Customer Reviews

Seven Sisters (Benni Harper Mysteries)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Earlene Fowler's books just keep getting better and better! I don't know why she doesn't win that Agatha Award that she's been nominated for so many times. Maybe the voting is fixed. Anyway, I thought Mariner's Compass--her previous book--was hard to top, but I think Seven Sisters does it for a number of reasons. One is the plot. Benni's plate is really full in this one: Her stepson-in-law has knocked up his girlfriend--who of course works with Gabe. Gabe's ex comes to town to deal with the mess, and Gabe ends up spending FAR too much time with her--if I was Benni I would have kicked his behind! Gramma Dove is at her best, and I like that her relationship with Isaac continues in this book. That Detective Hudson is making definite moves on Benni. Hope he comes back, too. But what really captured me as a reader is the complexity of the crime in this book. Without revealing too much, let me say it's a fascinating subject, and Fowler handles it with deftness and surefootedness. I particularly love the end of this book, which leads me to believe we will hear about this quirky family again. Hurry up and write your next book, Ms. Fowler. And someday I hope you will try a mainstream novel. I think you would do great in a longer form.

San Celina Police Chief Gabriel Ortiz is going to become a grandfather. Rookie police officer Bliss Girard became pregnant after making love with Gabriel's son Sam. Bliss is part of the close knit, prestigious and powerful ranching clan, the Browns. Gabe, Benni, and Sam are invited to the ranch to celebrate the upcoming nuptials. Also invited is Sam's beautiful mother. At the party, Benni senses an undercurrent of unease that ends with someone killing a Brown family member.

Transplanted Texan Ford Hudson is assigned as the investigation officer. He expects civilian Benni to help him solve the case, but she resists the lure because Gabe hates her getting involved in a homicide case. Still Benni cannot help but start sleuthing, which places her in the line of fire.

SEVEN SISTERS is a powerfully moving drama that will be award winning Earlene Fowler's breakout book if justice is served. Benni is shown in a different light than in her previous novels as she struggles with feelings of jealousy and inadequacy whenever Gabe's ex-wife appears. The competition between Hudson and Benni for top investigative dog is like a heavyweight title fight, this adding to the fun and the sense of knowing the star better. SEVEN SISTERS is much deeper and more complex than the previous Harper stories, earning it a special place on the keeper shelf that contains the other six books.

Harriet Klausner

Earlene Fowler's mysteries keep getting better and better. Seven Sisters is a wonderful story. I could not put the book down. The characters jump off the page as you read the book. Reading the Benni Harper books is as much fun as when I was a child reading Nancy Drew. The characters and stories are different of course, but the fun is the same! I also love to see what Ms. Fowler writes in each of her book's acknowledgments. She always gives credit where credit is due, and that is to our Lord, Jesus. He has given her a wonderful gift of story telling and she uses it to His glory!

Okay, maybe this is a terrible way to review a book, but I have to say that Earlene Fowler has created a character that I know if he were real I would have a major crush on!! Gabe Ortiz! I am absolutely addicted to this series of books and I am not sure I can make it until the next one. But on a serious note I think the reason Seven Sisters and all of her books are so enjoyable is the character development. I wish Dove were MY grandmother and all these characters were part of my life.

It seems that Earlene Fowler can't miss. Once again, she manages to turn out a book that I don't want to put down. My only complaint is that it's over too fast! And even though I finished Seven Sisters yesterday, I still find my mind wondering to the story and thinking about how I'd feel if I were Benni Harper. Earlene Fowler certainly has a way of writing that truly makes you feel that you are really there. I saw a comment in another review about the possibility of Earlene Fowler branching out into general fiction, and I have to agree that I'd welcome the chance to see what else she is capable of.

I loved Earlene Folwer's newest book. When you love an author's books you tend to expect a lot when a new one comes out and Earlene doesn't disappoint. Seven Sisters comes alive as you read it. One of the previous reviewers wrote something about Earlene writing a general fiction book -- I for one would love to see it! Earlene, if you're reading this, you have a life-long fan here!

SEVEN SISTERS contains one of my favorite subject matters--a mystery relating to family roots and relationships. The compicated situations involving the Brown family make for an excellent plot. But I hated the fact that there was no real ending to it. I was also very disappointed that the issue between Benni and Gabe in dealing with the interfering, manipulative and scheming ex-wife came to such an abrupt end. Benni was so patient in waiting for Gabe to "wake up" and realize what was really going on, but it appeared that Gabe never did fully comprehend how he had been aiding and abetting his ex-wife, causing Beeni a great deal of anguish in the process. I felt that this issue was just abruptly "pushed under the rug" at the end of the story. Just as the guilty murderer was ignored at the finish. It seemed like Earlene Fowler suddenly lost her inspiration and just couldn't come up with any more story line! It was a good read until the last few disappointing pages and was definitely an unfinished book in my opinion.

I started reading the Benni Harper mysteries "in the middle" of the series. I was hooked and immediately bought the whole series so I could follow the storyline thread. Her stories are very different from other mysteries with "predictable" plots but if I were to expand on that, I'd give away the unfolding of the Seven Sisters story. Actually, Earlene Fowler has a marvelous gift for drawing one into the lives of her characters. She makes me laugh, and provokes a "being there" frustration (empathic with Benni's frustration)with the events. Her stories are not all nice and neat - hey, life isn't nice and neat. But they aren't what I would call icky, gruesome and gory either. If she has written a series of "chick-lit" mysteries, it's chick-lit at it most fun. Her subject matter is also fascinating as a learning experience. That's from a fan who is nearly as old as Dove! Don't pull just one book (such as Seven Sisters) from the series - start at the beginning and become part of the community - flawed tho it may be. It's laugh-out-loud funny, snuggle-up-under a quilt comfort, confusing and unnerving chaos - and an absolutely marvelous read (even if, but please don't, read out of the series order). I'm so glad I discovered Benni Harper and her family and friends!

If you enjoy the China Bayles series you should enjoy this series of mysteries written around the life of Benni Harper. The characters are well written, with depth. The mystery is involved, not easily determined. The supporting characters delightful. I especially liked how while the mystery is solved it is not cleanly resolved. Life is complex and not easily tied up into a neat package with a bow. Even though I had not read previous Bennie Harper stories, I did not feel I could not follow relationships set up in earlier stories. I will go back and read the first books in this series...two of my favorite passages from the book..."A hurt can soften you like a good, wool blanket, or, if you let it, turn you into a pile of dried leaves, ready to crumble at the first footstep." And I couldn't help but smile, being from the Texas legal community, at reading "I dated an attorney from Fort Worth once. Emphasis on the word once." smile...enjoy...

I always eagarly anticipate the next Bennie Harper Mystery and this one was worth waiting for!Earlene Fowler has a talent for coming up with intriging story lines. This one is no exeption. The background setting of race horse breeding and winery makes this great story line and takes you to where it is all happening. The characters and their relationships as always are what keeps me coming back for more!