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Aurora Teagarden #3
Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
Aurora "Roe" Teagarden had always worked for a living, until an unexpected legacy gave her the money to quit her librarian job. Now, with time on her hands, she decides to try selling real estate. Her mother, after all, is Lawrenceton's premier real estate agent, giving Roe a head start on this new career.
But at her first house showing, Roe discovers the naked corpse of a rival broker in the master bedroom. To make matters worse, one of her mother's colleagues has fallen under suspicion.
Roe, a natural-born sleuth, is determined to find out who is responsible. And when a second body is found in another house for sale, it becomes obvious that there is a very cool killer at large in Lawrenceton, one who knows a great deal about real estate - and maybe too much about Roe...
But at her first house showing, Roe discovers the naked corpse of a rival broker in the master bedroom. To make matters worse, one of her mother's colleagues has fallen under suspicion.
Roe, a natural-born sleuth, is determined to find out who is responsible. And when a second body is found in another house for sale, it becomes obvious that there is a very cool killer at large in Lawrenceton, one who knows a great deal about real estate - and maybe too much about Roe...
215 pages, Paperback
First published March 23, 1994
606 people are currently reading
7577 people want to read
About the author
Charlaine Harris
207 books37.1k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,039 reviews
January 4, 2016
This series is consistently getting 3 stars from me. It's a quick, fun read and a good cleansing book that I don't have to concentrate on to hard. I still think Aurora is kind of unfeeling and pretty selfish at times. I did enjoy this book much better than the the second one where the romance was really flat. She sure does go through the guys for someone who doesn't date much!
February 27, 2011
I can't even make my rant funny. If you don't want to read my diatribe, discontinue reading. This is your warning.
While there are elements to this story that I do like, I'm greatly annoyed with two main points.
Firstly, if you run a realty company and stuff has been stolen from the houses you are selling for TWO YEARS, why do you not have better security of the keys? The keys are on a board in alphabetical order in the middle of the office. Seriously? Even when women start to be murdered in the houses you are selling, you don't think to have your realtors at least sign out the keys? Also, I don't know if it is just in my dad's experience or if it is the way things are done, but the only time valuable stuff is kept in the houses is when the owners still live there or the owner has passed away. In the case of the owner still living there, they are the ones who have access to the keys and the realtors only show the houses when the owners are home. SECURE THE KEYS. Otherwise, this story is not believable to me.
Secondly, the way African Americans are portrayed in this series makes me a little uncomfortable. The protagonist keeps pointing out the "blackness" of some of the secondary characters, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot, subplot, or red herrings. On one page she refers to a woman as "a black." Not even "a black person." Just "a black." On page 150, alone, there were references to Mackie standing out "like a chocolate drop on a wedding cake." Then, a paragraph down, "Mackie was always quiet in social settings, at least in one involving whites. For all I knew, he sang solo in the choir at the African Methodist Episcopal Church." While, in and of itself, these comments are not blatently racist, they're more like soft racism. What does it have to do with anything else in the story? Why are their comments like this peppered throughout the novel? Is she trying to show the segregation still inherent in the small-town South? If so, she does a horrible job at it. It reminds me of the ppl who start a statement with "I'm not a racist, but..." You can almost always count on their next statement being racist. Or the dude that says "I'm not a racist because there is a black guy I talk to at work." I'm just failing to see what Ms. Harris's point behind this is.
And I hate Aurora's taste in men. Aurora whines about her relationships constantly. She's 30 and not married. gasp! Her life obviously can't begin until she has a ring on her finger. Maybe once she gets hitched she'll do something with her fictional life besides whining and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Travel or something.
And the mystery is only meh, again. I knew who it was about half-way through the book.
This is not your best writing, Charlaine. With that being said, a friend loaned these books to me and I'll continue to read them...but I won't go out of my way to spend any money on getting copies for myself. Call it stubborness or stupidity or morbid curiosity (my friend says stubborness), but I'll read at least one more in this bloody annoying atrocious series. Surely it will get better?
While there are elements to this story that I do like, I'm greatly annoyed with two main points.
Firstly, if you run a realty company and stuff has been stolen from the houses you are selling for TWO YEARS, why do you not have better security of the keys? The keys are on a board in alphabetical order in the middle of the office. Seriously? Even when women start to be murdered in the houses you are selling, you don't think to have your realtors at least sign out the keys? Also, I don't know if it is just in my dad's experience or if it is the way things are done, but the only time valuable stuff is kept in the houses is when the owners still live there or the owner has passed away. In the case of the owner still living there, they are the ones who have access to the keys and the realtors only show the houses when the owners are home. SECURE THE KEYS. Otherwise, this story is not believable to me.
Secondly, the way African Americans are portrayed in this series makes me a little uncomfortable. The protagonist keeps pointing out the "blackness" of some of the secondary characters, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the plot, subplot, or red herrings. On one page she refers to a woman as "a black." Not even "a black person." Just "a black." On page 150, alone, there were references to Mackie standing out "like a chocolate drop on a wedding cake." Then, a paragraph down, "Mackie was always quiet in social settings, at least in one involving whites. For all I knew, he sang solo in the choir at the African Methodist Episcopal Church." While, in and of itself, these comments are not blatently racist, they're more like soft racism. What does it have to do with anything else in the story? Why are their comments like this peppered throughout the novel? Is she trying to show the segregation still inherent in the small-town South? If so, she does a horrible job at it. It reminds me of the ppl who start a statement with "I'm not a racist, but..." You can almost always count on their next statement being racist. Or the dude that says "I'm not a racist because there is a black guy I talk to at work." I'm just failing to see what Ms. Harris's point behind this is.
And I hate Aurora's taste in men. Aurora whines about her relationships constantly. She's 30 and not married. gasp! Her life obviously can't begin until she has a ring on her finger. Maybe once she gets hitched she'll do something with her fictional life besides whining and sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. Travel or something.
And the mystery is only meh, again. I knew who it was about half-way through the book.
This is not your best writing, Charlaine. With that being said, a friend loaned these books to me and I'll continue to read them...but I won't go out of my way to spend any money on getting copies for myself. Call it stubborness or stupidity or morbid curiosity (my friend says stubborness), but I'll read at least one more in this bloody annoying atrocious series. Surely it will get better?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2018
To describe this in one sentence, I would say: for someone who describes herself as barely having any social life or relationships, Aurora can’t seem to be able to spend her days without a man, in this case, after breaking up with one – another one comes along.
Fun fact! I have just found out that the first two books were written before I was even born. Somehow this makes it even better for me. I’m not sure why, but it does.
Fun fact! Apparently there are some movies that aired on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel that I certainly, 100 %, will never watch. 7 movies I think? But like… for real? I can say that I am surprised to find that out. I guess they do like to make Charlaine Harris books into television series or movies.
Fun Fact! The first book in the series ‘Real Murders’ was nominated for Best Novel 1990 for the Agatha Awards.
Fun fact! Aurora Teagarden – count as official first series of Charlaine Harris. In a way that’s how she started it all. So before Sookie there was – Aurora Teagarden, a 28-year old, professional librarian, the one who both read and in a way solved murder cases.
Okay, so these are not FUN fact. These are just facts.
Fun fact! I have just found out that the first two books were written before I was even born. Somehow this makes it even better for me. I’m not sure why, but it does.
Fun fact! Apparently there are some movies that aired on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel that I certainly, 100 %, will never watch. 7 movies I think? But like… for real? I can say that I am surprised to find that out. I guess they do like to make Charlaine Harris books into television series or movies.
Fun Fact! The first book in the series ‘Real Murders’ was nominated for Best Novel 1990 for the Agatha Awards.
Fun fact! Aurora Teagarden – count as official first series of Charlaine Harris. In a way that’s how she started it all. So before Sookie there was – Aurora Teagarden, a 28-year old, professional librarian, the one who both read and in a way solved murder cases.
Okay, so these are not FUN fact. These are just facts.
November 7, 2017
I thought this one was great! It was fun to watch Roe fall hopelessly in love, even if there was a point where he was suspected of murder. I look forward to the 4th book, which I will be reading soon.
October 15, 2025
Tercer caso para la ahora ex bibliotecaria Aurora Roe Teagarden.
La novela tiene ese encanto de misterio accesible ambientado en una ciudad pequeña del sur de Estados Unidos. No es oscuro, no pretende serlo. Tiene humor, ligereza, personajes simpáticos, ese tipo de lectura para relajarse. Eso lo hace entretenido; sin embargo, la trama policial se queda en un segundo plano y en mi opinión, le quita algo de fuerza a la historia. A pesar del tono ligero, no se estanca demasiado. Hay momentos más descriptivos o lentos, sí, pero la autora introduce escenas de tensión, descubrimientos, que evitan que decaiga demasiado el interés, y eso se agradece.
Algunos giros o sospechosos se vuelven evidentes con antelación si uno está familiarizado con el género. No hay tantas sorpresas realmente contundentes y se vuelve demasiado previsible para mi gusto. Algo que me molestó es que el culpable aparece casi al final de la novela. No me gusta cuando el autor se saca la resolución de la galera, por eso no pude disfrutar más de la lectura a pesar de contar con ingredientes típicos del género.
Entretiene, genera curiosidad, ofrece unos personajes agradables, un misterio aceptable y un ambiente simpático; claro que sí, sin embargo, no logra destacarse dentro del género, ni sorprender mucho, ni dejar una huella fuerte.
#lecturaconjunta 📚
La novela tiene ese encanto de misterio accesible ambientado en una ciudad pequeña del sur de Estados Unidos. No es oscuro, no pretende serlo. Tiene humor, ligereza, personajes simpáticos, ese tipo de lectura para relajarse. Eso lo hace entretenido; sin embargo, la trama policial se queda en un segundo plano y en mi opinión, le quita algo de fuerza a la historia. A pesar del tono ligero, no se estanca demasiado. Hay momentos más descriptivos o lentos, sí, pero la autora introduce escenas de tensión, descubrimientos, que evitan que decaiga demasiado el interés, y eso se agradece.
Algunos giros o sospechosos se vuelven evidentes con antelación si uno está familiarizado con el género. No hay tantas sorpresas realmente contundentes y se vuelve demasiado previsible para mi gusto. Algo que me molestó es que el culpable aparece casi al final de la novela. No me gusta cuando el autor se saca la resolución de la galera, por eso no pude disfrutar más de la lectura a pesar de contar con ingredientes típicos del género.
Entretiene, genera curiosidad, ofrece unos personajes agradables, un misterio aceptable y un ambiente simpático; claro que sí, sin embargo, no logra destacarse dentro del género, ni sorprender mucho, ni dejar una huella fuerte.
#lecturaconjunta 📚
December 14, 2022
Me encanta Aurora
September 11, 2017
Read to fill the “Cozy Mystery” square for 2107 Halloween Bingo.
I wonder if Aurora Teagarden was in some ways a practice run by Charlaine Harris for her Sookie Stackhouse character? They’re both small town girls, seemingly not outstanding in any sense, feeling that life is passing them by. Both of them are attracted to dangerous men. Both of them take unreasonable risks for those men.
Also like Sookie, Aurora changes male partners fairly frequently. I was glad to see the pastor get the boot in this book. By the looks of things, Roe has found the one she intends to keep—but nothing is sure with Harris’ characters, so I will undoubtedly read the next book!
I like that Aurora is a little more independent that she is willing to give herself credit for. She’s not going to settle for just anyone because of societal small-town pressure to get married. Nor is she going to let the opinions of others prevent her from doing exactly what she wants to, whether that’s buy a house just outside of town or take a date to bed (or not). These choices are much easier for the single woman living in the city—we only have our relatives & friends who consciously or unconsciously push us to make certain decisions! We don’t have weight of community judgment hanging over us. Very seldom do our family members or friends live right next door, so we can generally get away with doing EXACTLY what we want to.
One does have to suspend disbelief over the number of murders that Roe runs into in such a small community—not that murders don’t occur in towns, but they do seem to be rather more numerous in Lawrenceton than one would truly expect outside of the city.
I wonder if Aurora Teagarden was in some ways a practice run by Charlaine Harris for her Sookie Stackhouse character? They’re both small town girls, seemingly not outstanding in any sense, feeling that life is passing them by. Both of them are attracted to dangerous men. Both of them take unreasonable risks for those men.
Also like Sookie, Aurora changes male partners fairly frequently. I was glad to see the pastor get the boot in this book. By the looks of things, Roe has found the one she intends to keep—but nothing is sure with Harris’ characters, so I will undoubtedly read the next book!
I like that Aurora is a little more independent that she is willing to give herself credit for. She’s not going to settle for just anyone because of societal small-town pressure to get married. Nor is she going to let the opinions of others prevent her from doing exactly what she wants to, whether that’s buy a house just outside of town or take a date to bed (or not). These choices are much easier for the single woman living in the city—we only have our relatives & friends who consciously or unconsciously push us to make certain decisions! We don’t have weight of community judgment hanging over us. Very seldom do our family members or friends live right next door, so we can generally get away with doing EXACTLY what we want to.
One does have to suspend disbelief over the number of murders that Roe runs into in such a small community—not that murders don’t occur in towns, but they do seem to be rather more numerous in Lawrenceton than one would truly expect outside of the city.
June 24, 2022
3.5 Es el tercero de Aurora, y a mi me ha resultado interesante quizás más que el segundo por ahora me quedo con el primero y el tercero aquí ya se ve más la evolución de la protagonista y hay un poco más de salseo y ya nos introduce algo del 4 libro para ponernos los dientes largos, aunque la relación sentimental no me inspira mucha confianza
September 20, 2015
Maybe the fourth one will be better? probably not lol I'm going to take the fourth one back to the library and I might pick it up again eventually. I still enjoyed the first two books and I still think Charlaine is an awesome writer.
April 28, 2018
Harris does what she does best here--gives us a lovable, flawed, yet charming character in Aurora Teagarden, whom we can root for, identify with, and, most importantly, care about. The mystery is a fun, cozy romp. I'll read more in this series.
July 27, 2016
You know, I was all into this book... But the whole time, I am wondering, what the HELL happened to Robin?? In the last book in the series, Roe contemplated writing him a letter while he was in another country, telling him she was interested in seeing him again. But we never know if she did or not, cause the writer never said!! And she was dating the preacher at the time.
Then, she meets a woman who will be perfect for the preacher, and just GIVES UP? And then assumes he's going to know, without her telling him, them not even having "the talk"?? WTH?
The murders were pretty interesting, though you think by now, she would have run out of neighbors in this tiny, little southern town, to make suddenly crazy and murderous. OF COURSE it was someone they'd been living near for years, and never knew, just like the first novel in the series. They hint around at about everyone, including the "new guy" that Roe VERY suddenly started sleeping with, and then dating... but not him. Not this time.
Maybe in the next novel? I guess we'll see.
Meanwhile, Roe is in the hospital, hurt badly again. And just as suddenly, ENGAGED!! argh
Then, she meets a woman who will be perfect for the preacher, and just GIVES UP? And then assumes he's going to know, without her telling him, them not even having "the talk"?? WTH?
The murders were pretty interesting, though you think by now, she would have run out of neighbors in this tiny, little southern town, to make suddenly crazy and murderous. OF COURSE it was someone they'd been living near for years, and never knew, just like the first novel in the series. They hint around at about everyone, including the "new guy" that Roe VERY suddenly started sleeping with, and then dating... but not him. Not this time.
Maybe in the next novel? I guess we'll see.
Meanwhile, Roe is in the hospital, hurt badly again. And just as suddenly, ENGAGED!! argh
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2020
brief synopsis:
A switch in careers, and houses, does not temper the disaster that is Roe.
setting:
Lawrenceton, Georgia
named personalities:
the Thompsons - either gutsy or so rich they wore an impervious armor of self-assurance
Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland - a very successful realtor/broker with Select Realty
Martin Bartell - a Pan-Am Agra Illinois plant manager; about five-ten, forty-fiveish, prematurely white-headed, with a tough, interesting face
Mandy Anderton Morley - now married and living in LA
Donnie Greenhouse - one half of the Greenhouse Realty; a husky football player when he married, now bony and looked undernourished in every way
Lauren Bacall - an American actress known for her distinctive voice and sultry looks whom Aida is aesthetically compared to
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - an American actress with unmanageable, curly hair
Mr Anderton - Mandy's father who had died recently
Jane Engle - an elderly woman with no children who also died recently; a Real Murders member
Arthur Smith - a detective
Lynn Liggett Smith - Arthur's new wife; a tall, slim homicide detective with short, brown hair
Lorna - Arthur and Lynn's baby
Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden aka Calamity Jane - Aida's only child; a librarian for six yeaars; short, chesty, with round dark brown eyes and so much wavy hair
Barbara 'Barby' Lampton - Martin's sister who initially mistaken for Martin's wife; maybe forty, broad in the beam but camouflaging it very skillfully
Aubrey Scott - a very conservative minister who didn't believe in premarital sex
Tonia Lee Greenhouse - the other half of Greenhouse Realty; tall, thin, with teased dark hair and bright makeup woman rumored to be often unfaithful to her husband, Donnie; a minimalist cook
Henske - a detective with a cracker drawl
Paul Allison - a reedy-voiced detective
Jack Burns - a frightening detective sergeant
Mackie Knight - a black Select Realty realtor
Madeleine - Roe's neutered cat
Amina Day Price - Roe's recently married best friend living in Houston
Phillip - Roe's' half-brother
Lucinda Esther - Aida's caterer; a majestic, black woman who made a good living cooking for people who are too lazy
Patty Cloud - Select Realty's receptionist/secretary
Melinda Queensland - Roe's' stepsister-in-law
Debbie Lincoln - Patty's quiet and punctual underling; a rather dim and cowed girl right out of high school; a full-figured black with hair expensively corn-rowed and decorated with beads
Idella Yates - a Select Realty realtor; a frail-looking fair woman in her mid-thirties, divorced with two children; sweet but no fun at all
Eileen Norris - Aida's second-in-command; the first realtor Aida hired; smart and sometimes funny, but too bossy
Franklin Farrell - one half of Today's Homes realty; a spectacularly tan and handsome man who drives the only powder-blue Lincoln in Lawrenceton
Jimmy Hunter aka the House Hunter - a hardware store owner
Sally 'Susu' Saxby Hunter - Jimmy's wife and Roe's friend; a bright, blond and plump woman; nicknamed Susu so as to distinguish her from other Sallys in town
Terry Sternholtz - the other half of Today's Homes realty; has freckles and an open, all-American face
Mark Russell - one half of the Russell & Dietrich realty
Jamie Dietrich - the other half of the Russell & Dietrich realty; a lanky man with a huge Adam's apple
Emily Kaye - a widow who plays the organ; a young, slim, small-breasted kindergarten teacher
Eizabeth - Emily's little girl
Ken - Emily's late husband who died in a car wreck
Cile Vernon - Emily's aunt in Lawrenceton
Gerald - Real Murders' walking encyclopedia; an insurance salesman with a natural interest in wrongful deaths
Mamie - Gerald's late wife
Marietta - Mamie's cousin
Emily Kaye - an English, wrongful death victim in 1920
Patrick Mahon - a married man who killed and cut up his mistress, Emily Kaye
Gifford - a Real Murders member who had been arrested for drug trafficking
LeMaster - a Real Murders member who has a dry-cleaning business
John Queensland - Aida's golfer husband; a Real Murders member
Little Jim - Jimmy and Susu's son who plays baseball and practices Tae Kwon Do
Bethany - Jimmy and Susu's girl scout daughter who has piano recitals
Helen Purdy - Tonia Lee's mother
Lillian Schmidt - Roe's former co-worker at the library
Jesus - Jesus Christ, a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader
Joan Hess - an American mystery writer
Mr Esther - Lucinda's husband whom nobody knows about
Catherine Aird - an English crime author who blends humor with detection
Sally Allison - Roe's bronze-haired reporter friend
Jack Forrest - Sally's colleague
Mr and Mrs McCann - prospective real estate buyers
Mrs Julius - presumably a descendant of the Juliuses who mysteriously disappeared
TC and Hope Julius - disappeared in their early forties
Charity Julius - a fifteen-year-old who disappeared along with TC and Hope
Jeffrey - a toddler
Jonah - a prophet who survived after being swallowed by a whale
Hugh - Amina's husband; an up-and-coming lawyer in Houston
Barrett - Martin's twenty-three-year-old son who wants to be an actor
Robin Crusoe - Roe's mystery writer friend who is now in California writing a television movie script based on his latest book
Ann Landers - an advice columnist
Abby - Abigail Van Buren, another advice columnist
Sam Ulrich - a blond, very recent ex-executive of Pan-Am Agra
Danielle Steel - an American writer, best known for her romance novels
Jamerson - a veterinarian
Charlie - Dr Jamerson's assistant; a huge, cheerful, young man
Caitlin - another veterinarian
Spock - Benjamin Spock, an American pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care is one of the best-selling volumes in history
William Marshall - an Australian author of Yellowthread Street series of mystery novels
Jannie and Lisa - Sam's children
Benita - Aida's regular hairdresser
Lizanne Buckley - Roe's beautiful friend
JT 'Bubba' Sewell - Lawrenceton's local representative; Lizanne's fiancé
Janie - a beautician
Scarlett O'Hara - a fictional character and the protagonist in Gone With the Wind
'Ms Glitter' - Franklin's date who was full of glib comments that gave no clue to her character
Sheppard - probably Roe's optometrist
grammar:
p160: "I had to do this," I began, moving slowly to my left around the end of the sofa, compelling him with all my will to watch my face and not my feet "because tomorrow the police were going to get Martin."
Roe is bottled disaster.
A switch in careers, and houses, does not temper the disaster that is Roe.
setting:
Lawrenceton, Georgia
named personalities:
the Thompsons - either gutsy or so rich they wore an impervious armor of self-assurance
Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland - a very successful realtor/broker with Select Realty
Martin Bartell - a Pan-Am Agra Illinois plant manager; about five-ten, forty-fiveish, prematurely white-headed, with a tough, interesting face
Mandy Anderton Morley - now married and living in LA
Donnie Greenhouse - one half of the Greenhouse Realty; a husky football player when he married, now bony and looked undernourished in every way
Lauren Bacall - an American actress known for her distinctive voice and sultry looks whom Aida is aesthetically compared to
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio - an American actress with unmanageable, curly hair
Mr Anderton - Mandy's father who had died recently
Jane Engle - an elderly woman with no children who also died recently; a Real Murders member
Arthur Smith - a detective
Lynn Liggett Smith - Arthur's new wife; a tall, slim homicide detective with short, brown hair
Lorna - Arthur and Lynn's baby
Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden aka Calamity Jane - Aida's only child; a librarian for six yeaars; short, chesty, with round dark brown eyes and so much wavy hair
Barbara 'Barby' Lampton - Martin's sister who initially mistaken for Martin's wife; maybe forty, broad in the beam but camouflaging it very skillfully
Aubrey Scott - a very conservative minister who didn't believe in premarital sex
Tonia Lee Greenhouse - the other half of Greenhouse Realty; tall, thin, with teased dark hair and bright makeup woman rumored to be often unfaithful to her husband, Donnie; a minimalist cook
Henske - a detective with a cracker drawl
Paul Allison - a reedy-voiced detective
Jack Burns - a frightening detective sergeant
Mackie Knight - a black Select Realty realtor
Madeleine - Roe's neutered cat
Amina Day Price - Roe's recently married best friend living in Houston
Phillip - Roe's' half-brother
Lucinda Esther - Aida's caterer; a majestic, black woman who made a good living cooking for people who are too lazy
Patty Cloud - Select Realty's receptionist/secretary
Melinda Queensland - Roe's' stepsister-in-law
Debbie Lincoln - Patty's quiet and punctual underling; a rather dim and cowed girl right out of high school; a full-figured black with hair expensively corn-rowed and decorated with beads
Idella Yates - a Select Realty realtor; a frail-looking fair woman in her mid-thirties, divorced with two children; sweet but no fun at all
Eileen Norris - Aida's second-in-command; the first realtor Aida hired; smart and sometimes funny, but too bossy
Franklin Farrell - one half of Today's Homes realty; a spectacularly tan and handsome man who drives the only powder-blue Lincoln in Lawrenceton
Jimmy Hunter aka the House Hunter - a hardware store owner
Sally 'Susu' Saxby Hunter - Jimmy's wife and Roe's friend; a bright, blond and plump woman; nicknamed Susu so as to distinguish her from other Sallys in town
Terry Sternholtz - the other half of Today's Homes realty; has freckles and an open, all-American face
Mark Russell - one half of the Russell & Dietrich realty
Jamie Dietrich - the other half of the Russell & Dietrich realty; a lanky man with a huge Adam's apple
Emily Kaye - a widow who plays the organ; a young, slim, small-breasted kindergarten teacher
Eizabeth - Emily's little girl
Ken - Emily's late husband who died in a car wreck
Cile Vernon - Emily's aunt in Lawrenceton
Gerald - Real Murders' walking encyclopedia; an insurance salesman with a natural interest in wrongful deaths
Mamie - Gerald's late wife
Marietta - Mamie's cousin
Emily Kaye - an English, wrongful death victim in 1920
Patrick Mahon - a married man who killed and cut up his mistress, Emily Kaye
Gifford - a Real Murders member who had been arrested for drug trafficking
LeMaster - a Real Murders member who has a dry-cleaning business
John Queensland - Aida's golfer husband; a Real Murders member
Little Jim - Jimmy and Susu's son who plays baseball and practices Tae Kwon Do
Bethany - Jimmy and Susu's girl scout daughter who has piano recitals
Helen Purdy - Tonia Lee's mother
Lillian Schmidt - Roe's former co-worker at the library
Jesus - Jesus Christ, a first-century Jewish preacher and religious leader
Joan Hess - an American mystery writer
Mr Esther - Lucinda's husband whom nobody knows about
Catherine Aird - an English crime author who blends humor with detection
Sally Allison - Roe's bronze-haired reporter friend
Jack Forrest - Sally's colleague
Mr and Mrs McCann - prospective real estate buyers
Mrs Julius - presumably a descendant of the Juliuses who mysteriously disappeared
TC and Hope Julius - disappeared in their early forties
Charity Julius - a fifteen-year-old who disappeared along with TC and Hope
Jeffrey - a toddler
Jonah - a prophet who survived after being swallowed by a whale
Hugh - Amina's husband; an up-and-coming lawyer in Houston
Barrett - Martin's twenty-three-year-old son who wants to be an actor
Robin Crusoe - Roe's mystery writer friend who is now in California writing a television movie script based on his latest book
Ann Landers - an advice columnist
Abby - Abigail Van Buren, another advice columnist
Sam Ulrich - a blond, very recent ex-executive of Pan-Am Agra
Danielle Steel - an American writer, best known for her romance novels
Jamerson - a veterinarian
Charlie - Dr Jamerson's assistant; a huge, cheerful, young man
Caitlin - another veterinarian
Spock - Benjamin Spock, an American pediatrician whose book Baby and Child Care is one of the best-selling volumes in history
William Marshall - an Australian author of Yellowthread Street series of mystery novels
Jannie and Lisa - Sam's children
Benita - Aida's regular hairdresser
Lizanne Buckley - Roe's beautiful friend
JT 'Bubba' Sewell - Lawrenceton's local representative; Lizanne's fiancé
Janie - a beautician
Scarlett O'Hara - a fictional character and the protagonist in Gone With the Wind
'Ms Glitter' - Franklin's date who was full of glib comments that gave no clue to her character
Sheppard - probably Roe's optometrist
grammar:
p160: "I had to do this," I began, moving slowly to my left around the end of the sofa, compelling him with all my will to watch my face and not my feet "because tomorrow the police were going to get Martin."
Roe is bottled disaster.
July 8, 2022
Secret Rendezvous
I enjoyed this cozy, and a tad bit zany, mystery. Of course, Roe finds herself in the thick of another murder as a local real estate agent is found dead at an empty home. I kind of like how she's like a dog with a bone and just can't let go, no matter the consequences to herself.
In other news, the dissolution of one relationship opens the door for a new one as Martin, fifteen years her senior, rolls into town. I like that he's got an air of mystery to him. Roe isn't the only one with a change of relationship status but I do like her update. A lot.
I like that the relationship between Roe and Martin isn't as dry in the bedroom as the Hallmark version. We may not get all of the steamy details but it's a realistic representation of a budding romance.
There's one scene that I'm unsure if Roe is my hero or an absolute idiot. What would you do if a stranger appeared in your bedroom with rope and tape? (Get your mind out of the gutter! This is a murder mystery, not a BDSM novel.)
I enjoyed a library copy of the audio book. The narrator, Therese Plummer, does a good job with all of the characters.
Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 3.5 stars
Listening Speed: 1.6x
I enjoyed this cozy, and a tad bit zany, mystery. Of course, Roe finds herself in the thick of another murder as a local real estate agent is found dead at an empty home. I kind of like how she's like a dog with a bone and just can't let go, no matter the consequences to herself.
In other news, the dissolution of one relationship opens the door for a new one as Martin, fifteen years her senior, rolls into town. I like that he's got an air of mystery to him. Roe isn't the only one with a change of relationship status but I do like her update. A lot.
I like that the relationship between Roe and Martin isn't as dry in the bedroom as the Hallmark version. We may not get all of the steamy details but it's a realistic representation of a budding romance.
There's one scene that I'm unsure if Roe is my hero or an absolute idiot. What would you do if a stranger appeared in your bedroom with rope and tape? (Get your mind out of the gutter! This is a murder mystery, not a BDSM novel.)
I enjoyed a library copy of the audio book. The narrator, Therese Plummer, does a good job with all of the characters.
Story: 3.5 stars
Narration: 3.5 stars
Listening Speed: 1.6x
May 4, 2023
* I would appreciate knowing how you enjoy my reviews with a comment, not an empty ‘like button’ click.
I had heard of Charlaine Harris but disliking vampires, sought mystery and spirits. The Aurora Teagarden series looked neat and I collected most of the novels. By then, I lived in the country, where our television comes via satellite dish and the films appeared. Yannick Bisson, Candace Cameron, and Marilu Henner are so likeable, I credit their lighter adventures onscreen for enhancing my investment in these darker books. I dubbed the term ‘standard mysteries’ for tones that are a bit less disturbing than ‘thrillers’.
All receiving four stars so far, I love that these adventures are mysterious with originality, heart, family, and relatable modern humour. I dislike fake historical fiction. Aurora was in a condominium and inherited a house from an elderly friend. She scouted her own in volume 3 of 1994, “Three Bedrooms, One Corpse”. I know the mystery at her house in the sequel, the first film I encountered. I am excited to glean extra detail from the novel!
Roe’s criminology group and her Mom’s real estate agency supply most cases. These victims were in houses for sale. Solving the motive and who had access drove the story. The pages hummed enough that I expected five star satisfaction. Alas, how endings are handled has often tanked my assessment. That is jarring after enjoying most of the ride! I nearly gave three stars for a succession of terribly lame behaviours but credited the balance of my interest in this novel. It feels like authors swing expertly from branches and suddenly fall.
Without spoiling anything, I will reference a cliché in which a villain was identified in a sleuth’s mind as she was near him. Police and family were also handy, whom she could have warned easily. Outrageously, she snuck to his home alone! May the next novel be great.
I had heard of Charlaine Harris but disliking vampires, sought mystery and spirits. The Aurora Teagarden series looked neat and I collected most of the novels. By then, I lived in the country, where our television comes via satellite dish and the films appeared. Yannick Bisson, Candace Cameron, and Marilu Henner are so likeable, I credit their lighter adventures onscreen for enhancing my investment in these darker books. I dubbed the term ‘standard mysteries’ for tones that are a bit less disturbing than ‘thrillers’.
All receiving four stars so far, I love that these adventures are mysterious with originality, heart, family, and relatable modern humour. I dislike fake historical fiction. Aurora was in a condominium and inherited a house from an elderly friend. She scouted her own in volume 3 of 1994, “Three Bedrooms, One Corpse”. I know the mystery at her house in the sequel, the first film I encountered. I am excited to glean extra detail from the novel!
Roe’s criminology group and her Mom’s real estate agency supply most cases. These victims were in houses for sale. Solving the motive and who had access drove the story. The pages hummed enough that I expected five star satisfaction. Alas, how endings are handled has often tanked my assessment. That is jarring after enjoying most of the ride! I nearly gave three stars for a succession of terribly lame behaviours but credited the balance of my interest in this novel. It feels like authors swing expertly from branches and suddenly fall.
Without spoiling anything, I will reference a cliché in which a villain was identified in a sleuth’s mind as she was near him. Police and family were also handy, whom she could have warned easily. Outrageously, she snuck to his home alone! May the next novel be great.
August 25, 2024
I pretty much forgot everything about the first two books in this series over the years, but didn't remember them overly impressive. Now this one I definitely enjoyed - Martin is a dreamboat and I loved the twists and turns on a personal level. The mystery is bizarre but Roe isn't actively solving or discovering anything, so it feels like a side story until the ending when a solution pops up. The book does have her house hunting and other stuff so some may see this as downtime, but Harris tends to write about everyday life routines well in all her stories. Personally I didn't have any issue staying involved with the story, and small doses of humor helped. Full review to come.
April 20, 2018
Sometimes it pays to read several books in a series before deciding not to read more. I didn't care much for the first book in this series, and thought I wouldn't read any more. However, I forgot about that and listened to the second book--now I'm hooked. Aurora Teagarden has become an interesting character that I want to follow. In this book she once again gets involved in a mystery as she finds a corpse in a house she is showing. Her love life takes an interesting turn, too; so I am looking forward to the next book. A good cozy mystery
August 28, 2018
Aurora is a great character. She is smart, curious and a fantastic friend. So when a local realtor is found dead in a sale home, she can’t help but try and solve the mystery.
Added to this book is a new romance angle with the meeting of Aurora and Martin being an almost “love at first sight” but written in a way that had me laughing. (Not soppy or sugary sweet!) Martin is such an interesting character, but we really know nothing about him. Can’t wait to find out more in book four :)
Added to this book is a new romance angle with the meeting of Aurora and Martin being an almost “love at first sight” but written in a way that had me laughing. (Not soppy or sugary sweet!) Martin is such an interesting character, but we really know nothing about him. Can’t wait to find out more in book four :)
October 28, 2017
I love this Author, but I thought this book was average.
October 11, 2020
This book has given me a lot of mixed feelings.
It’s the third novel following Aurora Teagarden, in which she attempts to follow her mother’s path as a real estate agent, and ends up finding a dead body in the first house she shows. Another body turns up later in a second house that is also for sale.
For me, the actual murder mystery in this book was too predictable. It wasn’t exciting and unique like the first book. However, there was one thing that I loved in this book that I felt the other books were lacking- I felt the love story was real. I was actually rooting for Aurora and the love interest in this. It felt dangerous and exciting but with so much love and kindness between them. I really like the character or Aurora, and I enjoyed watching her trying to find the life she wants for herself.
I wasn’t sure about whether I would continue this series. But the love connection has made me want to carry on. The 4th book has now been added to my wishlist!
It’s the third novel following Aurora Teagarden, in which she attempts to follow her mother’s path as a real estate agent, and ends up finding a dead body in the first house she shows. Another body turns up later in a second house that is also for sale.
For me, the actual murder mystery in this book was too predictable. It wasn’t exciting and unique like the first book. However, there was one thing that I loved in this book that I felt the other books were lacking- I felt the love story was real. I was actually rooting for Aurora and the love interest in this. It felt dangerous and exciting but with so much love and kindness between them. I really like the character or Aurora, and I enjoyed watching her trying to find the life she wants for herself.
I wasn’t sure about whether I would continue this series. But the love connection has made me want to carry on. The 4th book has now been added to my wishlist!
October 28, 2011
Are the heroines in mystery books always THIS STUPID? Because I'm smart but not like genius smart, and compared to me, Roe is a dumb-bum. At least that's how I felt by the end of this book.
Seriously DO NOT CHASE DANGER. DO NOT BREAK INTO A MURDERERS HOUSE. CALL THE DAMN POLICE!
Also this book made me feel like I'd been banished to adverb hell for awhile. The dialogue tags almost always had an adverb to explain further what the words meant (because apparently understanding the words themselves means you are a genius like me). This seems especially extraneous in an audiobook which is probably why I noticed it so much. I tried to tell the narrator to stop with the adverbs but she did not listen.
Still it was well enough. Almost gave it lower star-age for the sheer stupid behavior of Roe near the end of the book.
Seriously DO NOT CHASE DANGER. DO NOT BREAK INTO A MURDERERS HOUSE. CALL THE DAMN POLICE!
Also this book made me feel like I'd been banished to adverb hell for awhile. The dialogue tags almost always had an adverb to explain further what the words meant (because apparently understanding the words themselves means you are a genius like me). This seems especially extraneous in an audiobook which is probably why I noticed it so much. I tried to tell the narrator to stop with the adverbs but she did not listen.
Still it was well enough. Almost gave it lower star-age for the sheer stupid behavior of Roe near the end of the book.
Read
December 7, 2012This was the third in the Teagarden series.
Aurora is asked to show a house for her mother. While walking through the house with the newcomers, they discover the body of a rival real estate agent.
The only good thing to come from the situation was that Aurora met Martin. The two of them practically fall in love at first sight.
But, despite Roe's love life changing for the better ( at least it appears that way), the whole town is on edge. When another murder takes place, Roe starts to take action.
I found myself as caught up in Roe's love life as I did the murder mystery . This one had a nice blend of romance and mystery. Another look behind the closed doors of a small southern town. The story is told with a sense of humor, while weaving a good old fashioned who done it.
I'm really enjoying this series so far.
Aurora is asked to show a house for her mother. While walking through the house with the newcomers, they discover the body of a rival real estate agent.
The only good thing to come from the situation was that Aurora met Martin. The two of them practically fall in love at first sight.
But, despite Roe's love life changing for the better ( at least it appears that way), the whole town is on edge. When another murder takes place, Roe starts to take action.
I found myself as caught up in Roe's love life as I did the murder mystery . This one had a nice blend of romance and mystery. Another look behind the closed doors of a small southern town. The story is told with a sense of humor, while weaving a good old fashioned who done it.
I'm really enjoying this series so far.
July 26, 2019
I have no idea why I'm still reading this series. The characters are insufferable and while the mystery is interesting, it feels like an afterthought to Aurora's dating life and drama. By the time the killer was finally revealed, it did absolutely nothing for me because they were barely present in the book. Also, the way that black people are portrayed and talked about is quite horrifying. I've noticed this trend in the series and I am disgusted about it.
I can't believe I'm saying this but watch the Hallmark movies instead because the characters are actually likeable and the mystery is much better developed.
I can't believe I'm saying this but watch the Hallmark movies instead because the characters are actually likeable and the mystery is much better developed.
March 7, 2011
Short and sweet! Aurora has much going on in this installment by Charlaine Harris.
May 20, 2024
Third in the Aurora Teagarden cozy amateur sleuth mystery series and revolving around a rich librarian. This story takes place in Lawrenceton, Georgia, in November.
My Take
Poor Aurora. Recently rich but bored since quitting her librarian job. And she's already bought new, more trendy clothing. Whatever is she to do now?
Harris uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Roe's perspective, which opens up her thoughts, fears, and emotions about her life. A conservative woman who's dating someone that creates a conflict for her when she's attracted to another man. And still she's suffering angst that she'll be left again. She does seem precipitous about Scott dumping her.
Nor is Roe impressed by Donnie's "grief", which opens up sooo many questions.
Scott does provide her with his own conservative views, which do not include a woman of leisure who's fascinated by murder — and an embarrassing unexpected inheritance.
Martin has self-esteem issues of his own — he always has to be top dog.
It's a fascinating town with a full range of characters — I'd guess most small towns have such a variety of characters, along with the parents and their actions. Actions, yeah, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse seems to have an equal range of actions with Roe caught up in detecting. She simply can't help it . . . and she does have emotional reasons for some of it.
The pace is steady in a cozy way with prose that keeps life simple.
I reckon I'm needing the cozy right now, and I do enjoy reading about Aurora Teagarden, an average sort of woman with good luck.
The Story
Oh, oh, Aurora has to substitute for her mother when some clients are late. It's a two-way sword when Aurora discovers a dead body in the house she's showing . . . and has an instant attraction to the potential buyer. A two-way attraction. Except Roe is dating the Reverend Aubrey Scott.
And she is a witness — along with Martin — to murder.
The Characters
Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, her mother's representative for the townhouses, is studying to become a realtor. Madeleine is her newly spayed cat whom she inherited from Jane. Amina Day Price is Roe's best friend although she's moved to Houston and got married to Hugh Price, an up-and-coming lawyer, five weeks ago. And she's pregnant.
Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland is Aurora's mother and a very successful real estate agent with her own business, Select Realty. John Queensland is her newlywed husband. Melinda Queensland is John's daughter-in-law who's been conscripted to help out at Select. Aida's employees include agents Eileen Norris, who is also Aida's second-in-command (and dating/living with Terry Sternholtz); the lone black man, Mackie Knight; Idella Yates; and, the bigoted Patty Cloud is the receptionist with Debbie Lincoln as her trainee.
The Thompsons, Aida's clients, are always late. Martin Bartell, a Vietnam vet and new manager of Pan-Am Agra, and his sister, Barby Lampton, are new clients. The Anderton house listed with Aida is owned by Mandy Anderton Morely. Ben and Leda, the Mays, and the Westleys are homeowners selling their places. Julius' mother has been trying to sell the notorious Julius house.
The Reverend Aubrey Scott heads up the local Episcopalian church and is dating Aurora.
The protective Martin's widowed mother remarried when he was ten to a horrible man. Martin has one son, the acting-hopeful, Barrett. Pan-Am Agra seems charitable with its combination of foods, farm machinery, and agricultural teachings. The angry Sam Ulrich was fired and gets an ultimatum. Jannie and Lisa are his children.
Lawrenceton, Georgia, is . . .
. . . the small town where Aurora lives. The married-with-children Lucinda Esther does catering to a select few. Sally Allison, a friend of Roe's and a journalist with the town's paper, just married Detective Paul Allison, her ex's brother. Visitors to Tonia Lee's wake include Mark Russell and his business partner, Jamie Dietrich. The public library is headed up by Sam Clerrick. Lillian Schmidt had been Roe's contentious, gossipy co-worker. Dr Jamerson is a veterinarian. Charlie is one of his assistants, who'll need gloves. Aida would prefer Roe take Madeleine to Dr Caitlin, since he had the gall to buy his home through Today's Homes. Benita and Janie are hairstylists. Lizanne Buckley is still the receptionist at the Power and Light Company and still dating Bubba Sewell, the local representative and lawyer. The Golfwhite factory closed. Amina's mom runs Great Day, a clothing store in Lawrenceton, although Roe now prefers Short 'n Sweet in Atlanta. Jack Forrest wrote a business-page article about Martin. Jeffrey is a neighbor's toddler.
The police department includes Detective Arthur Smith and his wife, Detective Lynn Liggett Smith; Detectives Henske and the unpopular Paul Allison; and, Detective Sergeant Jack Burns who hates Aurora.
The very unfaithful Tonia Lee Greenhouse has a rival realty where Donnie's cousin is secretary. Donnie Greenhouse is her much put-upon husband of seventeen years. Helen Purdy had been Tonia Lee's mother. Franklin Farrell is another local realtor, Today's Homes, with quite the reputation with the ladies. Terry Sternholtz works for Franklin.
Jane Engle had been a retired school librarian and a volunteer at the public library, who died. Smith, an old flame of Aurora's, married Lynn Liggett (who's the only detective in Homicide), and they and baby Lorna, moved in across the street from Jane's house.
The House Hunter, a.k.a. Jimmy Hunter, who is the owner of the hardware store, loves looking at houses for sale. His wife is Susu Saxby Hunter who had been a friend of Roe's and for whom Roe stood up as a bridesmaid. Susu had inherited her parents' house. Jim and Bethany are their children.
Emily Kaye is a new kindergarten teacher; her daughter is Elizabeth. She's a widow as her husband, Ken, died. Cile Verson is Emily's aunt.
The Real Murders book club in Real Murders , included Roe. Gifford, a past member, has attracted the wrong attention. LeMaster Cane still has his dry-cleaning business. Gerald Wright, an insurance salesman, has remarried — after events in Real Murders , 1, with Mamie. Marietta had been Mamie's cousin. Past cases they've explored include Patrick Mahon who killed his mistress, Emily Kaye.
Robin Crusoe, a mystery writer who had briefly dated Roe, is now in California. T.C. and Hope Julius along with their daughter, Charity, disappeared from their house.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a turquoise background with darker, squiggly vertical lines in a darker turquoise adding extra interest. The author's name is at the top in a very dark turquoise with a row of shelved books outlined in a glowing white at the bottom, a pair of Roe's deep brown glasses perched on top of the books on the right, further right is the series info in the same brown as the glasses. In between is the slanting title in a white script, shaded with black, and framed in pale turquoise scrolls.
The title is a real estate reference, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse with an "exotic" addition.
My Take
Poor Aurora. Recently rich but bored since quitting her librarian job. And she's already bought new, more trendy clothing. Whatever is she to do now?
Harris uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Roe's perspective, which opens up her thoughts, fears, and emotions about her life. A conservative woman who's dating someone that creates a conflict for her when she's attracted to another man. And still she's suffering angst that she'll be left again. She does seem precipitous about Scott dumping her.
Nor is Roe impressed by Donnie's "grief", which opens up sooo many questions.
Scott does provide her with his own conservative views, which do not include a woman of leisure who's fascinated by murder — and an embarrassing unexpected inheritance.
Martin has self-esteem issues of his own — he always has to be top dog.
It's a fascinating town with a full range of characters — I'd guess most small towns have such a variety of characters, along with the parents and their actions. Actions, yeah, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse seems to have an equal range of actions with Roe caught up in detecting. She simply can't help it . . . and she does have emotional reasons for some of it.
The pace is steady in a cozy way with prose that keeps life simple.
I reckon I'm needing the cozy right now, and I do enjoy reading about Aurora Teagarden, an average sort of woman with good luck.
The Story
Oh, oh, Aurora has to substitute for her mother when some clients are late. It's a two-way sword when Aurora discovers a dead body in the house she's showing . . . and has an instant attraction to the potential buyer. A two-way attraction. Except Roe is dating the Reverend Aubrey Scott.
And she is a witness — along with Martin — to murder.
The Characters
Aurora "Roe" Teagarden, her mother's representative for the townhouses, is studying to become a realtor. Madeleine is her newly spayed cat whom she inherited from Jane. Amina Day Price is Roe's best friend although she's moved to Houston and got married to Hugh Price, an up-and-coming lawyer, five weeks ago. And she's pregnant.
Aida Brattle Teagarden Queensland is Aurora's mother and a very successful real estate agent with her own business, Select Realty. John Queensland is her newlywed husband. Melinda Queensland is John's daughter-in-law who's been conscripted to help out at Select. Aida's employees include agents Eileen Norris, who is also Aida's second-in-command (and dating/living with Terry Sternholtz); the lone black man, Mackie Knight; Idella Yates; and, the bigoted Patty Cloud is the receptionist with Debbie Lincoln as her trainee.
The Thompsons, Aida's clients, are always late. Martin Bartell, a Vietnam vet and new manager of Pan-Am Agra, and his sister, Barby Lampton, are new clients. The Anderton house listed with Aida is owned by Mandy Anderton Morely. Ben and Leda, the Mays, and the Westleys are homeowners selling their places. Julius' mother has been trying to sell the notorious Julius house.
The Reverend Aubrey Scott heads up the local Episcopalian church and is dating Aurora.
The protective Martin's widowed mother remarried when he was ten to a horrible man. Martin has one son, the acting-hopeful, Barrett. Pan-Am Agra seems charitable with its combination of foods, farm machinery, and agricultural teachings. The angry Sam Ulrich was fired and gets an ultimatum. Jannie and Lisa are his children.
Lawrenceton, Georgia, is . . .
. . . the small town where Aurora lives. The married-with-children Lucinda Esther does catering to a select few. Sally Allison, a friend of Roe's and a journalist with the town's paper, just married Detective Paul Allison, her ex's brother. Visitors to Tonia Lee's wake include Mark Russell and his business partner, Jamie Dietrich. The public library is headed up by Sam Clerrick. Lillian Schmidt had been Roe's contentious, gossipy co-worker. Dr Jamerson is a veterinarian. Charlie is one of his assistants, who'll need gloves. Aida would prefer Roe take Madeleine to Dr Caitlin, since he had the gall to buy his home through Today's Homes. Benita and Janie are hairstylists. Lizanne Buckley is still the receptionist at the Power and Light Company and still dating Bubba Sewell, the local representative and lawyer. The Golfwhite factory closed. Amina's mom runs Great Day, a clothing store in Lawrenceton, although Roe now prefers Short 'n Sweet in Atlanta. Jack Forrest wrote a business-page article about Martin. Jeffrey is a neighbor's toddler.
The police department includes Detective Arthur Smith and his wife, Detective Lynn Liggett Smith; Detectives Henske and the unpopular Paul Allison; and, Detective Sergeant Jack Burns who hates Aurora.
The very unfaithful Tonia Lee Greenhouse has a rival realty where Donnie's cousin is secretary. Donnie Greenhouse is her much put-upon husband of seventeen years. Helen Purdy had been Tonia Lee's mother. Franklin Farrell is another local realtor, Today's Homes, with quite the reputation with the ladies. Terry Sternholtz works for Franklin.
Jane Engle had been a retired school librarian and a volunteer at the public library, who died. Smith, an old flame of Aurora's, married Lynn Liggett (who's the only detective in Homicide), and they and baby Lorna, moved in across the street from Jane's house.
The House Hunter, a.k.a. Jimmy Hunter, who is the owner of the hardware store, loves looking at houses for sale. His wife is Susu Saxby Hunter who had been a friend of Roe's and for whom Roe stood up as a bridesmaid. Susu had inherited her parents' house. Jim and Bethany are their children.
Emily Kaye is a new kindergarten teacher; her daughter is Elizabeth. She's a widow as her husband, Ken, died. Cile Verson is Emily's aunt.
The Real Murders book club in Real Murders , included Roe. Gifford, a past member, has attracted the wrong attention. LeMaster Cane still has his dry-cleaning business. Gerald Wright, an insurance salesman, has remarried — after events in Real Murders , 1, with Mamie. Marietta had been Mamie's cousin. Past cases they've explored include Patrick Mahon who killed his mistress, Emily Kaye.
Robin Crusoe, a mystery writer who had briefly dated Roe, is now in California. T.C. and Hope Julius along with their daughter, Charity, disappeared from their house.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a turquoise background with darker, squiggly vertical lines in a darker turquoise adding extra interest. The author's name is at the top in a very dark turquoise with a row of shelved books outlined in a glowing white at the bottom, a pair of Roe's deep brown glasses perched on top of the books on the right, further right is the series info in the same brown as the glasses. In between is the slanting title in a white script, shaded with black, and framed in pale turquoise scrolls.
The title is a real estate reference, Three Bedrooms, One Corpse with an "exotic" addition.
February 29, 2020
RATING: 3.5 STARS
I recently watched the TV movie based on this book, and it made me want to continue the book series. I reread the first book on audio and just finished book three. While the general murder case and the killer are the same in both, everything else is quite different. I like that it is different as I like both the movies and the books. Roe's next love interest, Martin Bartell is described as a man's man with white hair and dark eyebrows (think Sam Elliott). And, in the movies he is portrayed by Yannick Bisson so you can't wrong, lol. I am definitely in for the rest of the series - they are fun light reads and I do recommend them for cozy mysteries lovers.
I recently watched the TV movie based on this book, and it made me want to continue the book series. I reread the first book on audio and just finished book three. While the general murder case and the killer are the same in both, everything else is quite different. I like that it is different as I like both the movies and the books. Roe's next love interest, Martin Bartell is described as a man's man with white hair and dark eyebrows (think Sam Elliott). And, in the movies he is portrayed by Yannick Bisson so you can't wrong, lol. I am definitely in for the rest of the series - they are fun light reads and I do recommend them for cozy mysteries lovers.
December 29, 2020
An entertaining audiobook. The story was okay. I had the killer figured out several chapters before the end of the book. I enjoy Aurora Teagarden mysteries, but she made some stupid decisions in this book that had me annoyed with her as a character. It won’t stop me from listening to the next book.
May 11, 2025
Este tercer libro nos pone en antecedentes de las circunstancias de nuestra chica con unas pinceladas útiles. Aunque podría leerse de forma independiente, siempre es mejor saber de dónde viene nuestra protagonista. Recomiendo leer la saga completa: son libros cortos, rápidos y entretenidos.
Enseñar una casa a unos compradores potenciales debería ser algo fácil y amable. Pues no. Toma cadáver repentino.
Con un crimen escandaloso nada más empezar, Aurora se replantea cosas en su vida: trabajo, vida amorosa y residencia. Esto nos va a tener muy ocupadas mientras se dedica a estos temas sin descuidar ni por un instante su foco en los sucesos. Después de todo, es la comidilla del pueblo y el sospechoso no es exactamente claro, pero sí podría estar cerca. Me encanta que Roe aproveche las interacciones sociales para indagar.
Se trata de un caso relacionado con el gremio inmobiliario debido al escenario del crimen y salen a relucir intrigas, pistas oscuras y misterios enrevesados. Me ha mantenido concentrada, así como bastante pendiente de sus líos familiares y amorosos. Esto último le va a dar mucha vidilla en esta tercera aventura. ¡Bastante intenso! No se aburre nada :-D
Además, Roe echa mucho de menos su club del crimen y sigue buscando su lugar en el mundo. Me ha encantado encontrarme con un humor desenfadado y tangencial. Dentro de la narrativa de temática prosaica, después de todo la vida de Aurora es primordial, surgen de repente frases de comedia como quien no quiere la cosa. Me he reído bastante. Lo que no resta un ápice a la intensidad de los acontecimientos. Resolver el caso se convierte en una misión salvaje y profundamente personal para Aurora. ¡Qué subidón de adrenalina!
Me ha gustado muchísimo cómo se han combinado las cosas al final para darnos sustos y dudas. Buenísimo. Es mi libro favorito hasta el momento en la saga y estoy ansiosa por conocer el siguiente.
Enseñar una casa a unos compradores potenciales debería ser algo fácil y amable. Pues no. Toma cadáver repentino.
Con un crimen escandaloso nada más empezar, Aurora se replantea cosas en su vida: trabajo, vida amorosa y residencia. Esto nos va a tener muy ocupadas mientras se dedica a estos temas sin descuidar ni por un instante su foco en los sucesos. Después de todo, es la comidilla del pueblo y el sospechoso no es exactamente claro, pero sí podría estar cerca. Me encanta que Roe aproveche las interacciones sociales para indagar.
Se trata de un caso relacionado con el gremio inmobiliario debido al escenario del crimen y salen a relucir intrigas, pistas oscuras y misterios enrevesados. Me ha mantenido concentrada, así como bastante pendiente de sus líos familiares y amorosos. Esto último le va a dar mucha vidilla en esta tercera aventura. ¡Bastante intenso! No se aburre nada :-D
Además, Roe echa mucho de menos su club del crimen y sigue buscando su lugar en el mundo. Me ha encantado encontrarme con un humor desenfadado y tangencial. Dentro de la narrativa de temática prosaica, después de todo la vida de Aurora es primordial, surgen de repente frases de comedia como quien no quiere la cosa. Me he reído bastante. Lo que no resta un ápice a la intensidad de los acontecimientos. Resolver el caso se convierte en una misión salvaje y profundamente personal para Aurora. ¡Qué subidón de adrenalina!
Me ha gustado muchísimo cómo se han combinado las cosas al final para darnos sustos y dudas. Buenísimo. Es mi libro favorito hasta el momento en la saga y estoy ansiosa por conocer el siguiente.
Want to read
August 10, 2024Overall, I like this series. The problem, of course, is that the protagonist is a racist, whether she wants to admit it or not. More specifically, she is a white supremacist, taking care to reassure white southern readers that while the two Black employees at her mother's real estate firm were employed there, the woman, Debbie, knew how to be seen and not heard in a white space. There's also the description of this woman as wearing corn rows with colorful beads on the ends.
Let me tell you as a Black woman that the vast majority of us, even in the 90s, did not wear that style, as those were stiles children wore. More importantly, that the author feels the need to go into details about Debbie's hair indicates a need to illustrate (literally and figuratively) that she is the "other" in the room. Why not just describe her as a Black woman and leave it at that.
Also, why describe her as a quiet woman that could type well? It reads like so many racist texts read, as if the racist is struggling to find qualities that justify a Black person's presence in a professional and white dominated space.
Harris's description of this character is especially problematic, as it puts me in the mind of how someone would describe a child or diversity hire who is only minimally qualified to do something other than domestic, janitorial, or food service work.
She also notes that unlike the others, she has not bothered to get to know either of these Black employees.
The Black male, of course, is a suspect in the murder and is described as "bitter" over having been targeted by police.
Later on, the narrator/protagonist expresses discomfort with working with the Black male. She tries to gloss over her fear of this Black man by noting that she doesn't "think" her reluctance is because of his being Black and male, but the lack of certainty is as clear as it is problematic.
And just in case you want to write that off as generally harmless, Harris takes care to solidify things when Teagarden waltzes uninvited into this man’s office without knocking and interrogates him about his whereabouts in the wake of another white woman’s murder. That he had already been cleared by a racist police force is of no consequence to Ms. Teagarden, because as a sketchy Black man who makes her uncomfortable, he must be questioned.
Teagarden, through Harris, later points out how the Black real estate agent stuck out at the church like a "chocolate drop on a wedding cake." Why is this necessary to point out?
The other question is, is this the first time Teagarden, through Harris, has taken special care to note the presence of a token Black while assuring white audiences that this person is only a token and "not like us," as Kendrick Lamar would say? The answer is no. In Real murders, she notes that the sole Black member of her true crime book club is, in fact, the sole Black member, going on to imply that his position in the group was tentative, at best.
She also notes in a previous book that while she's been to every church in town, she has avoided the Black churches. Again, this detail is unnecessary unless she intends to assure white readers that she draws the line at visiting nonwhite spaces.
Obviously, many would argue that a woman born and raised in the South would feel a certain way about Black folks, but I have never bought that excuse. Millions of people born and raised in the rural south don't grow up to be garbage people who regard Black folks with suspicion, emphasize their otherness, or note their silence in white spaces as points in their favor.
Why am I harping on this? Well, I am a Black woman trying to enjoy a series that is apparently intent on othering Black folks as a matter of course.
Will I continue? I'm not sure.
What I can say
at this moment is that right now, curiosity about who done it has me tolerating Harriss and Teagarden's intolerance, but just barely.
Let me tell you as a Black woman that the vast majority of us, even in the 90s, did not wear that style, as those were stiles children wore. More importantly, that the author feels the need to go into details about Debbie's hair indicates a need to illustrate (literally and figuratively) that she is the "other" in the room. Why not just describe her as a Black woman and leave it at that.
Also, why describe her as a quiet woman that could type well? It reads like so many racist texts read, as if the racist is struggling to find qualities that justify a Black person's presence in a professional and white dominated space.
Harris's description of this character is especially problematic, as it puts me in the mind of how someone would describe a child or diversity hire who is only minimally qualified to do something other than domestic, janitorial, or food service work.
She also notes that unlike the others, she has not bothered to get to know either of these Black employees.
The Black male, of course, is a suspect in the murder and is described as "bitter" over having been targeted by police.
Later on, the narrator/protagonist expresses discomfort with working with the Black male. She tries to gloss over her fear of this Black man by noting that she doesn't "think" her reluctance is because of his being Black and male, but the lack of certainty is as clear as it is problematic.
And just in case you want to write that off as generally harmless, Harris takes care to solidify things when Teagarden waltzes uninvited into this man’s office without knocking and interrogates him about his whereabouts in the wake of another white woman’s murder. That he had already been cleared by a racist police force is of no consequence to Ms. Teagarden, because as a sketchy Black man who makes her uncomfortable, he must be questioned.
Teagarden, through Harris, later points out how the Black real estate agent stuck out at the church like a "chocolate drop on a wedding cake." Why is this necessary to point out?
The other question is, is this the first time Teagarden, through Harris, has taken special care to note the presence of a token Black while assuring white audiences that this person is only a token and "not like us," as Kendrick Lamar would say? The answer is no. In Real murders, she notes that the sole Black member of her true crime book club is, in fact, the sole Black member, going on to imply that his position in the group was tentative, at best.
She also notes in a previous book that while she's been to every church in town, she has avoided the Black churches. Again, this detail is unnecessary unless she intends to assure white readers that she draws the line at visiting nonwhite spaces.
Obviously, many would argue that a woman born and raised in the South would feel a certain way about Black folks, but I have never bought that excuse. Millions of people born and raised in the rural south don't grow up to be garbage people who regard Black folks with suspicion, emphasize their otherness, or note their silence in white spaces as points in their favor.
Why am I harping on this? Well, I am a Black woman trying to enjoy a series that is apparently intent on othering Black folks as a matter of course.
Will I continue? I'm not sure.
What I can say
at this moment is that right now, curiosity about who done it has me tolerating Harriss and Teagarden's intolerance, but just barely.
November 5, 2018
#3 in the Aurora Teagarden cozy mystery series
I do like the romantic and personal side character in this series as she struggles with being an older single in a world seemingly full of couples. When she meets an older man, she totally falls for him yet tries to deal with the intensity of her feelings. Although I always tend to focus on the romance of a story, the book is really about the mystery surrounding the death of a local real estate agent found displayed in a house for sale. Roe, of course, feels the need to get involved in the investigation despite the obvious danger she places herself in. That's the part I have a problem with in this series--Aurora takes such chances and handles things herself rather than contacting the police. She just goes charging off as soon as an idea enters her head, not thinking things through. You can see that she'll have problems, and it certainly makes for an exciting scene, but it's frustrating all the same. I particularly like Harris's cozies because her plots are simple and straightforward. That may be a negative for some people, but I'm more interested in the people than the mystery, so this style works well for me. I find this series light and easy-to-read and will definitely continue.
I do like the romantic and personal side character in this series as she struggles with being an older single in a world seemingly full of couples. When she meets an older man, she totally falls for him yet tries to deal with the intensity of her feelings. Although I always tend to focus on the romance of a story, the book is really about the mystery surrounding the death of a local real estate agent found displayed in a house for sale. Roe, of course, feels the need to get involved in the investigation despite the obvious danger she places herself in. That's the part I have a problem with in this series--Aurora takes such chances and handles things herself rather than contacting the police. She just goes charging off as soon as an idea enters her head, not thinking things through. You can see that she'll have problems, and it certainly makes for an exciting scene, but it's frustrating all the same. I particularly like Harris's cozies because her plots are simple and straightforward. That may be a negative for some people, but I'm more interested in the people than the mystery, so this style works well for me. I find this series light and easy-to-read and will definitely continue.
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