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Ninth in the Agatha Award-winning series that's been hailed as engrossing, Steps to the Altar finds California folk art expert Benni Harper preparing for two upcoming weddings, digging up clues to a decades-old unsolved murder-and struggling with a very personal crisis of the heart....
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"Take care", I said, not knowing what was the appropriate goodbye to your husband's ex-wife who was warning you about his ex-girlfriend. Did Miss Manners have a chapter covering this modern situation?
A cosy mystery set in the small town of San Celina in California ranch country. I haven't read any of this author's other books, but although this book comes somewhere in the the middle of a long series, it does a good job of describing the main character's life and her relationships with friends and family, so I never felt lost. Benni is a keen quilter who works at the local museum and is the wife of the local police chief. Life is busy at the moment as she is involved in preparations for the weddings of both her best friend and her show more grandmother, and now she has been persuaded to catalogue the contents of some trunks that belonged to a woman who supposedly murdered her husband and ran away with her lover back in the 1940s. Almost immediately Benni decides that Maple Sullivan was innocent of the crime, and begins to investigate, although she is distracted by problems in her own marriage as an ex-lover of Benni's husband is visiting San Celina and seems likely to cause trouble.
Quite enjoyable, although the solution to the mystery was frankly unbelievable. show less
A cosy mystery set in the small town of San Celina in California ranch country. I haven't read any of this author's other books, but although this book comes somewhere in the the middle of a long series, it does a good job of describing the main character's life and her relationships with friends and family, so I never felt lost. Benni is a keen quilter who works at the local museum and is the wife of the local police chief. Life is busy at the moment as she is involved in preparations for the weddings of both her best friend and her show more grandmother, and now she has been persuaded to catalogue the contents of some trunks that belonged to a woman who supposedly murdered her husband and ran away with her lover back in the 1940s. Almost immediately Benni decides that Maple Sullivan was innocent of the crime, and begins to investigate, although she is distracted by problems in her own marriage as an ex-lover of Benni's husband is visiting San Celina and seems likely to cause trouble.
Quite enjoyable, although the solution to the mystery was frankly unbelievable. show less
Gabe Ortiz and Benni Harper both annoyed me this time, although my biggest gripe with this book is what happened after the cold case is solved. Times have changed, it could serve as a lesson, and there are people who are still hurting. Gah!
On the other hand, the unfolding of Maple Sullivan's story was interesting. So was the glimpse into Detective Hudson's past. The shower and wedding preparations were a welcome counterpoint to Benni and Gabe's marital problem. Dove's wild ideas for her own wedding were a comic ribbon twining through the mystery and misery.
Even though we get to see some chapters through Gabe's eyes, I wasn't feeling all that sympathetic toward him. He should have been listening harder to the memory of his late show more father's voice giving him advice. That's why chapter 24 was my favorite, especially its first page.
Note: my copy has the blue cover with six squares set in diamond shape then forming an 'X' with the smallest diamond above it. The central diamond is the largest and has a statue of a mournful angel on it. The copyright page credits the cover to 'One by Two'. The back flap of the dust jacket gives Ms. Griesbach and Mr. Martucci's names. I e-mailed them. "One by Two Studio" is their partnership name, according to Mr. Martucci.
If your hardcover copy is missing its dustjacket and you're wondering if you have a book club edition, I have a BCE. These are its dimensions in inches: H: 8 & 7/16ths, L: 5 & 5/8ths W: a little over 15/16ths of an inch. show less
On the other hand, the unfolding of Maple Sullivan's story was interesting. So was the glimpse into Detective Hudson's past. The shower and wedding preparations were a welcome counterpoint to Benni and Gabe's marital problem. Dove's wild ideas for her own wedding were a comic ribbon twining through the mystery and misery.
Even though we get to see some chapters through Gabe's eyes, I wasn't feeling all that sympathetic toward him. He should have been listening harder to the memory of his late show more father's voice giving him advice. That's why chapter 24 was my favorite, especially its first page.
Note: my copy has the blue cover with six squares set in diamond shape then forming an 'X' with the smallest diamond above it. The central diamond is the largest and has a statue of a mournful angel on it. The copyright page credits the cover to 'One by Two'. The back flap of the dust jacket gives Ms. Griesbach and Mr. Martucci's names. I e-mailed them. "One by Two Studio" is their partnership name, according to Mr. Martucci.
If your hardcover copy is missing its dustjacket and you're wondering if you have a book club edition, I have a BCE. These are its dimensions in inches: H: 8 & 7/16ths, L: 5 & 5/8ths W: a little over 15/16ths of an inch. show less
Benni has her hands full planning weddings for her best friend and her
grandmother, but one of the more demanding members of the San Celinas
historical society insists that she be the one to sort and catalog the
contents of three old trunks that belonged to Maple Sullivan, a woman
long believed to have murdered her husband just before she disappeared.
And things get even more complicated when Gabe's gorgeous former
partner and ex-girlfriend arrives in town, apparently determined to pick
things up just where they left off years ago. Faced with a crisis in
her marriage that she cannot fix by herself, Benni allows herself to be
distracted by a cold-file murder case that is over 50 years old.
This book made me mad at the beginning, and made show more me want to reach into
it and slap the living snot out of both Gabe Ortiz, for being an ass,
and Benni Harper for not doing anything about it. So mad, in fact, that
I was sorely tempted to just stop reading it. But I soldiered on and
finished. I have to say that if I were Benni, I'd have handled things a
tad differently, I think. It was good to see the background story
progress with the weddings, though. Not the best book in the series by
a long shot. show less
grandmother, but one of the more demanding members of the San Celinas
historical society insists that she be the one to sort and catalog the
contents of three old trunks that belonged to Maple Sullivan, a woman
long believed to have murdered her husband just before she disappeared.
And things get even more complicated when Gabe's gorgeous former
partner and ex-girlfriend arrives in town, apparently determined to pick
things up just where they left off years ago. Faced with a crisis in
her marriage that she cannot fix by herself, Benni allows herself to be
distracted by a cold-file murder case that is over 50 years old.
This book made me mad at the beginning, and made show more me want to reach into
it and slap the living snot out of both Gabe Ortiz, for being an ass,
and Benni Harper for not doing anything about it. So mad, in fact, that
I was sorely tempted to just stop reading it. But I soldiered on and
finished. I have to say that if I were Benni, I'd have handled things a
tad differently, I think. It was good to see the background story
progress with the weddings, though. Not the best book in the series by
a long shot. show less
(Received from member giveaways.)
Benni Harper could do either with a few more hours in the day or have a couple things less to do. After all, she is busy preparing for not only her best friend's wedding, but also her grandmother's wedding, and she is, among other things, also involved with San Celina's Mardi Gras ball. She does not feel as if she can take on another project.
However, she can't say "no" when a friend from the historical society asks her to catalog what is in several old trunks. When she starts looking through them, she discovers that the trunk contents may provide clues to an unsolved crime from many years ago.
The owner of the trunks wsa Maple Sullivan - a "foreigner" who married a local rancher and supposedly killed him. show more It was rumored that she also ran off with another man and never heard from again.
Benni can understand the difficulties of marriage, especially after meeting her husband's ex-partner (and sometime girlfriend). As the days pass and her search progresses, Benni wants to prove Maple's innocence and finds that there is more than meets the eye.
Is Maple innocent? What of Benni and Gabe?
This is the first book that I have read by Earlene Fowler and did not know what to expect. Steps to the Altar was a nice surprise and I really enjoyed reading it.
Several things stood out for me about this book. One was the storylines - both the present setting and the past - I especially liked that, aside from the letters and diary, the story was set in the present and the past was referenced.
Another was the setting. The area would be a lovely one to visit sometime and its charm comes through in the way the author describes the town and its (fictional) residents.
Then there are the characters. They are presented as real people with all their strengths and weaknesses. They live, they laugh, they cry and they are people you would like to know.
Finally, for me, it is how all of the above is put together between the book covers. All of these elements are seemlessly blended to provide a whole that is time well spent 'visiting'. I will certainly pick up other Earlene Fowler books to read. show less
Benni Harper could do either with a few more hours in the day or have a couple things less to do. After all, she is busy preparing for not only her best friend's wedding, but also her grandmother's wedding, and she is, among other things, also involved with San Celina's Mardi Gras ball. She does not feel as if she can take on another project.
However, she can't say "no" when a friend from the historical society asks her to catalog what is in several old trunks. When she starts looking through them, she discovers that the trunk contents may provide clues to an unsolved crime from many years ago.
The owner of the trunks wsa Maple Sullivan - a "foreigner" who married a local rancher and supposedly killed him. show more It was rumored that she also ran off with another man and never heard from again.
Benni can understand the difficulties of marriage, especially after meeting her husband's ex-partner (and sometime girlfriend). As the days pass and her search progresses, Benni wants to prove Maple's innocence and finds that there is more than meets the eye.
Is Maple innocent? What of Benni and Gabe?
This is the first book that I have read by Earlene Fowler and did not know what to expect. Steps to the Altar was a nice surprise and I really enjoyed reading it.
Several things stood out for me about this book. One was the storylines - both the present setting and the past - I especially liked that, aside from the letters and diary, the story was set in the present and the past was referenced.
Another was the setting. The area would be a lovely one to visit sometime and its charm comes through in the way the author describes the town and its (fictional) residents.
Then there are the characters. They are presented as real people with all their strengths and weaknesses. They live, they laugh, they cry and they are people you would like to know.
Finally, for me, it is how all of the above is put together between the book covers. All of these elements are seemlessly blended to provide a whole that is time well spent 'visiting'. I will certainly pick up other Earlene Fowler books to read. show less
This review was written for LibraryThing Member Giveaways.
Publishers Weekly Review: In a story sewn together as tightly as a traditional quilt, Agatha Award-winner Fowler delivers superior cozy entertainment in her ninth Benni Harper mystery (after 2001''s Arkansas Traveler). In the California coastal town of San Celina, there are weddings and wished-for weddings, plus the threatened demise of Benni''s two-year marriage to police chief Gabe Ortiz, brought about by the appearance of Gabe''s former female partner, Del Hernandez. Just as Benni doesn''t think she can keep one more plate spinning in her busy life, two crises crop up: first, Del starts deliberately going after Gabe and lets Benni know it; second, Benni is asked to inventory four trunks full of materials possibly related to the show more decades-old bludgeoning death of wealthy Garvey Sullivan. Though asked only to catalogue the items, Benni becomes fascinated by the potential murder charge against Maple Sullivan, Garvey''s widow. Maple fled before her husband''s body was found, but she''s been found "guilty" in the town''s conscience and gossip ever since. Will Benni solve the old murder? Will her marriage survive the lust of Del Hernandez and the come-ons to herself from an acerbic sheriff''s deputy? Will her best friend, cousin and grandmother all make it to their respective altars, fulfilling the prophecy of the Steps to the Altar quilt made for one couple? The answers to these questions make delicious reading, with plenty of passion, snappy dialogue and a whiz-bang plot. Agent, Ellen Gieger. (Apr. 2) Forecast: Ads in Romantic Times as well as handselling to romance readers could help Fowler expand beyond her core audience. The thematically appropriate quilting jacket art, however, is too busy and doesn''t signal how central romance is to the story. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information. show less
Well, this one left me wrung out. Great plot about an unsolved cold case dating back to the 40's and WWII, but it's the gut wrenching story of Gabe and Benni that left me feeling the need for comedy at the end. I'm hoping for a bit more levity from the next one.
Sep 20, 2014Piratical
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24+ Works 6,961 Members
Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California. She wrote literary and commercial short fiction for ten years without publishing success when she decided to write a mystery novel. Her first novel, Fool's Puzzle, was published in 1994. Her other works include Kansas Troubles, Seven Sisters, Arkansas Traveler, Broken Dishes, Delectable show more Mountains, and The Saddlemaker's Wife. She won the Agatha Award for Mariner's Compass in 1999. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Steps to the Altar
- Original publication date
- 2002-04-02
- People/Characters
- Benni Harper; Gabriel Ortiz; Miss Christine (owner, Miss Christine's Tea and Sympathy Parlor); Elvia Aragon (Blind Harry's Bookstore owner, Benni's best friend, Emory's fiancé | e); Amanda Landry (folk art museum's pro bono attorney); Ramsey (Benni's father) (show all 65); Sam Ortiz (Benni's stepson); Jose (chef, Miss Christine's Tea and Sympathy Parlor); Dove Ramsey (Benni's grandmother, Isaac's fiancé | e); Emory Littleton (San Celina Tribune journalist, Benni's fifth cousin, Elvia's fiancé | ); Isaac Lyons (world-renowned photographer, Dove's fiancé | ); Sally (owner, Stern's Hometown Bakery); June Rae Gates (one of Dove's oldest friends); Elmo Ritter (owner of Inkspot, an elderly cat); Maria Ramirez (bakes chocolate cinnamon cookies); Edna McClun (San Celina County Historical Museum, Dove's friend); Maple Bennett Sullivan (his wife, disappeared after Garvey's death); Kaneesha (San Celina Police Dept. front desk clerk); Lydia (Santa Barbara criminal defense attorney, Gabe's first wife, Sam's mother); Maggie (Chief Ortiz' assistant); Del Hernandez (Delilah, cop, one of Gabe's former partners in L.A.); Constance Sinclair (patron of the Josiah Sinclair Folk Art Museum); Cathy Gustavson (owner, Costume Capers, Benni's old friend); Delbar 'D-Daddy' Boudreaux; Ford 'Hud' Hudson; Maisie Hudson (Detective Hud's little daughter); Professor Russell Hill (of Cal Poly, Benni's old history professor); Manuel (this year's co-op president, leather worker); Nadine Maeleen Johnson (Liddie's Café | head waitress); Jake (Liddie's Café | fry cook); Mitchell Warner (Garvey Sullivan's best friend, disappeared the same time as Maple); Micah Warner (Mitch's older brother); Jemima Smith (worked for Doc Goldstein until he and his wife moved in 1944); Senora Aragon (Elvia's mother, 'Mama Aragon' to Benni); Miguel Aragon (San Celina police officer and Elvia's younger brother); Bobbie Lee (one of the co-op artists, a landscape painter); Ruth Gibson (president, Wandering Foot Quilt Guild, Los Osos, mother of 5 lawyers); Stan (homeless man); Frankie Warner (Mitch's great-nephew); Brian Warner (Frankie's teenaged son); Rosie Warner (Frankies's sister, took back maiden name); Trace (Rosie's grandson); Captain Joan Sackett (unofficial police dpt. historian, San Celino Mission docent); Teresa (owner, Jamaica You Beautiful beauty salon); Zelda (skin expert, Jamaica You Beautiful); Angie (Teresa's daughter, works at Jamaica You Beautiful); Father Mark Dominguez (San Celina Mission Church); Bob Weston (retired San Celina police officer); Maria Martinez (of Martinez ranch); Mac (Benni's minister at the First Baptist Church); Roberto Martinez (Maria's husband); Oralee (Mac's grandma); Vynelle Williams (Oak Terrace's Coffin Star Quilt Guild member); Thelma Rook (Oak Terrace's Coffin Star Quilt Guild member); Martha Pickering (Thelma's roommate & best friend); Mrs. Langcroft (retired librarian, an asst. manager at Blind Harry's Books); Janet Nicholson (owner, Mission Floral, mother); Sara (Amanda Landry's receptionist); Leilani (Amanda's investigator); Mr. James Downey (former owner of Mission Floral); Mrs. Albert C. Smith (Idyllwild lady); Arlene Rivers (President, Idyllwild Historical Society); Betty Juniper (Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce); Thelma Jones (Lily Smith's sister); Hugh Laramie (Idyllwild resident)
- Important places
- San Celina, California, USA
- Dedication
- For
Tina and Tom Davis
dear friends, brilliant webmasters, ardent supporters
my thanks for your sustaining help,
both emotional and culinary.
For
Clare Bazley
Jo Ellen Heil
Sue Morrison
your friendship and loving encouragement
have been worth their weight in rubies. - First words
- Late at night, when the dreams woke him, he would lie in the dark and try to forget the faces of the people he'd watched die.
- Quotations
- Take care, I said, not knowing what was the appropriate goodbye to your husband's ex-wife who was warning you about his ex-girlfriend. Did Miss Manners have a chapter covering this modern situation?
Forget the gun. I wanted him to dangle at the end of a rope. For a long, painful time. Then have wolves chew the meat off his bones. - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"Protect us all through this long, dark night."
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- 417
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- 73,889
- Reviews
- 6
- Rating
- (3.73)
- Languages
- English, French, German
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 4
