Suzanna S. reviewed on 9/18/2006 + 30 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

1st volume of the Benni Harper mystery series. I was hooked after reading this one. The relationships of the characters just get richer as the series moves along.

I'm pasting in a well written review from Amazon that I agree with:

Strong Characters make for a Remarkable Debut, March 29, 2002
Reviewer: Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Benni Harper is trying to put her life back together. It's been nine months since her husband died. Recently, she's moved into the town of San Celina and taken a job at the local artist co-op running the folk art museum, a job she's perfect for. But then she finds one of the artists stabbed in the woodshop. Since her cousin was seen fleeing the scene, she gets involved trying to find out what happened. The stakes are raised when a second body is found. Still trying to figure out her relationship with the temporary police chief, she plunges on, learning secrets she didn't want to know. But can she find the killer before the killer makes her the next target?
What struck me most about this book was the characters. Benni and police chief Gabe Ortiz jump off the page as fully realized characters. I feel like I've known them for several books instead of just one. Even the supporting characters are well developed. The mystery itself is good, with some unexpected twists. The writing style feels like that of a polished professional. It's hard to believe this is a first novel.

This is the first in the Benni Harper series, and I look forward to reading the others. If you enjoy a well-written mystery with fresh, three dimensional characters, this is the book for you.

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