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11th out of 75 books
—
8 voters
Mariner's Compass (A Benni Harper Mystery #6)
To claim an inheritance that a mysterious stranger left her, Benni must delve into the secrets of her own past--and a place she once called home.
Paperback, 336 pages
Published
April 1st 2000
by Berkley
(first published 1999)
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I purchased this book at a local used bookstore without knowing much about it. The title "Mariner's Compass" caught my eye. In my work as a land surveyor, a compass is something I use almost every day and I liked the broader implications of a compass, something you can trust to point you in the right direction.
As I read the book, I discovered the mariner's compass the author refers to is a quilting design based on the compass rose pattern seen on the face of many compasses, not an actual compass...more
As I read the book, I discovered the mariner's compass the author refers to is a quilting design based on the compass rose pattern seen on the face of many compasses, not an actual compass...more
Benni receives a mysterious bequest from a dead stranger: stay in his home alone for two weeks and inherit his entire estate. The home is 12 miles away in Morro Bay and as she stays in the home she is led on a scavenger hunt to find the true identity of the late Jacob Chandler. His identity was an easy guess at the beginning from the foreshadowing that's gone on in the previous books, but the trail of obscure clues was fun to follow with Benni as things became more strange and dangerous. She is...more
"In an instant, your life is forever altered and you think the rest of your days will become an agonizing before-and-after until you realize from the measured, thoughtful perch of old age that life is simply a series of befores and afters, a long line of them and each one can either harden your heart to sunbaked leather or turn it pliable and welcoming, into an organ of infinite capabilities, a dwelling place for compassion, a vehicle for grace."
Excellent mystery! The setting makes me homesick f...more
Excellent mystery! The setting makes me homesick f...more
I think this is my favorite so far. It was a different mystery for her and let us in a little more on the characters. These books are like a television series. You don't need to read them in order, but if you do, you understand them as well as the characters a lot more so I have gone back and am trying to read them in order. In this book Benni inherits a home from a man she has never heard of before so the mystery is to discover why this man would leave everything to her. I enjoyed it.
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Nicely done mystery. I can see why Fowler has won several Agatha Awards for Best Mystery. The premise was interesting, the mystery engaging and the "threats" to the main character fairly mild. I have too active an imagination to find much entertainment in the current genre of highly suspenseful, often very gruesome murder mysteries. Not as much about quilting as I might have liked, but he mystery was good enough to search out more in the series.
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As quilts go--Earline Fowler has picked some excellent one's. This one is technically challenging to make, and I am not n love with the geometry. This continues to go well. The writing is not at a high caliber but it is pleasant. I like the quilt references, and Benni Harper is good--sometimes I find her a little annoying but she is largely a good character
Some cute ladies at the library recommended this to me. I'd never heard of Earlene Fowler, but her writing was fun. I honestly devoured it and will definitely try out more of her books. I'm giving it a three instead of a four because I can't recommend it to my younger daughter--there's a bit of language and some brief adult situations in it.
Fun mystery.
Fun mystery.
This was was 6th book I've read in this series and each one gets better and better.
Benni Harper unexpectedly inherits the estate of a stranger named Jacob Chandler. His house in Morro Bay is worth $200,000, but Chandler's will stipulates that Benni can keep the house only if she lives in it for two weeks alone. Her over-protective husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, is none too happy about this. But Benni is unwilling to turn down the money, and more important, her curiosity is piqued. Jacob leave...more
Benni Harper unexpectedly inherits the estate of a stranger named Jacob Chandler. His house in Morro Bay is worth $200,000, but Chandler's will stipulates that Benni can keep the house only if she lives in it for two weeks alone. Her over-protective husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, is none too happy about this. But Benni is unwilling to turn down the money, and more important, her curiosity is piqued. Jacob leave...more
It is spooky when Benni Harper is named the beneficiary to Jacob Chandler's estate. The only problem is that she has no clue who this man was. He also made the stipulation that she had to live in his house for two weeks in order to inherit. She follows the clues that the mystery man left to find out why he has left everything to her. A satisfying mystery.
If you like mysteries and scavenger hunts, you'll love this book. This is the 6th book in the Benni Harper series and Fowler continues to impress me with her ability to make every book fresh and new. Don't start reading unless you have lots of time becuase it's hard to put down.
OK read but the author needs to learn about when tulips bloom and when they are planted 'cause obviously she does not know. This and a few other errors made the whole story suspect to me.
I fell into the story easily as I do with all the Benni Harper Mysteries. This one had me reading wanting to get to the conclusion so I could find out who Jacob Chandler really was. Sometime I can figure it out before the story tells me the answer, but not this time. The mystery had lots of clues and though I should have been able to solve it, I didn't solve it until Benni did. Earlene Fowler writes a fun story with lots of lovable character that are well developed. She let you really know them!...more
This book was another great installment in the Benni Harper mystery series. The intriguing plot connected with Benni's past. Can't wait to start the next book.
This was the best of books I've read by this author. Most of her books are amusing enough for a light read, but they aren't well-written. This one actually had more of a linear plot and some character development.
A good Benni Harper mystery & somewhat similar to what I went through in my own life. I truly love Ms. Fowler's writing.
I've read all but the two last books in the series and Mariner's Compass remains my favourite Benni Harper mystery.
Mariners Compass: A Benni Harper Mystery (Beeler Large Print Mystery Series) by Earlene Fowler (2001)
My favorite book in one of my very favorite series. Benni, Dove & Gabe are like much loved old friends.
Another delightful story by this author giving additional background on her lead character, Benni Harper.
After the pleasing surprise of "Spider Web", I could not stop and picked randomly another of Fowler's books... so far I am loving it
I think the best book she has written - Love Benni Harper and the quilting aspects
Have I mentioned that these books are written by a girl I went to high school with?
This was one of those mysteries that don't involve a dead body - or at least a murdered one, and it involved a bit of a scavenger hunt. I really like this series and this book didn't disappoint. The scavenger hunt part of the story kept losing my interest, I think, because she spaced the steps so far apart, with lots of other action in between. Normally I really get into hunts like that. Dove was a hoot, and the highlight of this particular story for me, although I always enjoy the interaction b...more
When the blurbs indicate that a book is both a western and a mystery, I get prepared for a rather mediocre story and characters, but I was happily surprised with the books in this series that I've read. The characters were interesting and well drawn out, and the plots were intriguing as well as amusing. Also, just because the stories take place in the west with ranches and deserts nearby, that doesn't mean it is a western, which generally contains a whole bunch of stereotypical cowboy, black hat...more
really liked this one - one of the better books in the series so far.
By now, I hope that you are entrenched in the series.
Much like her other books, only in this one, Benni is solving a mystery about herself.
good non-murder series installment
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Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California, by a Southern mother and a Western father. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Allen, a purple pickup truck, and many pairs of cowboy boots. She is currently working on the next Benni Harper mystery.
Series:
* Benni Harper Mysteries
* Love Mercy Johnson Mystery
More about Earlene Fowler...
Series:
* Benni Harper Mysteries
* Love Mercy Johnson Mystery
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Mar 19, 2011 10:52am