Seven Sisters (Benni Harper Mystery) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "BUT WE'RE IN love," my stepson said, his dark chocolate eyes burning bright with the passionate angst of a nineteen-year-old male in full-blown heat..." (more)
Key Phrases: folk art museum, Detective Hudson, San Celina, Rose Brown (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Conflicting family loyalties and the burdens of the past lie at the heart of the engrossing seventh novel from four-time Agatha Award nominee Fowler to feature amateur sleuth Benni Harper. Benni's 19-year-old stepson, Sam Ortiz, confides in her that he and his pregnant girlfriend, Bliss Girard, a rookie cop in the San Celina, Calif., police department, want to marry. Benni fears that her husband, Gabe Ortiz, the town's police chief, will disapprove--and that so will Bliss's socially and politically prominent family, the Browns. Benni isn't certain how to react when Lydia Ortiz, Sam's mother and Gabe's first wife, arrives to discuss the domestic crisis. Matters come to a head when the extended families dine together at the Browns' ancestral stronghold, Seven Sisters Ranch. The murder of Giles Norton, husband of another Brown offshoot and the son of prominent vintners, puts everyone at Seven Sisters at risk. A sheriff's department newcomer, Ford "Hud" Hudson, investigates the killing, and quickly pegs Benni as an unofficial assistant because of her reputation for nosiness and her connections to the case. The tenacious Hud constantly backs Benni into corners whenever she shows signs of wanting to wash her hands of the whole affair. In the end, Benni's own instincts drive her to dig out the long-hidden truth behind the deaths of four of the original seven Brown sisters, for whom the ranch was named. How this secret relates to the present tragedy provides the stunning climax to a compelling story of families torn apart by divided loyalties. Agent, Deborah Schneider. 9-city author tour. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

On a late summer day in San Celina, California, Sam Ortiz tells his stepmother, cowgirl Benni Harper, that he is engaged to Bliss Girard, daughter of a prominent rancher. Then Bliss' cousin is murdered. When the Girards clam up, Benni investigates and discovers that the murderer may be in the family, ready to kill again. This seventh Benni Harper mystery may be the best of the series. Fowler's regular characters all show significant growth; the mystery itself is satisfying both as a puzzle (the art of quiltmaking holds the key) and as a story about secrets buried in a family's past. In addition, the tantalizing subplot about Benni's amusing, poignant relationship with her husband's first wife is as intriguing as the mystery. The emphasis on skeletons in a California family's closet echoes Ross Macdonald, while the tone and feel of the novel will remind readers of Nevada Barr. John Rowen --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; 1st THUS edition (April 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425179176
• ISBN-13: 978-0425179178
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #97,697 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shines like the constellation it's named for, April 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Seven Sisters: A Benni Harper Mystery (Benni Harper Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant read, April 15, 2000

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Seven Sisters: A Benni Harper Mystery (Benni Harper Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another wonderful Benni Harper Mystery, April 17, 2000

By	Donna Rizos (Plano, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Seven Sisters: A Benni Harper Mystery (Benni Harper Mysteries) (Hardcover)

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!