Customer Reviews

Square in the Face: A Claire Montrose Mystery (Claire Montrose Mysteries)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Claire was once a drone working in the Oregon Specialty License Plate Department. Her job was to approve vanity plates. When she received a special inheritance (see CIRCLE OF CONFUSION), she quit. Now, Claire only does things that interest her. At the moment, she searches for the daughter of a friend, Lori who gave away her child through the private adoption services of the infamous Bradford Clinic.

Lori's son suffers from leukemia and will probably need a bone marrow transplant. Lori, her husband, and their other son prove unsuitable matches. Claire quickly learns that Dr. Bradford wants to make money from his questionable placement service. Helping people in trouble is not important to the avarice healer. Claire checks into the clinic as a patient and finds a ledger that includes a page with the information Lori needs. Unfortunately there are many potential entries that could prove to be Lori's daughter. As the clock ticks, Claire desperately continues her inquiries to save a dying boy.

Claire goes way beyond what a person can expect of a friend. She proves just how big her heart really is by taking by taking risks that most people would refuse regardless of the bond. Thus, Claire makes the novel and the series with her deeply caring nature. April Henry surrounds her heroine with a heart-wrenching tale of a family in crisis inside the mystery. SQUARE IN THE FACE will appeal to amateur sleuth fans as well as those readers who enjoy a family drama. Ms. Henry has written a triumphant novel that will gain her much esteem from readers who relish the works of such notables like Adler and Plain.

Harriet Klausner

Square in the Face by April Henry is the second in the Claire Montrose mysteries. It's a heart grabber when Claire starts looking for a matching marrow donor for an old friend's dying son. In the meantime Claire's mother is buying everything her new best friends on TV's home shopping network are selling. Lots of family secrets! This is a wonderful story with terrific characters. I loved Charlie, Claire's roommate. It is fun watching Claire rediscover her family, too. Humor, a little love interest, lots of intrigue, and some sad history, too. As with any mystery, the 'bad guys' leave their mark but our Claire is not going to let them get away with it. This is a strong follow-up to Henry's first book, Circles of Confusion, and moves this series onto my 'must buy' list. April Henry is a sharp young writer with ever-increasing skills, a superb imagination, and the wit to use them well.

When a friend's son needs a bone marrow transplant, she asks Claire Montrose to help her find a lost daughter. Claire feigns pregnancy to gain entrance to a secret and expensive adoption agency. There, she learns of terrible secrets the doctor is willing to kill for. The clock is ticking for the friend's son and Claire tracks down the families who may have adopted the daughter. Claire is an engaging character who, at times, seems unaware of her beauty and wit. She's a regular gal who feels out of place with her new boyfriend's high society pals. This is the second of the series and loses a little focus as the author pulls threads from the last book, which are a little diluted in this story. None the less, very readable.

Square in the Face is April Henry's second book which gives her readers another exciting and interesting look into the life of Claire Montrose. Claire is a former employee of the state of Oregon. Fortunately, for her, she has escaped the drudgery of state employment and now has time to enjoy life, her handsome boyfriend, and to help a friend, and former co-worker, who has a really big problem. Little does Claire know when she says that she will help, that she will find herself smack in the middle of a very dangerous undertaking. April Henry does a great job making Claire and her adventures real. And the really fun thing about April's book is how readily the reader can identify with Claire. If you're look for a fun read with some real life drama, this is the book for you. Sit back, relax, and prepare to have a really enjoyable visit with a very interesting and engaging young woman.

This latest book by April Henry is a quick and easy read. An excellent book for an airplane trip or the beach. Slightly better than her first book Circles of Confusion, Square in the Face still lacks the depth and "completion" to be a "great" mystery. There are trails leading in all directions and not all of the answers are forthcoming. Still, this book is fun entertainment and worthy of a relaxing read.

I really enjoyed Circles of Confusion, Ms. Henry's first book with heroine Claire Montrose, who worked in the vanity license plate division of the Oregon DMV, and I liked Square in the Face every bit as much. This book is more serious and heartfelt in its themes than Circles and a little less romantic. The mystery is good, the suspense builds nicely, and I challenge you to find a more enjoyable sleuth than Claire Montrose. Great book in a great series. I can't wait for the next one.

I ordered and read all of her books - they are quick reads, enjoyable, and very entertaining.

April Henry has written another excellent book, I agree with the good reviews. What I liked was plate numbers, it makes the book last longer and makes you think. In Circle of Confusion, I also spent a good couple of hours looking at the art of Vermeer. Great fun.

I found the book to be a very pleasant mixture of seriousness and humor. Claire is undeterred in her search for the solution to this mystery, yet endearingly down to earth. Many of the characters are weird in a humorous sort of way, while not intending to be.

For those who know Portland, OR, Claire's searches there add the interest of 'following' her around as she goes to familiar areas.

I found the plot both coherent and cohesive. It didn't strain my sense of logic as some mysteries do. The situation described in the book could, and no doubt does, happen in real life.

This is my first dip into the Claire Montrose series, but now I plan to hunt down the rest of April Henry's books. The mystery plot was twisty enough to keep me compulsively turning pages despite the blizzard battering my old house and the kids converting the playroom into the ninth circle of Toy Hell. But the real pleasure of Henry's work lies in her vivid characterizations. Claire Montrose, her friends, and her family are people you want to know, want to listen to, want to follow off the pages into real life. I was disappointed when I reached the end and there was no more (and not just because it meant I had to shovel off the porch and pick up 857 action figures.) Sure to please lovers of cozies with a modern edge.