Goose in the Pond (Benni Harper Mystery) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I HATE THIS," I said, my breath coming in short, painful bursts..." (more)
Key Phrases: storytelling festival, festival committee, San Celina, Blind Harry, Will Henry (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Benni Harper finds a local storyteller's body in the lake in the fourth mystery of this series. Benni has recently married the handsome Latino police chief; the murder comes just before a storytelling festival she has organized. Further complications include the arrival of assorted, unmatched relatives who stay for dinner and beyond; tensions between rabid environmentalists and locals; and the emotional bumps and whorls of Benni's second marriage. The dialogue is often engaging, and the local California color more so, but the plot is full--perhaps overfull--of hot buttons. There are the storytelling and quilting references (each of Fowler's books has a quilt pattern as its title) as well as plotlines that include a homeless person, lost computer files, unbiquitous coffeehouses, spouse abuse, an unfavorable comparison to Hillary Rodham Clinton, the local library, and a reference librarian. The most fully realized characters are two minor but crucial ones: Benni's redoubtable grandmother, Dove, and her newly met stepson, Sam. Pleasant enough. GraceAnne DeCandido --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

A fourth appearance for Benni Harper (Kansas Troubles, 1996, etc.), curator of the Folk Art Museum in San Celina, California- -recently married to the town's Chief of Police Gabe Ortiz--who's now deep in preparations for the museum's first storytelling festival, to be combined with a show of handmade quilts. It's Benni's misfortune to discover the murdered body of Nora Cooper, a storyteller at the local library. Nora's brother Nick is head reference librarian there, under director Jillian Sinclair, a niece of the library's chief benefactor, Constance Sinclair. Nora, meanwhile, was involved in a bitter divorce settlement with soon- to-be-ex-husband Roy, who lives with girlfriend Grace Winter, a stableowner. They're Gabe's prime suspects until it's revealed that Nora was the author of the Tattler, an unsigned scandal-mongering column in the town's newspaper. It seems both library and museum staffs are chock-full of people with nasty secrets Nora was busy unearthing. Gabe works hard to restrain Benni's rampant investigating instincts--with good reason, as it turns out in the out-of-left-field, unsatisfying denouement. Much time is spent on Gabe and Benni's cluttered domestic life as they play reluctant hosts to Gabe's troubled son Sam, Benni's beloved but trying grandmother Dove and flighty cousin Rita--a setup as overpopulated, artificial, and unconvincing as the murder mystery. Quilters and storytelling enthusiasts may find some joy here; others will find this one heavy on chitchat but low on substance. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425162397
• ISBN-13: 978-0425162392
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #301,888 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars --Story Quilts and Family Feuds--, September 23, 2002

By	Judith Miller (Bluemont, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the fourth book in the Earlene Fowler quilting mystery series.

Benni Harper and her husband Gabe Ortiz become involved in a police investigation after Benni discovers a woman's body floating in a lake next to their jogging path. The dead woman is dressed in a Mother Goose costume and Benni immediately recognizes her as Nora Cooper, a local storyteller.

Because of Benni's job as curator of the San Celina Folk Art Museum, she was well acquainted with Nora Cooper and they were both working on an upcoming Storytelling and Story Quilt Festival. Benni tries to stay out of the police investigation, but she keeps getting pulled in because she knew the victim and most of the suspects.

Benni and Gabe are newlyweds and still getting adjusted to living together which is difficult because they are both set in their ways. The situation is not helped by the arrival of three different relatives who all come to visit at the same time causing commotion in their small home.

Though Earlene Fowler gives us a patchwork of personalities and several different plots, she still manages to keep the reader interested and entertained.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Goose in the Pond, July 25, 2001

By	Lori D. Stach (Arlington, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I have read 5 of the 8 Benni Harper mysteries. Being a serious quilter, and an avid reader I find books fairly predictable. Ms. Fowler keeps you guessing until the very end!! Ofter the title of the book which relates to a specific quilt block is not revealed until late in the book. She has so captured me that when I was telling my small quilt group about the books they thought I was talking about a real family!! I have ordered all of the remaining books that I have not read, and wish Ms. Fowler could produce one a week to keep me entertained when I am not quilting. Books are ment to help you be part of the story and these do an excellent job at that! It is nice that the characters in the books remain the same and it doesn't seem to matter if you read them out of sequence as she renews the past in a way to refamilirize you and not make you lost, guessing where who all of the people in San Celina or how they are related. Keep up the good work Ms. Fowler and HURRY with another book!

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent READ, August 21, 1999

By A Customer

The Goose in the Pond is my favorite of the Benni Harper series. I love Earlene Fowler's characters they are so interesting, fun and real. When Benni discovers a storyteller in the water who is dressed up as Mother Goose, this starts a marvelous mystery. I am so happy that I rediscovered this mystery series. I have also have enjoyed reading Kansas Troubles, Dove in the Window and Mariner's Compass. I love quilts and mysteries so this series have been so wonderful!