Helpful Score: 9
This is the first in the Biscuit McKee and Marmalade series. It introduces us to amateur sleuth and small town librarian, Biscuit McKee and her unlikely sidekick an orange tabby, Marmalade, who isn't tubby it's just her fur.
Naturally this tale has the basic elements of a mystery: body found, who done it, how's it figured out.
What really set's this story apart is th approach of the author. Not only do you get to know Biscuit and what she knows (from her gardening to wedding planning to her sleuthing) we have it delivered in non-chronological episodic chunks that move seamlessly from now to well before the murder. Both tracks move in the same direction until we finally discover who done it.
With more books already published in this series, and more to come, Biscuit McKee (with Marmalade) could easily become a new staple in the murder mystery arena.
I flamed through this book and immediately bought(!) the entire series.
Naturally this tale has the basic elements of a mystery: body found, who done it, how's it figured out.
What really set's this story apart is th approach of the author. Not only do you get to know Biscuit and what she knows (from her gardening to wedding planning to her sleuthing) we have it delivered in non-chronological episodic chunks that move seamlessly from now to well before the murder. Both tracks move in the same direction until we finally discover who done it.
With more books already published in this series, and more to come, Biscuit McKee (with Marmalade) could easily become a new staple in the murder mystery arena.
I flamed through this book and immediately bought(!) the entire series.
Bonnie A. (ladycholla) -
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this book. It has great flora information, with several hints, as well as a great cast of characters. The human ones and the cat are great, good fun. Great 1st book in this series, looking forward to the next ones.
Cheryl C. (moondance120) reviewed Orange as Marmalade (Biscuit McKee, Bk 1) on + 422 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
I really had a hard time finishing this book. The storyline skipped back and forth between different years and I found it annoying. Bisque "Biscuit" McKee is the town librarian and finds a body in the library. Actually her cat, Marmalade, finds him. Marmalade is the high point of the book. I enjoyed her thoughts. Biscuit is telling the story to her sister, Glaze. Yes, really. Their mom was a potter. I wanted to enjoy this more than I did. 2.5 stars
This is one of the worst mysteries I've ever read...and I read a lot ! First off, it's told from several perspectives in the years 1986, 1994, 1995, and 1996- randomly and not in order. As for the murdered guy in the library, he's barely mentioned! There is very little about him and much of what there is is not important to the story. I whizzed through this book- not because I couldn't wait to get to the next, but because I couldn't wait to be done with it so I could read something good! (I almost ditched it a few times, but I have a policy that if I start a book, I should finish it- otherwise this thing would have been chucked aside!) I am surprised to see even a few reviews of this book saying that the reader actually enjoyed this book!!!
Linda R. (wolfie123) - , reviewed Orange as Marmalade (Biscuit McKee, Bk 1) on + 421 more book reviews
I really enjoyed Marmalade's thoughts and her nicknames for all the humans she encounters...
Sounds like a knock-off of the Miranda James series "The Cat in the Stacks". Don't need too many Cat-in-the-Library stories.
