I've been a fan of Mary Feliz's Maggie McDonald series from the start (Address to Die For), and the author just keeps on giving me reasons to enjoy her books. We don't see much of her organizing skills on jobs, but we see her put her own advice into practice, and each chapter heading is one of her tips. In Disorderly Conduct, they are very timely indeed since they are all aimed at preparing for emergencies and natural disasters. (These are all common sense tips and worth a read even if you think you've got all your bases covered.)
This series is firmly grounded in its setting. It's no secret that California has been suffering from drought, so we see Maggie and her family pitching in at the school to put in drought-tolerant landscaping. There's also information for anyone who lives near public lands-- as in, what some criminals can be using the land for.
Two small things annoyed me with the mystery in Disorderly Conduct: a couple of clues were a bit too transparent and made it easy for me to deduce the killer's identity, and-- the biggie-- Maggie's friend Tess says the one line no character should say in a mystery: "I'll kill that man!" Any cozy reader worth their salt knows that the second those words are uttered, that character is going to be thrown in jail. Every time I see that line of dialogue, I have two reactions. One, a major eye roll. Two, I thank my lucky stars that I'm not a member of a family who goes around threatening to kill each other.
But those annoyances are small. What I really love about revisiting Maggie is just spending some time with Super Mom. Maggie has an excellent support system, and it's because she spends just as much time supporting her friends. When it looks as though the newly widowed Tess is going to jail, Maggie immediately works with her to put legal paperwork in place to take care of Tess's grieving son if the worst should happen.
These regular characters all have very real emotions and reactions, but none of them really go off the rails. It would appear that they're all just too good to be true, and I imagine that they are, but you know what? I don't care. It is so refreshing to read about intelligent people who've raised their children properly-- and everyone uses their common sense! I remember an old television commercial when I think of Mary Feliz's series. I consider these to be my "Calgon, take me away" books. They are a pleasure to read. If the world gets to be too much for you, you'll probably enjoy them, too.
This series is firmly grounded in its setting. It's no secret that California has been suffering from drought, so we see Maggie and her family pitching in at the school to put in drought-tolerant landscaping. There's also information for anyone who lives near public lands-- as in, what some criminals can be using the land for.
Two small things annoyed me with the mystery in Disorderly Conduct: a couple of clues were a bit too transparent and made it easy for me to deduce the killer's identity, and-- the biggie-- Maggie's friend Tess says the one line no character should say in a mystery: "I'll kill that man!" Any cozy reader worth their salt knows that the second those words are uttered, that character is going to be thrown in jail. Every time I see that line of dialogue, I have two reactions. One, a major eye roll. Two, I thank my lucky stars that I'm not a member of a family who goes around threatening to kill each other.
But those annoyances are small. What I really love about revisiting Maggie is just spending some time with Super Mom. Maggie has an excellent support system, and it's because she spends just as much time supporting her friends. When it looks as though the newly widowed Tess is going to jail, Maggie immediately works with her to put legal paperwork in place to take care of Tess's grieving son if the worst should happen.
These regular characters all have very real emotions and reactions, but none of them really go off the rails. It would appear that they're all just too good to be true, and I imagine that they are, but you know what? I don't care. It is so refreshing to read about intelligent people who've raised their children properly-- and everyone uses their common sense! I remember an old television commercial when I think of Mary Feliz's series. I consider these to be my "Calgon, take me away" books. They are a pleasure to read. If the world gets to be too much for you, you'll probably enjoy them, too.
Disorderly Conduct by Mary Feliz is the fourth installment in A Maggie McDonald Mystery series. Devastating wild fires are ravaging through the hills above Silicon Valley close to where Maggie McDonald and her family live on their farm. They are preparing to evacuate when Maggie receives a call from her best friend, Tess Olmos. Tess's husband, Patrick had not been in touch which is not unusual (he gets caught up in his work). But, then she is contacted by the police stating they believe they found her husband in the hills and they need her identify the body. Tess and her son, Teddy are devastated by the news and have trouble believing Patrick's death was accidental. They soon discover that Patrick was murdered when the police arrive to search her home and arrest Tess. The evidence the police find in Tess's house seals her fate. Maggie needs to sort through the clues and question the suspects to pinpoint Patrick's killer before Teddy loses both of his parents.
I found Disorderly Conduct to be nicely written and to have a quick pace. The mystery becomes complex when it is discovered that criminals are growing marijuana illegally on the public land in the hills above their farm. It happened to be where Patrick ran frequently. However, the mystery takes up a small portion of the book. I wish the author had made Patrick's murder the focus. The story talks about the fires that are ravaging through the Santa Cruz mountains destroying the vegetation and forcing wildlife along with humans to flee. There are helpful tips at the beginning of each chapter on how people can prepare for emergencies (fires, hurricanes). The items we should have available in our home and car along with planning where you would go. It is important to remember your pets in your plans. There are great characters in A Maggie McDonald Mystery series. Maggie is a smart, strong woman who can handle any situation thrown at her. The kids and the animals add humor to the story (and it makes me very happy that I had a daughter instead of a son). The various families are close and help each other in times of crisis (like Tess taking in the McDonald family). While Disorderly Conduct could be read alone, I recommend reading Address to Die For first. My rating for Disorderly Conduct is 3 out of 5 stars. Disorderly Conduct addresses some tough topics in a different way. Return to Orchard View and join Maggie as she sets out to catch a murderer and save her best friend.
I found Disorderly Conduct to be nicely written and to have a quick pace. The mystery becomes complex when it is discovered that criminals are growing marijuana illegally on the public land in the hills above their farm. It happened to be where Patrick ran frequently. However, the mystery takes up a small portion of the book. I wish the author had made Patrick's murder the focus. The story talks about the fires that are ravaging through the Santa Cruz mountains destroying the vegetation and forcing wildlife along with humans to flee. There are helpful tips at the beginning of each chapter on how people can prepare for emergencies (fires, hurricanes). The items we should have available in our home and car along with planning where you would go. It is important to remember your pets in your plans. There are great characters in A Maggie McDonald Mystery series. Maggie is a smart, strong woman who can handle any situation thrown at her. The kids and the animals add humor to the story (and it makes me very happy that I had a daughter instead of a son). The various families are close and help each other in times of crisis (like Tess taking in the McDonald family). While Disorderly Conduct could be read alone, I recommend reading Address to Die For first. My rating for Disorderly Conduct is 3 out of 5 stars. Disorderly Conduct addresses some tough topics in a different way. Return to Orchard View and join Maggie as she sets out to catch a murderer and save her best friend.
