Helpful Score: 3
I like the spirited female character, who still has a softer side, and takes risks in life.
a nice romance too.
a nice romance too.
Helpful Score: 2
What can I say I love this author
Helpful Score: 1
This is more a mystery than a romance--lots of plot twists and tension. I will definitely read more Carla Neggers!
just an ok--typical romance story with a little suspense--nothing to write home about
I have read this one twice. I thoroughly enjoyed it both times.
This was a fun, light mystery to read.
Kandis N. (bookermom) - , reviewed The Carriage House (Texas Rangers, Bk 1) on + 323 more book reviews
"When it comes to romance, adventure and suspense, nobody delivers like Carla Neggers." - Jayne Ann Krentz
romance, fun and adventure
Graphic designer Tess Haviland receives a Carriage House in lieu of payment. When the tax bills arrive, she needs to make a decision whether to keep or sell it. Upon checking it out she meets sexy widowed neighbor Andrew Thorne, his daughter Dolly and his Vietnam Vet cousin Harl. Through in a both a modern and a historic murder mystery, a Washington connection and an missing eccentric millionaire. Quick read, not terribly suspenseful but entertaining.
Fun and a little hard work - That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted--it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett...and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.
Brimming with Neggers's (The Waterfall) usual flair for creating likeable, believable characters and her keen recognition of the obstacles that can muddle relationships, this suspenseful modern-day tale is delightfully populated with 19th-century ghosts. When Tess accepts a rundown house by the sea in lieu of payment for a design job, she never expects a skeleton buried in the cellar and the handsome, taciturn widower next door to be part of the package. But the skeleton vanishes before anyone else sees it, throwing doubt on Tess's claims and throwing her into a panic, as the stealing of the skeleton likely points to murder. This also puts a damper on her unsought, but irresistible, romance with neighbor Andrew. Neggers seasons her people with warm, genuine details that give everyone, even the most secondary characters, a depth and quirkiness unusual in a genre that relies too often on stereotypes to fill out the cast. Tess's frequent references to her mother's death from cancer when Tess was a child seem an awkward and a heavy-handed way to give the heroine some baggage, but Tess and Andrew's magnetic dance toward each other and the tense drama surrounding the identity of the missing skeleton engage the reader instantly. Neggers delivers a colorful, well-spun story that shines with sincere emotion among a field overstocked with contemporaries that rely on lots of flashy passion but little soul.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted--it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett...and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder. (from cover)
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder. (from cover)
A copulation of romance, adventure and suspense as only Carla Neggers can do.
Very good book!
This is a great suspense-filled romance novel. I love when authors tie books together. Ones that have their own plot but tie into other books. That's what Carla Neggers has done with The Carriage House and The Cabin. Then The Cabin ties to Stonebrook Cottage....very clever. Excellent author! I am enjoying her books thoroughly.
Light, romantic, mystery. Easy read.
Another winner by Carla Neggers, I love her books.
modern romance. Tess Haviland is hired to do some design work on a nineteenth century carriage house. There she discovers a skeleton and someone who wants to kill her because she is asking questions. Entertaining and cozy read.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her fr her graphic design work with the run-down, nineteenth-century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared...
Charlotte D. (dealhuntress) reviewed The Carriage House (Texas Rangers, Bk 1) on + 10 more book reviews
I really enjoyed the story told in this book. The murder/mystery aspect of it was predictable but did not hurt the story line. This book had just enough romance (without the graphic details) to intrigue the reader. Carla Neggers paints a beautiful picture for your imagination with her words.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid for her graphic design work with he run-down, nineteenth-century carriage house on Boston's North Shore.
Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than simple weekend project to get her out of the city
Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than simple weekend project to get her out of the city
Carol T. (babeofbluegrass) reviewed The Carriage House (Texas Rangers, Bk 1) on + 31 more book reviews
FUN AND A LITTLE HARD WORK. THAT'S ALL TESS HAVILAND HAD IN MIND WHEN IKE GRANTHAM PAID HER FOR HER GRAPHIC DESIGN WORKK WITH THE RUN-DOWN, NINETEENTH-CENTURY CARRIAGE HOUSE ON BOSTON'S NORTH SHORE. WHEN TESS DISCOVERS A HUMAN SKELETON IN HER DIRT CELLAR, SHE BEGINS TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE CARRIAGE HOUSE.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when she purchased the run-down nineteenth-century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. A weekend project that would get her away from her busy career as a graphic designer in downtown Boston.
Tess never anticipated getting involved with the local residents--especially not her neighbors: architect Andrew Thorne, his six-year-old motherless daughter, Dolly, or Dolly's "babysitter." Harley Beckett, the girl's white-haired, ponytailed, reclusive uncle. And Tess never imagined what it would be like to own a house rumored to be haunted by one of Andrew's ancestors.
But then Tess discovers a skeleton in the dirt cellar--human remains that suddenly go missing. And she begins to ask questions about the history of her house ... and the wealthy, charismatic man who planned to renovate it, until he disappeared a year before. Questions a desperate killer will do anything to silence before the truth exposes that someone got away with murder.
Tess never anticipated getting involved with the local residents--especially not her neighbors: architect Andrew Thorne, his six-year-old motherless daughter, Dolly, or Dolly's "babysitter." Harley Beckett, the girl's white-haired, ponytailed, reclusive uncle. And Tess never imagined what it would be like to own a house rumored to be haunted by one of Andrew's ancestors.
But then Tess discovers a skeleton in the dirt cellar--human remains that suddenly go missing. And she begins to ask questions about the history of her house ... and the wealthy, charismatic man who planned to renovate it, until he disappeared a year before. Questions a desperate killer will do anything to silence before the truth exposes that someone got away with murder.
Fun and a little hard work is all Tess thought she was getting into when a friend gave her a 19th century carriage house by the ocean. She never guessed when she went down into the celler looking for her neighbors cat she would find a skeleton that may or may not be her friend. Her neighbor may or may not be a killer. Very good story line.
Jenna H. (deerewifeandmama) reviewed The Carriage House (Texas Rangers, Bk 1) on + 39 more book reviews
wonderful cozy romance.
Suspense with Romance
this book was great a easy read .the 1st in the series and I can't wait to read the next one great author
Fun & a little hard work. That's all Tess had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carraige house on Boston's North Shore. But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife....and Ike's disappearance.
Book Description
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted--it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett...and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted--it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett...and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.
Fun and a little hard work. That's all Tess Haviland had in mind when Ike Grantham paid her for her graphic design work with the run-down, 19th century carriage house on Boston's North Shore. Then Ike disappeared and now Tess finds herself with much more than a simple weekend project to get her out of the city. It's not just the rumors that the carriage house is haunted -- it's the neighbors: six-year-old Dolly Thorne, her reclusive babysitter, Harley Beckett...and especially Dolly's father, Andrew Thorne, who has his own ideas about why Tess has turned up next door.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.
But when Tess discovers a human skeleton in her dirt cellar, she begins to ask questions about the history of the carriage house, the untimely death of Andrew's wife...and Ike's disappearance. Questions a desperate killer wants to silence before the truth reveals that someone got away with murder.