Customer Reviews

The Mysteries of HUMMINGBIRD FALLS

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

 

 

The mystery was good, the characters were engaging, and I like that the person I had pegged from the beginning as the murderer was not.

The problem was the stilted dialog that sounded at times as if it came from a child's chapter book. No adult in the modern world really talks like that, in short, declarative sentences, no contractions, and no slang or colloquialisms. Despite otherwise good characterization, this made the people seem stiff, forced, and unreal, like cardboard cutouts.

Because this was otherwise an enjoyable mystery, I will try some of the later books in the series to see if the dialog has improved.

I loved this book! Kept me turning the pages,
on the edge of my seat, to the very last. Also
filled with interesting info about nature, as the plot thickens,
when main character Ellie encounters a bear, hummingbird,
iris borer, and so on, humor and suspense all mixed together!
Can't wait to read the sequels!

This was a really great book. Kept my interest right until the end. I really enjoyed it. Will be reading more of Joanne Clarey books. I really enjoy what I call "Cozy Mysteries". This one was put on my list of GREAT!! Dealing with the sender was quick and simple. Thanks again. Trish

If you like cozy mysteries with a strong sense of setting and a female protagonist, you may like this series. The setting is Hummingbird Falls, New Hampshire, a rural community of a few hundred, and over the course of the series, you get to know several of the town's residents. The main character, Ellie Hastings, is a widowed teacher in her late 50s, who has been summering in the village for the 10 years since her husband died, and because she returns to the same cabin each year, she has developed good relationships with her neighbors. I've read the first three mysteries in the series so far and find this opening volley the strongest. Good characters and plot development and a surprising ending, but I'd agree with a previous reviewer that the dialogue in the series is stilted.

This series it THE BEST!
I've read all three of Joanne's books. . . .each in only TWO DAYS!
Get them all. . . .you won't be sorry!

I had the same problem that several other reviewers had in that the dialog is stilted with few contractions and too many typos as well as the paragraphs being chopped up strangely. I felt like I was mentally going through and making corrections rather than getting caught up in the story. That being said, I did check out later books in the series and there is improvement. I just can't understand how someone releases a book with so many problems. Send it to me and I'll fix it for you, if only to spare others the pain!

the kindle version is weirdly spaced with lots of typos. i did not like the way the characters spoke nor the descriptions of anything. 2.99 was too much and i can't even finish the story.

I hate giving bad reviews, but this one, ugh. I got about 100 pages in but I can't even finish it, just don't care "who did it." The story meanders too much into the main character's personal feelings and history. The dialog is written in a stilted way that I find it to be distracting. There are also many errors in the text, maybe from how it was "translated" for Kindle, but it had an off-putting effect for me. Sorry, but this one was not worth the money I spent and I regret purchasing it.

The story was ok but I couldnt stand the way the dialogue was written. People dont really speak like that.

The first in a wonderful series of cozy mysteries set in quaint Hummingbird Falls, Maine, featuring amateur sleuth Ellie Hastings. A fast paced delightful read. Once you finish this, you'll want to read the whole series!! I did!

Dixie Land