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Benni Harper—spirited ex-cowgirl, quilter, and folk art expert—finds herself on the trail of a storybook killer in this mystery from Agatha Award-nominee Earlene Fowler.Hoping to relax after solving a murder in Wichita, Kansas, Beni and her new husband Gabe Ortiz are back in San Celina, California. But while Benni is jogging in the park, she happens upon the dead body of a library storyteller. It's an odd and disturbing scene—the woman is still dressed in her Mother Goose costume, show more lying facedown in the lake.
Benni's investigation takes her inside the Storyteller's Guild, where she finds out that Mother Goose was telling more than fairy tales. She was capable of airing the kind of secrets that destroy lives—and inspire revenge... show less
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This is the fourth book in the Benni Harper series. Benni runs the local
craft guild and quilt museum and has been busier than a one-armed paper
hanger, getting ready for the first annual Storyteller's Festival. She has
a dozen or so storytellers lined up to perform during the three day event,
but she has to admit that she can't seem to keep them in line. Petty
arguments, old resentments, and hot tempers combine to keep Benni hopping
trying to keep order in the days leading up to the Festival. But,
everything is turns to chaos when Benni literally stumbles into the body of
Nora Cooper, the storyteller who always dresses as Mother Goose, floating in
the lake at the city park. Benni's husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, tries
valiantly to show more keep Benni out of the murder investigation, but since it
intimately involves all of her storytellers, that's impossible and he knows
it. As the clues mount up, they are beginning to see that Nora wasn't the
person they thought she was at all, and several people in town had good
reason to rejoice at her untimely demise. Sorting through the clues is like
trying to keep quilting thread from knotting up, but Benni and Gabe somehow
manage to do it.
I'm liking this series more and more as I get further into it. I guess I'm
getting used to the relationship between Benni and Gabe because it doesn't
feel quite so odd in this fourth book. This was an entertaining read. It
gets a 4. show less
craft guild and quilt museum and has been busier than a one-armed paper
hanger, getting ready for the first annual Storyteller's Festival. She has
a dozen or so storytellers lined up to perform during the three day event,
but she has to admit that she can't seem to keep them in line. Petty
arguments, old resentments, and hot tempers combine to keep Benni hopping
trying to keep order in the days leading up to the Festival. But,
everything is turns to chaos when Benni literally stumbles into the body of
Nora Cooper, the storyteller who always dresses as Mother Goose, floating in
the lake at the city park. Benni's husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, tries
valiantly to show more keep Benni out of the murder investigation, but since it
intimately involves all of her storytellers, that's impossible and he knows
it. As the clues mount up, they are beginning to see that Nora wasn't the
person they thought she was at all, and several people in town had good
reason to rejoice at her untimely demise. Sorting through the clues is like
trying to keep quilting thread from knotting up, but Benni and Gabe somehow
manage to do it.
I'm liking this series more and more as I get further into it. I guess I'm
getting used to the relationship between Benni and Gabe because it doesn't
feel quite so odd in this fourth book. This was an entertaining read. It
gets a 4. show less
Good, if not a little trite
4.5 stars
4.5 stars
Another good story in this series - haven't found one I don't like yet. A bit 'angst-y' but I think the author does a good job of balancing that, so it doesn't weigh you down. I'm looking forward to continuing with the series.
Sep 20, 2014Piratical
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Author Information
24+ Works 6,962 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
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Goose in the Pond
- Original publication date
- 1997-05-01
- People/Characters
- Benni Harper; Gabriel Ortiz; Dove Ramsey; Nick Cooper; Miguel Aragon; Roy Hudson (show all 20); Grace Winters; Mr. Treton; Garnet Louann Wilcox; Rita Wilcox Gluck; Elvia Aragon; Peter Grant; Ashley Stanhill; Jim Cleary; Sam Ortiz; Delbar 'D-Daddy' Boudreaux; Evangeline Boudreaux; Constance Sinclair; Dolores Ayala; Jillian Sinclair
- Epigraph
- GOOSE IN THE POND
Like many old quilt patterns, Good in the Pond was probably inspired by nature, giving us a hint at the playful and creative imaginations of early quilt designers. Seen as far back as the early 1800s and ... (show all)made from a combination of tiny squares, triangles, and strip blocks, it emulates the ripples created by a goose swimming across a body of water. Any colors and fabric may be chosen for this pattern, as Goose in the Pond, like a beloved folktale, lends itself well to individual interpretation. Thought to have originated in Massachusetts, it is also known throughout different parts of the country as Toad in the Puddle, Young Man's Fancy, Mexican Block, Patchwork Fantasy, Bachelor's Puzzle, Unique Nine Patch, and Scrap Bag. - Dedication
- For Allen
your love sustains me - First words
- "I hate this," I said, my breath coming in short, painful bursts.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)The rain flowed down the glass in tiny light-filled rivers, and in the blurry reflection, if you squinted just slightly, it almost appeared as if we were crying.
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- Members
- 469
- Popularity
- 65,249
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (3.80)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 7
- ASINs
- 2
