True Blue Murder African Violet Club Mysteries Volume 1 Elise M Stone Books
Download As PDF : True Blue Murder African Violet Club Mysteries Volume 1 Elise M Stone Books
African violets can be murder.
True Blue Murder African Violet Club Mysteries Volume 1 Elise M Stone Books
I always try to review the cozy mysteries I read (and to which I am addicted!) because I appreciate the effort that other readers go to in writing reviews, and have learned to trust the review process. It's saved me from reading many an awful book! That being said, my reaction to this book could best be described as schizophrenic.I'd probably award it 3 1/2 stars, if half-stars were part of Amazon's process. The writing was well-done and well-edited; I noted only two errors in grammar, and those were in characters' speeches, which is, after all, the way that people really talk. The story was intriguing, and although I'd figured out early on who the murderer was, that's probably because I've read enough cozies to know how to pick 'em. But I enjoy befriending the characters in the books I read--or else honestly despising them--and I couldn't do either with the main character (or even the supporting characters) of this book, at least not at the start of the novel. I liked her better toward the end of the book, when she finally began to show some honest emotion toward something other than her African Violets. (As an aside, the quarrel over the ownership of the new violet cultivar was interesting, but since I'd read a similar them in one of Donna Andrews' hilarious novels, I kept looking for a touch of humor that wasn't there. Totally my preference, that, and not a fault in the book.) One red herring thrown at the reader, regarding a secondary character who shows up at the store where the heroine is shopping, was either not fully explained or else I somehow missed the explanation. And I have never, in all my years of reading novels, read so many descriptions of the process of actually eating a meal! Usually when two characters meet to discuss the progress of the mystery over lunch or dinner, the reader sees the food delivered and perhaps endures with the characters an occasional interruption by wait staff. But the descriptions of every bite the characters put into their mouths through multiple mealtimes, while attempting to follow their discussion, tried my patience and really detracted from the mystery reveal. Finally, the fantasy ending of the novel flattened my enjoyment of the book. I read and enjoy sci-fi and fantasy novels, but commingling them with my cozies just doesn't appeal much to me.
All in all, an interesting novel, and because it was well-written, I might read some of the author's other books. But I probably won't add it to my "favorite authors" shelf.
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Tags : Amazon.com: True Blue Murder (African Violet Club Mysteries) (Volume 1) (9780988848269): Elise M Stone: Books,Elise M Stone,True Blue Murder (African Violet Club Mysteries) (Volume 1),Civano Press,0988848260,Fiction Mystery & Detective Cozy,Fiction Mystery & Detective Women Sleuths
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True Blue Murder African Violet Club Mysteries Volume 1 Elise M Stone Books Reviews
This is a fun book! Granted there is a murder and a mystery and the reader knows full well that Lilliana did not do it. The 'senior members' of the cast of characters are far more believable than in some other books I have read with older people. The descriptions of the retirement home are good and not depressing. The residents are active and interested in numerous things. There are a few nasty people including the victim, but most are very realistic. The villain was not a terrible surprise, but another part of the ending was!! A short, quick read - well written and basically a pleasant way to spend a few hours. Not of the world's great literature, but deserving of your time - recommmended.
I was drawn to this book because at one time I grew African violets, and the mystery revolves an African violet club and show. Also, the sleuth is a senior citizen, as I am, and her name is Lilliana (mine is Lillian). And, of course, I love cozy mysteries. So this seemed like the perfect book.
It started out well. I found Lilliana's health and fitness self-righteousness a little off-putting (I'm one of those senior citizens who takes a lot of meds and uses a walker, the kind of people she looks down on). However, everything else was enjoyable. At that point, I would have given the book a solid 3 stars or maybe even 4 stars.
Then we come to the utterly ridiculous ending. I don't like to read fantasy, and I don't expect a cozy mystery to suddenly become fantasy. I don't think murderers should ever be excused because the murder accomplished a greater good (which is very subjective anyway).
I seldom rate a book at less than 3 stars because if I'm not enjoying the book, I abandon it long before I've read enough to write a review. But this one snuck up on me. It wasn't until the end that the book became fantasy--and the murder justified.
If you like a fairy story and justification for murder in your cozy mysteries, you might like this one.
Very enjoyable mystery book. A fairly quick read, but with enough details. Well enough written that I plan to read a lot more by this author. I do not give a lot of five star reviews to books, because if everyone gives all the books that they enjoy five star reviews then there is no way to let people know which books are really special. This book did not disappoint me in any way. It just did not excite me so much that I immediately want to tell people about the extra special book that I read out of the more than one hundred books that I expect to read this year, most of them enjoyable and adequately well written. Most of the books I read are 4 star in my opinion. A lot of books that I read by new authors are three star but show promise of becoming 4 star or even 5 star with experience. But I do give some books one or two star reviews when either the writing skill is incredibly bad or the content is a waste of the reader's time in my opinion. Or both. In this book the writing is good and the story is interesting.
This book was well written, the characters somewhat developed, but what fell flat for me was the ending, which was SO far off base from the rest of the story, it just made it not believable. I do enjoy older characters that don't sit around in a rocking chair that are sharp, and active. This book has that, but the ending was disappointing. The whole book went into detail about the propagation of violets, medications, etc...all very scientific, all very fact based. To throw in a 'fantasy' ending (without giving too much away) with only just the tinest soupcon of a hint (a single mention) did not work for me. I expected something better. The characters were fleshed out enough, that I am pretty sure the author could have come up with something scandalous and reality based.
I always try to review the cozy mysteries I read (and to which I am addicted!) because I appreciate the effort that other readers go to in writing reviews, and have learned to trust the review process. It's saved me from reading many an awful book! That being said, my reaction to this book could best be described as schizophrenic.
I'd probably award it 3 1/2 stars, if half-stars were part of 's process. The writing was well-done and well-edited; I noted only two errors in grammar, and those were in characters' speeches, which is, after all, the way that people really talk. The story was intriguing, and although I'd figured out early on who the murderer was, that's probably because I've read enough cozies to know how to pick 'em. But I enjoy befriending the characters in the books I read--or else honestly despising them--and I couldn't do either with the main character (or even the supporting characters) of this book, at least not at the start of the novel. I liked her better toward the end of the book, when she finally began to show some honest emotion toward something other than her African Violets. (As an aside, the quarrel over the ownership of the new violet cultivar was interesting, but since I'd read a similar them in one of Donna Andrews' hilarious novels, I kept looking for a touch of humor that wasn't there. Totally my preference, that, and not a fault in the book.) One red herring thrown at the reader, regarding a secondary character who shows up at the store where the heroine is shopping, was either not fully explained or else I somehow missed the explanation. And I have never, in all my years of reading novels, read so many descriptions of the process of actually eating a meal! Usually when two characters meet to discuss the progress of the mystery over lunch or dinner, the reader sees the food delivered and perhaps endures with the characters an occasional interruption by wait staff. But the descriptions of every bite the characters put into their mouths through multiple mealtimes, while attempting to follow their discussion, tried my patience and really detracted from the mystery reveal. Finally, the fantasy ending of the novel flattened my enjoyment of the book. I read and enjoy sci-fi and fantasy novels, but commingling them with my cozies just doesn't appeal much to me.
All in all, an interesting novel, and because it was well-written, I might read some of the author's other books. But I probably won't add it to my "favorite authors" shelf.
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