors. I found the book entertaining and tried to figure out who done it. It also caught my attention because I too would like to own a B&B somewhere. Perhaps not in Virginia but in upstate New York. All that on the side "Murder Under Blue Skies," was a good read but not what I would call a page turner until near the end when the killer was about to be caught. This was the first Stanley Waters mystery with others to follow.

Though he misses the limelight after spending two decades on national TV, retired meteorologist Stanley Walters enjoys operating the Blue Skies bed and breakfast in his hometown of Higgins, Virginia. Stanley looks forward to the upcoming Civil War reenactment, as he will serve as a rebel soldier.

The rehearsal turns deadly when someone fires a live weapon in the vicinity of Stanley, who is wounded while another person is killed. Obviously someone wanted to commit murder, leaving Stanley to wonder if he might have been the prime target. Warned off by his lover, police chief Marilyn Tunney, yet unable to leave well enough alone, Stanley begins his own investigation.

MURDER IN THE MIST, the second Waters amateur sleuth tale, like its predecessor (see MURDER UNDER THE BLUE SKIES), is a charming American cozy that genre fans will relish. The story line is fun as small town Virginia seems to come alive on these pages. Stanley is a great character, who cannot resist a camera even if it means placing his life on the line. The support cast brings plenty of Southern hospitality to the novel. The writing duo of Willard Scott and Bill Crider demonstrate the ability to provide sunshine to the audience.

Harriet Klausner