A Real Basket Case

Rating: 3* of five

The Book Report: Mrs. Roger Hanover hasn't seen the love-light in her husband's eyes in ten years. Kids in college, money in bank, stupid expensive car she didn't want in garage of stupid expensive house she didn't want, and...not much else, just a home-based gift-basket-making business that she's run ragged by (thank goodness, something to do!). Her best friend, divorcée Ellen, leads her into the path of temptation by introducing her to hawt yoga instructor Enrique. That sets off a chain of events powering this entire first novel, as Enrique is murdered in Mrs. Hanover's bedroom in the course of an innocent, non-sexual (to Enrique's mild annoyance) massage...and Roger, standing in the doorway with the murder weapon, show more looks like the murderer.

She's all verschmeckeled, our intrepid heroine, what with being caught in what was once called a compromising position by the husband she loves even now, and whose apparent murder of the louche and rentable Enrique becomes the cause célèbre of Denver seems to her exceedingly unlike him...well, these facts force her, the publicly branded Cheating Wife, to stop the trial before it starts by discovering the real killer.

Which she does, much to her sorrow, and after making all sorts of bizarre new acquaintances, accusing old friends of heinous things, and fighting to show her husband she's not a cheater.

My Review: Enrique the latin lover/drug dealer. His Mexican spitfire girlfriend. A drug kingpin in a limousine.

Oh heavenly days, as my other-mother used to say, do stop now.

Adequate plotting, adequate dialogue, and a surprise killer get the book three stars, and the racist profiling is so blind, so not the point the author's making, that all it does is keep any more from being subtracted instead of making me rate it 1 star in irritation. This is a first novel, and is the first in a series, but I am not seeking the others out. show less

A Real Basket Case is Beth Groundwater's debut novel. In this Agatha-nominated cozy mystery, Claire Hanover fights to prove her husband Roger is innocent of murdering Claire's fitness instructor, Enrique.

Roger has been spending far more hours with his job than with his wife, so when Claire's friend Ellen buys her a massage with Enrique, she reluctantly agrees. However, when Enrique is shot in the midst of this massage and Ellen looks up to see Roger standing in the doorway with the murder weapon in his hand, the evidence against him is damning. Claire is convinced that someone set Roger up and she's going to prove who that person is and win Roger's trust back.

A Real Basket Case is a light, quick, enjoyable read. But don't try to read it show more too quickly or you'll miss the creative subtleties woven throughout the plot.

Groundwater has a firm grasp on how to use the English language to create effect. Groundwater's concise style can pack a powerful punch.

The humor in this book is also very subtle. Numerous times I was reading along, caught up in the plot when I had to halt because I realized, "hey! That was funny." Claire's character plays right into this effect. Her good intentions in preposterous situations just result in humorous outcomes. Her interactions with Leon, the ethical drug kingpin, are prime examples of this. The paradox of his "ethics" and her naivete makes the absurd seem completely natural.

The only qualm I had with Claire was her inability - or unwillingness? - to stand up to her husband. She stands up the cops, to drug pushers, to her friends. But she just let her husband blame her for his entire predicament and she accepted the blame. I was really cheering for her to give him "what for" just once. But, building self-confidence comes in small steps. She built her confidence to fight for her family in this step. I'll be looking forward to see what steps she makes as the "Basket Mysteries" continue. show less

A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater is a really fun book, and just perfect to add to that gift basket for mother, sick friend, empty-nester, or whoever else you feel needs a bit of spice to cheer them up. Just be sure whoever reads it will be inspired to believe in themselves, in the future, and in the value of love and relationships.

Beth’s protagonist, Claire Hanover, is a middle-aged mother of grown-up children, valued confidante of friends whose marriages are breaking up, and loyal wife. But an exercise class run by gloriously handsome Enrique surely can’t be a problem, and all she agrees to is a massage. Depending on your own position in life, you’ll either be crying out “Go for it Claire,” or “Claire, don’t do show more it!” as one of her friends eggs her on, and the other decries the duplicity of all men.

But things go drastically wrong. Claire’s moment of pleasure becomes a trek through the seamy underbelly of Colorado Springs. Her husband is arrested for murder. Everyone thinks he’s guilty. His boss threatens to fire him. And when Claire manages to arrange his bail, he retires straight to a friend’s house because he doesn’t believe she loves him anymore.

By the way, did you know that works? Arranging bail and all that?

Meanwhile Claire delivers gift baskets to the realtor, and tries to avoid getting shot by the local drug lord. She’d have every justification for ending up a real basket case, but that’s not her aim, and true love, true grit, and true determination win through.

I love Claire. I love this story. And I’ll soon be reading the sequel, To Hell in a Handbasket. I can hardly wait. show less

Claire treats her husband like a God that can do no wrong. He's quite the dick, yet she can't imagine herself without him. She can stand up to cops and drug-dealers, but is the good little welcome mat to her King.

Beth Groundwater introduces Claire Hanover, restless and underappreciated housewife, gift basket maker, and reluctant sleuth, in A Real Basket Case. Hanover’s gullibility drives her to make decisions that put her in danger and sometimes manages to save her. Her devotion to her husband and her motivation of saving her marriage are entirely believable and engaging in Groundwater’s capable hands. Groundwater writes all her characters with dimensions that show frailty, generosity, and the basic “humanness” shared by humankind. Readers will cheer for Hanover to succeed and commiserate with her failures. A Real Basket Case is the first in a series that promises to entertain readers who enjoy a lighthearted, engaging mystery for years show more to come. show less

This is the first book in the Claire Hanover series and I am looking forward to the rest of them. In this book, Claire and her husband Roger are having difficulties. Roger has become a workaholic trying to get ahead. Claire is lonely (her children are grown and gone) and she wants her husband to cut back on work and rekindle the romance they had years ago. When her friend Ellen invites her to attend aerobics classes with her, Claire agrees. The instructor, Enrique, is a handsome gigolo who tries to latch onto Claire with Ellen's encouragement. Claire agrees to a massage, and while that is happening in her master bedroom, someone breaks in and shoots and kills Enrique. When Claire gets the dead body off herself, she sees her husband show more standing there holding a gun. He is promptly arrested and charged with murder. Claire believes his when he says he did not do it and spends the rest of the book investigating the crime because the police think they have the guilty party and are not looking elsewhere. She ends up in all sorts of trouble. A great story with lots of surprises. show less

This is a fun first novel. The mystery fooled me to the end, actually led me exactly where the author wanted me to be! There were a couple of *almost* TSTL moments (that's "too stupid to live") but she pulled it off because the protagonist was so scared the whole. I enjoyed this mystery and plan to read the next one when it comes out. Recommended.