I am sorry to see this series end. It was great! I knew as I began this, last in the series,that it was not going to end well. It was something you sensed from the beginning. I would have liked a less dramatic ending.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Ellery Adams' Books by the Bay cozy series has been a favorite of mine since its inception. The ensemble cast, the coastal North Carolina setting with its rich history, mouthwatering food, and some fine mysteries to solve have made these books something very special. When I came to the end of Killer Characters, I knew without heading to Amazon to read reviews that many readers would be outraged. If you haven't read this last book in the series and you'd like to leave the characters surrounded by a sort of fairy tale glow, you may want to give this one a miss.
Fortunately I'm an easy-going reader because I can wait patiently for the next book in a series, and I don't send authors hate mail if they don't write the way I want them to. Frankly, I want them to write the way they want to. If my favorite authors are happy, they're going to write longer. Ellery Adams chose to end her wonderful series, not as a fairy tale, but as a story showing the growth and resilience of the main character, Olivia Limoges. People grow... people endure... by experiencing both good and bad. When this series began, Olivia was an ice queen, emotionally closed off, and watching everyone from a distance. By series end, she's made and kept, protected and taken care of, her dear friends. When I closed Killer Characters, I may have had tears in my eyes, but my heart was full. I knew Olivia and the other folks she cares about in Oyster Bay were going to be all right.
Now... I've been talking about this as though it's a character study only, but there's an excellent mystery to be found here, too-- one that I didn't have solved beforehand-- and that's another thing I've loved about this series. If you haven't read a Books by the Bay mystery, dive right in with the first one, A Killer Plot. These characters grow and change, and you don't want to miss a bit of it.
And might I just say-- Well done, Ellery Adams! I admire your bravery in ending the series the way you wanted to end it. Olivia deserved no less.
Fortunately I'm an easy-going reader because I can wait patiently for the next book in a series, and I don't send authors hate mail if they don't write the way I want them to. Frankly, I want them to write the way they want to. If my favorite authors are happy, they're going to write longer. Ellery Adams chose to end her wonderful series, not as a fairy tale, but as a story showing the growth and resilience of the main character, Olivia Limoges. People grow... people endure... by experiencing both good and bad. When this series began, Olivia was an ice queen, emotionally closed off, and watching everyone from a distance. By series end, she's made and kept, protected and taken care of, her dear friends. When I closed Killer Characters, I may have had tears in my eyes, but my heart was full. I knew Olivia and the other folks she cares about in Oyster Bay were going to be all right.
Now... I've been talking about this as though it's a character study only, but there's an excellent mystery to be found here, too-- one that I didn't have solved beforehand-- and that's another thing I've loved about this series. If you haven't read a Books by the Bay mystery, dive right in with the first one, A Killer Plot. These characters grow and change, and you don't want to miss a bit of it.
And might I just say-- Well done, Ellery Adams! I admire your bravery in ending the series the way you wanted to end it. Olivia deserved no less.
This book brought me to tears at one point. It's an elegantly written book and Ms. Adams was at her best. I would recommend it to anyone. I was prepared for someone dying, but caught off guard to find out who it was. I think this is one of her best novels to date and am really looking forward to when the next installment comes out. Brava Ellery Adams!
Barb W. (kidcrazybarb) -
This is one of my favorite series. Sadly, this installment left me sad and, frankly...pissed! I can understand why Ellery would want to move in a different direction...but come on! Why not go ONE MORE installment of "happy" before letting it all come crashing down?!?! GEEZ!
Carol S. (waucondacarol) reviewed Killer Characters (Books by the Bay, Bk 8) on + 319 more book reviews
It sounds like this may be the last book in the series with a major character being killed. When one of the bayside book writer members catches her husband in another woman's bed, she threatens the woman. When the cheating woman is later found murdered, the bayside book writer is the prime suspect. The other writers go to work to clear her name and soon find themselves finding a link between the dead woman and a burglary ring. Be prepared for a good story with a sad ending.
