Tumbling Blocks

In reading this book, I found myself thinking "oh yeah, somebody did get killed, didn't they?"- which is not a really bad thing. Yes, the mystery is there, but on an almost secondary storyline. This story is set at Christmastime, so emotions/stresses are hightened. Fowler shows us the tangled, complex interpersonal family relationships which I found myself more interested in rather than the murder. She's very good at it. In fact, both ended up being satisfying, though as you can probably tell, I really enbraced the dense (and sometimes painful) familial bonds, which are lacking in many mysteries.

cozy mystery fiction (#13 in series but can stand alone), very wholesome 30-something y.o. (frequently quilting or baking, but also works as a curator in a folk art museum and married to a police officer w/no kids) set in a small town in the central California coast area, near Cambria (where rich people go to retire), over December/Christmas 1996.

this volume in the series (the only one I've read) seems to be light on the mystery details--not only is our main character an amateur in her sleuthing, she's not even trying to solve this case, agreeing to "look into" a short list of suspects in order to pacify her boss and keep her from continuing to bug the police about a death that shows no indication of foul play. So there are some obvious show more threads at the start that won't get followed up on until the last half of the book, and hardcore mystery fans are likely to get impatient. It's not a particularly suspenseful or funny story, but if you like the sort of cozy narrative that follows characters around as they go about their wholesome lives (dogsitting, smoothing things over with the inlaws, helping a friend find flattering maternity clothes, organizing family gatherings), then here you go.

Picked up from Little Free Library. show less

Gabe's mother comes to San Celinas for the Christmas holiday, bringing some heavy surprises that throw her son off kilter in more ways than one. And Kathryn's visit just adds to the stress Benni is already under, trying to prepare the museum for the unveiling of a stunning piece of "outsider art" and coping with a highly excitable and eccentric boss who is convinced that her best friend didn't just die in her sleep as the medical examiner said, but was murdered for her spot in one of San Celinas' most exclusive women's clubs. Benni has to entertain her in-laws, be in charge of a huge "opening night" at the museum, soothe her pregnant best friend's rattled nerves, and dog sit an untrained puppy, all while pretending to investigate a show more natural death as if it were a murder. Merry Christmas to you, too, Benni Harper.

Another comfortable visit with Benni and Gabe, where the backstory takes center stage over the downplayed mystery. In fact, it felt to me like the little bit of plot in the mystery part of this story seemed to get in the way of the real story here, which was digging into the fractured dynamic between Gabe and his mother. Fowler is slowing down on publishing these books and I do hope she hasn't reached the end of her inspiration for the story of Benni and Gabe. There's a lot more to tell, and I'll be looking forward to the next volume. show less

I enjoy the fact that he mystery takes place through everyday life, but man did I want to slap Gabe. Also, what was the purpose of Boo? I like how in the book, Benni says, "Though I hated admitting it, I was getting attached to [Boo]." How? when? You were rarely with the dog. Overall the mystery was decent but not sure about the payoff.

the story wasn't great but it was good-natured and the reader, johanna parker was excellent.

mystery was never really wrapped up, and not so strong either. Might have been more satisfying as an art mystery instead of a murder mystery. Gabe character seems to have reverted to childish behavior. would a grown man who has just been told his mom has MS really whine about not being the first to know? didn't meet my expectations. enjoyable audio escapism.

Bennie Harper has no intention of seriously investigating the death Constance Sinclair's best friend. She's too tied up in a new exhibition of 'outsider art,' scheduled to open soon at the folk museum where she is the curator. Unfortunately, her husband, the Police Chief, wants Bennie to keep Constance out of his hair and she shouldn't offend Constance, one of the museum's benefactors. Isn't this a useless waste of time? ... of course it isn't, and fans of this series will enjoy the twists and ...more Bennie Harper has no intention of seriously investigating the death Constance Sinclair's best friend. She's too tied up in a new exhibition of 'outsider art,' scheduled to open soon at the folk museum where she is the curator. show more Unfortunately, her husband, the Police Chief, wants Bennie to keep Constance out of his hair and she shouldn't offend Constance, one of the museum's benefactors. Isn't this a useless waste of time? ... of course it isn't, and fans of this series will enjoy the twists and turns. show less