Helpful Score: 1
Excellent first book in a new cozy series. The first two lines in the book got me:
"The brochure lied. A week in the mountains of Vermont had not, in fact, helped me achieve a peaceful Zen that would pervade my life for the coming weeks, helping me approach old challenges with new energy."
The MC in this book is a clock-maker, repairer, designer, etc, which makes it a bit different in the cozy genre. I enjoyed the book, my only complaints were that the book got bogged down a bit in the middle and the info about clocks was thrown at you without really giving a good explanation of what the clock various parts were. I think perhaps a glossary of clock "language" might have been helpful. After all, how many of us know much about the inner workings of clocks? My knowledge consists of the fact that when my watch stops, I need to put in a new battery. :) If you are looking for a bit of a different cozy, you might want to try this one. I'm looking forward to the next one!
"The brochure lied. A week in the mountains of Vermont had not, in fact, helped me achieve a peaceful Zen that would pervade my life for the coming weeks, helping me approach old challenges with new energy."
The MC in this book is a clock-maker, repairer, designer, etc, which makes it a bit different in the cozy genre. I enjoyed the book, my only complaints were that the book got bogged down a bit in the middle and the info about clocks was thrown at you without really giving a good explanation of what the clock various parts were. I think perhaps a glossary of clock "language" might have been helpful. After all, how many of us know much about the inner workings of clocks? My knowledge consists of the fact that when my watch stops, I need to put in a new battery. :) If you are looking for a bit of a different cozy, you might want to try this one. I'm looking forward to the next one!
Dollycas's Thoughts
It happens to a lot of us. Life gets in the way and we miss out on connecting with those that love us as often as we should. Ruth Clagan was very close to her grandmother. When she died it was hard on Ruth. Ruth became all twisted up in her own drama and when her grandfather remarried she just couldn't accept it. Some time passed and she got her own life back on track and was ready to reconnect with her grandfather. But she was too late. Her grandfather was found dead behind his clock shop. She comes home to find that her grandfather has been murdered and he had left his clock shop to her. Before she can make any decisions about staying in Orchard she has to find out who killed her grandfather and why. She doesn't have time to waste, the clock is ticking and she doesn't want to become another victim.
Ruth Clagan is a strong woman and she is smart. I liked her immediately. I had sympathy for her situation. I was impressed with her determination to not only sleuth out a killer but the way she is wants to make her grandfather's dream come true. It is not going to be easy but she is up to the task. I also enjoyed her reconnecting with people she hadn't seen in years. I will admit parts of Ruth's story had me teary eyed and missing some my own family who have passed away. Her story fits the "tomorrow is never guaranteed, so cherish what you have today" line really well.
As far as the mystery there are several good twists but I did figure it out early. That can be common in first books in a series because you have to introduce the characters and the setting which is a big task. In this case the main character is also on an emotional roller coaster. So a complex mystery would be tough to get in with only 300 pages. The author has built a nice foundation for this series the mysteries to come.
This was an enjoyable debut. The next book in this series, Clock and Dagger, will be released August 2. I am anxious to get my hands on it and see what author Julianne Holmes has in store for my new favorite clock maker.
It happens to a lot of us. Life gets in the way and we miss out on connecting with those that love us as often as we should. Ruth Clagan was very close to her grandmother. When she died it was hard on Ruth. Ruth became all twisted up in her own drama and when her grandfather remarried she just couldn't accept it. Some time passed and she got her own life back on track and was ready to reconnect with her grandfather. But she was too late. Her grandfather was found dead behind his clock shop. She comes home to find that her grandfather has been murdered and he had left his clock shop to her. Before she can make any decisions about staying in Orchard she has to find out who killed her grandfather and why. She doesn't have time to waste, the clock is ticking and she doesn't want to become another victim.
Ruth Clagan is a strong woman and she is smart. I liked her immediately. I had sympathy for her situation. I was impressed with her determination to not only sleuth out a killer but the way she is wants to make her grandfather's dream come true. It is not going to be easy but she is up to the task. I also enjoyed her reconnecting with people she hadn't seen in years. I will admit parts of Ruth's story had me teary eyed and missing some my own family who have passed away. Her story fits the "tomorrow is never guaranteed, so cherish what you have today" line really well.
As far as the mystery there are several good twists but I did figure it out early. That can be common in first books in a series because you have to introduce the characters and the setting which is a big task. In this case the main character is also on an emotional roller coaster. So a complex mystery would be tough to get in with only 300 pages. The author has built a nice foundation for this series the mysteries to come.
This was an enjoyable debut. The next book in this series, Clock and Dagger, will be released August 2. I am anxious to get my hands on it and see what author Julianne Holmes has in store for my new favorite clock maker.
