Customer Reviews

Last Scene Alive (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, Book 7)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

and it's typical that it needed a murder to rouse her. This series seems to have recovered a little of the light-heartedness that had dimmed over the last few books, but it is NOT (despite idiot jacket blurbs) a "cozy."

The plot is thinner than is typical in a Harris mystery -- mostly, I think,so readers can get to know the "new" Roe -- a woman who was widowed with shocking suddenness as an almost incidental incident in a series of nasty crimes. Harris does an excellent job with Roe's gradual recovery, though she focuses exclusively on Martin Bartell's death and ignores the trauma and misery that must have resulted from the attendant crimes. And what would be sufficient to distract Aurora Teagarden in her half-frozen state? Murders old and new, of course.

The movies are coming to town, and they are filming a script based on a true-crime book dealing with a horrid series of murders that plagued Lawrenceton many years earlier. Roe had been instrumental in exposing the killers in that case (nearly dying herself in the process). Roe is NOT happy about this movie, which tastelessly commercializes the deaths of people she knew and cared about, but the rest of the town is star struck. The movie provides an excellent vehichle for bringing Roe's sullen and immature stepson, Barrett, and her one-time, almost-boyfriend, Robin (author of the true crime book), back to town.

However, the movie set is not where Roe finds important information about the new crimes in Lawrenceton. It's her library's collection that holds some of the keys to the mysteries. The murder itself has a fairly wispy plot with not much of anything to detect; the associated crimes are somewhat more melodramatic.

If you've been reading this series, you'll enjoy the development of several long-time characters, as well as Roe's deepening relationship with her mother. This book does a great job in setting up the next one, and it is absorbing to read. If you are new to the series, though, do NOT read this one first. It doesn't quite stand alone.

Charlaine Harris is an interesting mystery writer, in part because she is willing to take chances in her books. In Roe's last outing, A Fool and His Honey, an abrupt death near the end of the book brings the reader up short. We are not used to having sympathetic, continuing characters die in mystery fiction.
But, of course, life is like that.

In this outing, the mystery situation is pretty farfetched, but Harris makes it enjoyable, by bringing us along as Roe Teagarden re-enters her life following the death of her beloved husband.

A fast, fun read, but not the best of the series. Still--worth your time.

Diminutive librarian Aurora Teagarden learns that Robin Crusoe, a true crime writer, she worked with many years ago to solve a string of murders is returning to Lawrenceton, GA. He is coming to film a movie based on his book about the murders. Of course, when the crew arrives, additional murders are in the future.

This is a mystery; in reality they're a number of mysteries in the book. In terms of the protagonist's extended description of her emotions and social interactions, there might be a temptation to classify this as a cozy mystery, except for the tasteful and non-gratuitous descriptions of a number of sexual encounters.

The author has no dearth of characters. In the first chapter alone she identifies, by name, between one and two-dozen characters, and in the next two chapters she probably doubles that number. New named characters are added in subsequent chapters. This has the effect of making the story seem real. It also means that unless you have a very good memory, you will need to make some notes about the characters when they first appear, as there is no indication as to which will prove important later on.

Unusually for a mystery, here the protagonist's personality was as interesting as the main plot. Ms. Harris' has the unique ability to make you feel that Aurora is a real, rather than fictional, person and talking to you as a close friend. She presents Aurora so that she's easy to like, and wish you had her as a next-door neighbor.

Considering the high quality of the writing, there were some unexpected, albeit minor, editing flaws, e.g., "of" instead of "for", "a on a" instead of just "on a", "that" instead of "than", etc. These proved to be only minor reading distractions.

This is not a "thrill-a-minute" mystery with heart stopping action, although there is a fair amount of action. Rather it is an exceptionally well-written story with outstanding in-depth character development and a satisfying mystery.

This is a novel I can recommend without hesitation. It is one I found find hard to put down; fortunately, it can be easily read in one sitting.

Plot Summary: Roe Teagarden is a middle-aged, widowed librarian, who maintains an enormous, immaculate house in the midst of her grief over losing her husband. After going through the motions for months on end, excitement returns when a movie crew comes to town to shoot a movie based, in part, on Roe's life. Many years ago, she and a former beau, Robin, helped solve a serial killer mystery, and Robin wrote a book about their adventure. Everyone's excited to have Hollywood visit their sleepy corner of the South, except for Roe, and she has run-ins with obnoxious movie people that only confirm her worst fears. The mystery begins when the star turns up dead in her trailer. In the meantime, Roe gets a second shot at love with Robin.

Since I'm a jumping-up-and-down fan of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the Harper Connelly Mysteries, I figured I should sample a bit of Aurora Teagarden too. This story felt more like an Agatha Christie plot, since Roe is just a normal lady without an ounce of psychic powers, or any kind of voodoo to help her solve the crime. Compared to Sookie's telepathy, and Harper's corpse radar, Roe feels like the lady next door instead of a heroine. However, there is charm in just being normal too, and Roe is an educated, savvy, bright-eyed woman who feels like a good friend.

The reason this book works is because it feels real. Everything is plausible and believable, and I have no trouble suspending disbelief when reading Harris's work. The reason I'm not giving it a higher rating is because it was a bit too sedate for my tastes. Aurora lives the life of a typical, middle-aged lady, and aside from the murder and the climax, there's not a whole lot of excitement. I enjoyed every chapter, but it was like taking a nice quiet stroll through the woods, rather than screaming down a hillside on a mountain bike.

The romance between Roe and Robin made me happy, the same way I'd feel if someone close to me found a good man. Although, I have always wondered whether romances with exes are doomed to failure. If they broke up once, what's to stop it from happening again? Once a rope has been broken, I figure that any repairs are going to be weaker than the original bond. Hopefully I'm wrong.

The Aurora Teagarden series keeps getting better with each installment. Charlaine Harris seems to keep her characters fresh and exciting. They are believable people who might live in your neighborhood. The problems are real, the emotions human. Life is lived between books so there is always something to catch up on. Roe, her coworkers, and friends seem to be real, breathing people who solve their problems in real ways. The storyline is just as important as the characters, and this story will not disappoint. It allows the reader to learn about some new area of interest while enjoying a series that keeps the reader coming back for more. If only the author could write faster...

Last Scene Alive (2002) is the seventh mystery novel in the Aurora Teagrarden series, following A Fool and His Honey. In the previous volume, Martin was shot at and missed and then had a heart attack and died. The perp was charged with three counts of kidnapping, two counts of murder, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon.

In this novel, Aurora Teagarden was born and raised in the small town of Lawrenceton, Georgia, in the suburbs of Atlanta. Roe is now widowed, but still works in the local library. But she in deeply depressed in her grief.

Barrett Bartell is Roe's stepson. He is an actor, surviving off funds from his father when paychecks are few and far between. Now that his father is dead, Roe provides the necessary funds.

Robin Crusoe is a writer of mysteries. He had dated Roe in the past. Then he went to Hollywood to get his first book turned into a movie.

Celia Shaw is an actress. She has won an Emmy for one of her roles and is now the star of a made-for-TV film.

In this story, Roe discovers that she is to be the subject of a movie based on her first case. Barrett has a role in the movie and Robin is back in town to watch the filming of his book. Roe doesn't like the concept at all and particularly hates the pain that it will give the families of the victims.

Yet it seems everybody in town knows about the film. Wannabe actors and actresses gather around the film crew and try to get the attention of the Hollywood insiders. Roe is invited out by Celia and marvels at the close service provided to the star.

Celia is cast as Aurora Teagarden in the film. Roe notices that Celia is studying her intensely at the restaurant and imitating her habitual actions. She is very upset by Celia's study and allows Robin to talk her into leaving early. She vows to never again visit the filming.

The next day, Roe finds herself driving her friend Angel to the set. Angel's car won't start and she has a job as a stuntperson in the film. Besides, she wants to introduce Roe to a friend.

As Roe and Angel are talking to Carolina, Roe observes Celia's trailer. Several people go in and out of the trailer. The latest is Barrett, who comes out looking unwell and then pukes alongside the trailer.

Roe immediately goes to Barrett and is with him as he mumbles that Celia is dead. Barrett recovers somewhat and again says Celia is dead. Carolina immediately notifies the director and then calls 911. Soon cellphones are showing up everywhere.

This tale brings Robin back into Roe's life. At first, she feels unfaithful to Martin, but her mother suggests that Martin is beyond any concern about this world. Several things converge to prod Roe into moving back into town.

This is the last in the series so far, but maybe another is lurking in the busy mind of the author. Meanwhile, you might try the Lily Bard series. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Harris fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of first degree murder, amateur detectives, and a spunky librarian. For anyone unfamiliar with this series, the initial volume is Real Murders.

-Bill Jordin

If you love Charlaine Harris like I do, then you will like the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. Aurora isn't anything like Sookie, but she has her own charm. I find I dive into anything written by Ms Harris. I just think she is a wonderful writer. My favorite is The Southern Mysteries (the stories that True Blood is based on) but I have enjoyed everything I have read by charlaine Harris. I always care about her characters, and Aurora is a sweet heart.

I have now read all of Aurora Teagarden Mysteries. When I started with the first one I was hooked. They are good cozy mysteries. Cann't wait for a new one.

After the tear-fest I endured at the end of Fool and His Honey, I have to admit, I was a little worried about reading this one. Silly me. Charlaine Harris is in top form here, in her southern mysteries that hold a prized area on my bookshelf.
This time, Roe is stunned to find that a movie based on her first mystery (if you haven't read Real Murders, you're doing yourself a big disservice) is being filmed in her hometown. Written by Robin Crusoe, her old friend and one time love interest, it shocks her out of her sadness. Roe is ready to make big changes, and the murder, house searching and romance keeps her quite busy.
Long before Charlaine's famous vampire series, she was one of my favorite writers for the Roe Teagarden series. If you haven't read them, start at the beginning, and work your way through. You'll be thrilled you did. And don't forget the number 8 book, Poppy Done to Death, which is just as wonderful!

This book finds the erstwhile heroine Roe (Aurora Teagarden) in an uncomfortable position: a book about her experience with a previous serial murder case (as told in the first Aurora Teagarden book: Real Murders), is now being made into a movie in her home town. A proper southern lady, she's horrified about someone turning her life out as entertainment - again. And of course, it all hits the fan.

This was a very fun read, and a great visit with a character I truly want to meet again.