Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I dearly love crime fiction. I love the insights into the human mind. I love trying to solve each case. I love bringing justice to the world even if it is merely fictional. But there are times when the darkness of crime fiction can be a bit too much. It is at these times that I like to turn to mysteries that are kinder and gentler. Justice is still served, yet the vast majority of the cast are good people who contribute to their communities, are good to others, and who know all about doing what's right instead of what's convenient. No one's a diva, they're just plain good folks. "Nice" if you will, even though "nice" seems to get short shrift in this world.
Janet Finsilver's Kelly Jackson mystery series is one of the kindler, gentler series I turn to when I need to step out of the darkness. Finsilver always provides a solid mystery for her cast of characters to solve. A bonus is that she also provides working dogs in rather unusual occupations. For example, one book had a dog that sniffed out bedbugs and other insect infestations. Murder at the Mushroom Festival has a dog that sniffs out mushrooms.
There are a couple of men in this book that I really enjoyed. Clarence and Thomas are on a mission to challenge each other to learn new things. One year, it was knitting; this year it's mushrooms and cooking. More folks should be like them. And it's not just the characters and the mystery readers will like. I always learn something about the area in which these books are set-- California's Central Coast with its redwoods. The information Finsilver wove into the story about redwood sinker logs was fascinating even though it may not sound like it.
If you love mysteries but need to step out into the light from time to time, I can certainly recommend Janet Finsilver's Kelly Jackson series. They do the heart good.
Janet Finsilver's Kelly Jackson mystery series is one of the kindler, gentler series I turn to when I need to step out of the darkness. Finsilver always provides a solid mystery for her cast of characters to solve. A bonus is that she also provides working dogs in rather unusual occupations. For example, one book had a dog that sniffed out bedbugs and other insect infestations. Murder at the Mushroom Festival has a dog that sniffs out mushrooms.
There are a couple of men in this book that I really enjoyed. Clarence and Thomas are on a mission to challenge each other to learn new things. One year, it was knitting; this year it's mushrooms and cooking. More folks should be like them. And it's not just the characters and the mystery readers will like. I always learn something about the area in which these books are set-- California's Central Coast with its redwoods. The information Finsilver wove into the story about redwood sinker logs was fascinating even though it may not sound like it.
If you love mysteries but need to step out into the light from time to time, I can certainly recommend Janet Finsilver's Kelly Jackson series. They do the heart good.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Murder at the Mushroom Festival is the fourth installment in the A Kelly Jackson Mystery series set in Mendocino County, CA and featuring Redwood Cove Bed and Breakfast manager, Kelly Jackson. Mushroom hunters are descending upon the area for the Week of the Mushroom Festival and Kelly is letting down on her luck Elise Jenkins hold a cooking class at the B&B.
Always looking to learn more about her new hometown Kelly immerses herself in the activities planned around the area for the mushroom hunters and quickly discovers that the foragers are very secretive about where they find their treasures. When Ned Blaine, reporter for the Redwood Cove Messenger, is rumored to be writing a book giving up all the best locations and is also publishing articles on the Internet, it's really no surprise when he's found murdered in the midst of a mushroom patch.
Kelly also begins to learn more about the black market for Redwood lumber, specifically the sinker logs. Harvesting Redwood trees is now illegal without a permit and someone is sneaking around cutting down trees and retrieving the sinker logs from the river.
Daniel Stevens, manager of a neighboring property, becomes a person of interest in the murder. The lumber thieves have destroyed his tribe's sacred land and Ned's body was found on the site too. Determined to help her friend, Kelly calls on the Silver Sentinels to hunt down a killer.
Another great plot, the return of many well developed main characters and pets, this series gets better with each new addition. With the hint of romance in the air, readers will be looking forward to the next adventures of Kelly and her band of Senior Citizens.
Always looking to learn more about her new hometown Kelly immerses herself in the activities planned around the area for the mushroom hunters and quickly discovers that the foragers are very secretive about where they find their treasures. When Ned Blaine, reporter for the Redwood Cove Messenger, is rumored to be writing a book giving up all the best locations and is also publishing articles on the Internet, it's really no surprise when he's found murdered in the midst of a mushroom patch.
Kelly also begins to learn more about the black market for Redwood lumber, specifically the sinker logs. Harvesting Redwood trees is now illegal without a permit and someone is sneaking around cutting down trees and retrieving the sinker logs from the river.
Daniel Stevens, manager of a neighboring property, becomes a person of interest in the murder. The lumber thieves have destroyed his tribe's sacred land and Ned's body was found on the site too. Determined to help her friend, Kelly calls on the Silver Sentinels to hunt down a killer.
Another great plot, the return of many well developed main characters and pets, this series gets better with each new addition. With the hint of romance in the air, readers will be looking forward to the next adventures of Kelly and her band of Senior Citizens.
Kristina A. reviewed Murder at the Mushroom Festival (Kelly Jackson, Bk 4) on + 1528 more book reviews
Murder at the Mushroom Festival by Janet Finsilver is fourth installment in A Kelly Jackson Mystery series. Kelly Jackson, the manager of the Redwood Cove Bed-and-Breakfast, is looking forward to the Mushroom Festival in Redwood Cove, California. She has agreed to let Elise Jackson teach her mushroom class in the multipurpose room. Elise will be teaching the participants how to identify various mushrooms, how to cook with mushrooms and provide maps on where to find the fungi in the local area. One of the highlights of the festival is the mushroom hunting contest. Ned Blaine, reporter for the Redwood Cove Messenger, is attending Elise's class and manages to anger a few people before it disperses. The next morning Deputy Sheriff Bill Stanton arrives to speak with Kelly. Ned Blaine was found shot dead (I'm so shocked) on sacred tribal land in Mallory National Park. When Daniel ends up the prime suspect, Kelly and the sleuthing seniors known as the Silver Sentinels dig into the case. Ned was investigating illegal redwood logging which included the stealing sinker logs and writing a book on places to locate mushrooms in Redwood Cove. Both items stirred up dark feelings and could have gotten Ned murdered. Someone is not happy with Kelly's snooping and attempts to take her out of commission. It is up to Kelly and the Silver Sentinels to find the wrongdoer before they strike again.
Murder at the Mushroom Festival can be read alone. Everything you need to know about Kelly is included in Murder at the Mushroom Festival. I thought the book contained good writing and had a steady pace. Janet Finsilver has a conversational writing style that makes the story easy to read. I thought the characters were well established. Kelly's coworkers, friends and the Silver Sentinels are friendly, welcoming characters. They are the type of people I would like to know and have as my friends. I appreciate that there is a diverse group of people. I especially enjoy the younger characters as well as the dogs. They provide levity and humor to the story. Kelly is friendly, caring, smart and level headed. I like the setting of Redwood Cove. It sounds like a great place to live with the water and forests (I have always wanted to life in the Pacific Northwest). It was interesting to learn about mushrooms. I had no idea there were so many varieties and how easy it is to find them. People do need to be careful since there are numerous poisonous varieties (great weapon for a killer). I would never have thought of using mushrooms in a dessert. The mystery had a couple of different components that all come together in the end with the loose ends wrapped up. Identifying the guilty, though, is a piece of cake. I really like that Kelly actively investigates. She asks clever questions while being subtle. Kelly does not blindly dive into dangerous situations (hooray). There are many cozy moments in the book (cooking, chatting, mushroom hunting, cookie baking and decorating, horseback riding, traversing down the river in a canoe) that aid in making Murder at the Mushroom Festival a delight to read. My rating for Murder at the Mushroom Festival 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). This is my favorite book so far in A Kelly Jackson Mystery series.
Murder at the Mushroom Festival can be read alone. Everything you need to know about Kelly is included in Murder at the Mushroom Festival. I thought the book contained good writing and had a steady pace. Janet Finsilver has a conversational writing style that makes the story easy to read. I thought the characters were well established. Kelly's coworkers, friends and the Silver Sentinels are friendly, welcoming characters. They are the type of people I would like to know and have as my friends. I appreciate that there is a diverse group of people. I especially enjoy the younger characters as well as the dogs. They provide levity and humor to the story. Kelly is friendly, caring, smart and level headed. I like the setting of Redwood Cove. It sounds like a great place to live with the water and forests (I have always wanted to life in the Pacific Northwest). It was interesting to learn about mushrooms. I had no idea there were so many varieties and how easy it is to find them. People do need to be careful since there are numerous poisonous varieties (great weapon for a killer). I would never have thought of using mushrooms in a dessert. The mystery had a couple of different components that all come together in the end with the loose ends wrapped up. Identifying the guilty, though, is a piece of cake. I really like that Kelly actively investigates. She asks clever questions while being subtle. Kelly does not blindly dive into dangerous situations (hooray). There are many cozy moments in the book (cooking, chatting, mushroom hunting, cookie baking and decorating, horseback riding, traversing down the river in a canoe) that aid in making Murder at the Mushroom Festival a delight to read. My rating for Murder at the Mushroom Festival 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). This is my favorite book so far in A Kelly Jackson Mystery series.
