What do you think?
Rate this book
The Hartfield Mysteries #4
Front Window
Just home from her trip to California where, once again, Alexa Hartfield managed to find herself in suspicious circumstances, Alexa is ready for life to calm down. She has a wedding to attend, a wedding to plan, and an aunt to settle into her quiet Fairbury life.
But when Aunt Faye interrupts a trip out of the country because a neighbor was burglarized, it doesn't bode well for the cozy, homey Christmas she'd planned.
Who is stealing from the residents of Fairbury's retirement village, and how can Faye and her cronies prove it isn't one of them?
Unheeded warnings produce dire consequences when one of the residents turns up dead, and things heat up when Faye's new friend is at the top of the police's investigation!
Front What you see is what he gets.
But when Aunt Faye interrupts a trip out of the country because a neighbor was burglarized, it doesn't bode well for the cozy, homey Christmas she'd planned.
Who is stealing from the residents of Fairbury's retirement village, and how can Faye and her cronies prove it isn't one of them?
Unheeded warnings produce dire consequences when one of the residents turns up dead, and things heat up when Faye's new friend is at the top of the police's investigation!
Front What you see is what he gets.
324 pages, ebook
Published September 29, 2016
43 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
About the author
Chautona Havig
274 books1,840 followers**fingers skittle across the keyboard. Stop. Eyelids blink over the top**
Oh, was this bio day? Oops! I forgot. I was lost in my latest manuscript. Umm... bio. Yeah.
Hi! I’m Chautona Havig. (for those who care, that’s Shuh-TONE-uh HAVE-ig). Yeah. Just work with me here. I should have used a pseudonym, but when you grow up with a name like Chautona, it kind of sticks.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10: 23–25
Those aren’t just words on a page for me–they’re why I write. I write to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. The stories I create are to make people laugh, cry, question, consider.
They’re for you.
When the world screams for hope, I try to point you to the true Source of hope–Jesus.
Sometimes life in the church no longer seems a refuge from the pain of a self-serving world around us, but through my stories, I try to point you to the only Refuge that can truly help–the Father’s Everlasting Arms.
And sometimes we just need an escape from the monotony, the emptiness we see around us. We need joy, laughter–what I like to call “just the write escape.”
Christian fiction without apology or pretense–lived, not preached.
What does that even mean?
It means I care–about you. About your walk with Jesus. I care about the words you put before your eyes, the mental pictures those words conjure. It’s difficult to express just how much I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s difficult to share just how much I love you.
But I do.
And I write for you. I sit in my little house in California’s Mojave Desert and I write to show you why one sister believes one thing, why a brother believes another. I write to show you how some Christians handle trials or triumphs–for you. So when you’re faced with something–good or bad, it doesn’t matter–maybe it’ll spark a memory. Maybe that memory will smolder until you pull out your Bible and see what the Lord said about it–about His great love for you. For YOU!
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll share that love with another hurting, confused, or blessed-with-more-than-she-knows-what-to-do-with soul.
I just happen to think that’s the most blessed giving anyone could hope to receive.
Oh, was this bio day? Oops! I forgot. I was lost in my latest manuscript. Umm... bio. Yeah.
Hi! I’m Chautona Havig. (for those who care, that’s Shuh-TONE-uh HAVE-ig). Yeah. Just work with me here. I should have used a pseudonym, but when you grow up with a name like Chautona, it kind of sticks.
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. ~ Hebrews 10: 23–25
Those aren’t just words on a page for me–they’re why I write. I write to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ. The stories I create are to make people laugh, cry, question, consider.
They’re for you.
When the world screams for hope, I try to point you to the true Source of hope–Jesus.
Sometimes life in the church no longer seems a refuge from the pain of a self-serving world around us, but through my stories, I try to point you to the only Refuge that can truly help–the Father’s Everlasting Arms.
And sometimes we just need an escape from the monotony, the emptiness we see around us. We need joy, laughter–what I like to call “just the write escape.”
Christian fiction without apology or pretense–lived, not preached.
What does that even mean?
It means I care–about you. About your walk with Jesus. I care about the words you put before your eyes, the mental pictures those words conjure. It’s difficult to express just how much I love my brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s difficult to share just how much I love you.
But I do.
And I write for you. I sit in my little house in California’s Mojave Desert and I write to show you why one sister believes one thing, why a brother believes another. I write to show you how some Christians handle trials or triumphs–for you. So when you’re faced with something–good or bad, it doesn’t matter–maybe it’ll spark a memory. Maybe that memory will smolder until you pull out your Bible and see what the Lord said about it–about His great love for you. For YOU!
And maybe, just maybe, you’ll share that love with another hurting, confused, or blessed-with-more-than-she-knows-what-to-do-with soul.
I just happen to think that’s the most blessed giving anyone could hope to receive.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
probably-won-t-read
August 29, 2019As much as I love Miss Havig's writing I was lost in this one. I’m pretty sure if I had the previous three in the series I would have loved it, the characters are amazing and her writing is always perfection.
But until I get those other three., I will have to put this back on the shelf.
But until I get those other three., I will have to put this back on the shelf.
June 22, 2020
Well I read this whole series through. I loved it. This last book was just so much fun and appealed to me I would love to be Faye. Sleuthing, fun and love all rolled into one. Sorry that the series has ended and would like to know what happens next. Maybe there’s more to come?
September 25, 2016
For a murder mystery, Front Window is very light and a lot of fun to read. I had a hard time putting it down, and ended up laughing out loud in the bathroom a few times as I snatched a couple more minutes to enjoy the story. Aunt Faye can be quite funny, and the scene where Alexa is trying to find Joe's Christmas present is absolutely hilarious. I have enjoyed this whole series, and Front Window is one of the best in it. I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 7, 2017
Loved this book. So, so good. Can't wait for the next one in the series!
July 8, 2019
What do you get if you mix Miss Marple, Mrs. Pollifax, and several classic movies together, adding a dash of O. Henry? You get Front Window, the fourth book in the Alexa Hartfield series.
What if two marriage-averse thirty-somethings find themselves as newlyweds? What if the bride’s sixtyish aunt moves prematurely into a retirement home, turns detective, and steals the whole show?
You find that “old folks” come alive as real people – and I do mean the characters who are well over sixty – while providing heart-tugging moments of joy and sorrow – no saccharine added. You find it’s a book that delights most because of its relationships, while keeping you guessing – and guessing – and guessing about who really “done it,” after all.
The only “complaint” I have – and it’s a mild one – is that the inevitable (and sensitively drawn) references to violence, the ones that are inherent to a suspenseful novel, hurt more because I feel so at home in the world Chautona’s created. Without dragging you through gory scenes, she manages to help you stay tender-hearted to the true cost of crime.
Let me close with this programming note: Alexa and then Alexa + Joe are addictive enough that I jumped at the chance for a review copy of this book. That means a) I was given a free copy of this book and b) the opinions are mine.
What if two marriage-averse thirty-somethings find themselves as newlyweds? What if the bride’s sixtyish aunt moves prematurely into a retirement home, turns detective, and steals the whole show?
You find that “old folks” come alive as real people – and I do mean the characters who are well over sixty – while providing heart-tugging moments of joy and sorrow – no saccharine added. You find it’s a book that delights most because of its relationships, while keeping you guessing – and guessing – and guessing about who really “done it,” after all.
The only “complaint” I have – and it’s a mild one – is that the inevitable (and sensitively drawn) references to violence, the ones that are inherent to a suspenseful novel, hurt more because I feel so at home in the world Chautona’s created. Without dragging you through gory scenes, she manages to help you stay tender-hearted to the true cost of crime.
Let me close with this programming note: Alexa and then Alexa + Joe are addictive enough that I jumped at the chance for a review copy of this book. That means a) I was given a free copy of this book and b) the opinions are mine.
October 10, 2022
This book was so much fun! I really loved this entire series. Alexa Hartfield is probably one of my favorite fictional characters, and I love Joe a lot too. Aunt Faye is a character! Gotta love her. XD
I did find the writing in parts of this book a bit confusing and hard to follow, but I got through it fine. I'm so sad this series is over... So good!
I did find the writing in parts of this book a bit confusing and hard to follow, but I got through it fine. I'm so sad this series is over... So good!
April 12, 2019
What a character
What a character YOU will find in Aunt Faye! It is easy to see where Alexa inherited her spunk from! This is another great whudunit with a little romance thrown in!
What a character YOU will find in Aunt Faye! It is easy to see where Alexa inherited her spunk from! This is another great whudunit with a little romance thrown in!
June 2, 2023
I loved the addition of Aunt Faye as a character and the crimes at her retirement village.
June 4, 2024
great
Great story. Definitely keeps your attention and a page turner. Delightful characters. Great series and love Alexa and Joe. Read!
Great story. Definitely keeps your attention and a page turner. Delightful characters. Great series and love Alexa and Joe. Read!
July 26, 2025
this is a wonderful suspense story. aunt faye is trying to find out who is stealing items at the center she lives in. if you like suspense and clean stories you will like the book
October 6, 2016
I love this book. Alexa and Joe are some of my favorite characters. Now I can add Aunt Faye into the batch. This is a great book to read that has almost everything – love, crime and a mystery that must be solved no matter what. Aunt Faye will go out of her way to make sure there are no mysteries left to be solved in Fairbury!
You will not be disappointed by this book. It’s meant for young and young at heart. What can go wrong when things start to disappear from a retirement community?
You will not be disappointed by this book. It’s meant for young and young at heart. What can go wrong when things start to disappear from a retirement community?
October 2, 2016
[ I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I am also a member of her "street team". However, in no way did this influence my review]
"What else is murder but the theft of a life?"
In this, the fourth book in the Alexa Hartfield series, we open on Alexa and Joe planning their wedding. They are going to be living in Alexa's bungalow since she gave Wes and his new blended family her lake house as a wedding gift. And we hear, through thoughts and prayers, the struggles both newly married sibling has. And, we also sense the struggle they are having with Aunt Faye now living in the local step up community that she chose to move to when Alexa invited her to move to the Fairbury area.
As Aunt Faye (who, btw, is younger than this reviewer if I add correctly) settles into her new community, Officer Joe settles into his new role as well. He is no longer a visitor to Alexa's house, it is THEIR house now. As a confirmed bachelor, this adjustment isn't an easy one. He tries to respect Alexia's eccentricities around her writing, as well as how celebrity effects him. Aunt Faye on the other hand revels in her niece's status and plays it a little more than she should as there are at first, thefts in the community that the police chalk up to dementia, but are more than that when someone is found dead.
With or without Alexa's help, Faye's going to solve this one! In scenes that remind one of Hitchcock's Rear Window, Faye, Alexa, Charles and Joe eventually focus in and figure out the mystery, leaving a few strings around to pick up another day.
I gave this book 4 1/2 stars because in spots it's rather choppy. It's hard to see Alexa in a different role than she has always had: the "spinster Jane Austen wanna be". It sets up some quirky situations that the reader needs to adjust to. In that way, I'm pleased at the "rough edges" that provoke all the characters we have grown to love, but it has got to have been a stretch that would challenge any writer.
"What else is murder but the theft of a life?"
In this, the fourth book in the Alexa Hartfield series, we open on Alexa and Joe planning their wedding. They are going to be living in Alexa's bungalow since she gave Wes and his new blended family her lake house as a wedding gift. And we hear, through thoughts and prayers, the struggles both newly married sibling has. And, we also sense the struggle they are having with Aunt Faye now living in the local step up community that she chose to move to when Alexa invited her to move to the Fairbury area.
As Aunt Faye (who, btw, is younger than this reviewer if I add correctly) settles into her new community, Officer Joe settles into his new role as well. He is no longer a visitor to Alexa's house, it is THEIR house now. As a confirmed bachelor, this adjustment isn't an easy one. He tries to respect Alexia's eccentricities around her writing, as well as how celebrity effects him. Aunt Faye on the other hand revels in her niece's status and plays it a little more than she should as there are at first, thefts in the community that the police chalk up to dementia, but are more than that when someone is found dead.
With or without Alexa's help, Faye's going to solve this one! In scenes that remind one of Hitchcock's Rear Window, Faye, Alexa, Charles and Joe eventually focus in and figure out the mystery, leaving a few strings around to pick up another day.
I gave this book 4 1/2 stars because in spots it's rather choppy. It's hard to see Alexa in a different role than she has always had: the "spinster Jane Austen wanna be". It sets up some quirky situations that the reader needs to adjust to. In that way, I'm pleased at the "rough edges" that provoke all the characters we have grown to love, but it has got to have been a stretch that would challenge any writer.
June 9, 2020
I really loved this mystery and all the complexity involved. There were enough plausible false leads to keep me guessing a long time, and enough off-the-wall humor to keep me cracking up throughout. The characters were so appealing and interesting and I enjoyed getting to know them all.
September 13, 2016
Has there ever been a book by Ms. Havig that I haven’t loved? Probably not, but I still have some yet to read. Ha-ha. I think Aunt Faye is one of the most fun characters in all of the Hartfield Mysteries. The humor she brings to the story may resonate with me because I am an older citizen as well. (Even a little older than A. Faye.) I totally “get” her. Again the story is filled with spiritual insights and application of Biblical principles to real life. These characters are believable, lovable, and the villains are pitiable even as you hate what they have done. It makes you feel sad for people who get themselves so mixed up when they don’t know the Lord personally. I love the way Ms. Havig makes the reader feel sympathy for them without condoning what they’ve done.
And, oh my, the romance continues. The end of the book leaves it all open to continuing the saga of Joe and Alexa. I can’t wait to see another Hartfield book and hopefully very soon.
I was privileged to be an advance reader and receive a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Worth every minute of my time!
And, oh my, the romance continues. The end of the book leaves it all open to continuing the saga of Joe and Alexa. I can’t wait to see another Hartfield book and hopefully very soon.
I was privileged to be an advance reader and receive a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Worth every minute of my time!
March 7, 2021
Enjoyed this series so much...even though I read it backwards. 😐
September 29, 2016
“Front Window,” by author Chautona Havig is the fourth book in the Hartfield Mystery series. My favorite part of the book was watching the main character, Alexa, adjust to a big change in her life, even though her Aunt Faye tried to steal the show. Though I love Aunt Faye as a character, Alexa is still my favorite. I binge read the entire series so I could read this one when it came out. I have to say, this is my least favorite book of the four, but it is too important to the series to skip. It bothered me how Joe was treated toward the end of the book. There was a specific incident, but it kind of gives away the ending, so I won’t mention what it was. The murder mystery aspect of the book is interesting, and will keep you guessing until the end. If you are looking for common themes to “Rear Window,” and I was, you won’t be disappointed. I also loved the interaction between Wes and Heather, they get cuter as a couple in each new book. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
September 29, 2016
"Front Window" by Chautona Havig
I fell in love with the Alexa Heart field series all over again with "Front Window."
A twist and turning novel where Alexa is trying to enjoy her honeymoon and life as a wife and her Aunt Faye has set out to solve a mystery taking place at the retirement home where she lives. It starts with burglary and moves on from there.
Chautona Havig has written a truly enjoyable and bemusing novel. The reader will fall in love with Aunt Faye and her strong willed personality. They will get hooked on the mystery as it un....
The author has created characters and a plot line that are interesting and relatable. She had brought out the true mannerisms in her characters and let's them tell the story as it takes place. They will get hooked on the mystery as it unfolds. And will fall in love with this series all over again.
I highly recommend this novel for all readers ages 16+.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I fell in love with the Alexa Heart field series all over again with "Front Window."
A twist and turning novel where Alexa is trying to enjoy her honeymoon and life as a wife and her Aunt Faye has set out to solve a mystery taking place at the retirement home where she lives. It starts with burglary and moves on from there.
Chautona Havig has written a truly enjoyable and bemusing novel. The reader will fall in love with Aunt Faye and her strong willed personality. They will get hooked on the mystery as it un....
The author has created characters and a plot line that are interesting and relatable. She had brought out the true mannerisms in her characters and let's them tell the story as it takes place. They will get hooked on the mystery as it unfolds. And will fall in love with this series all over again.
I highly recommend this novel for all readers ages 16+.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
September 29, 2016
The Front Window, Book 4 of The Hartfield Mysteries is such a great read! I loved Aunt Faye Hartfield and her propensity for sleuthing around to solve the mysteries occurring in the retirement home. Things are disappearing, but when murder occurs, it’s a different ballgame. Charles is always showing up and more often than not the “Brothers Bore” and the “Twitish Trio” try to lend a helping hand.
Alexa and Joe have their wedding and are trying to have a relaxing honeymoon, but… Lots of hilarious moments in this book, one of Ms. Chautona Havig’s best books yet! The characters are well written and I can’t wait to read more about Aunt Faye and the residents of the retirement home, so I am hoping there will be a spin-off series just for Aunt Faye and her cohorts. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this book.
Alexa and Joe have their wedding and are trying to have a relaxing honeymoon, but… Lots of hilarious moments in this book, one of Ms. Chautona Havig’s best books yet! The characters are well written and I can’t wait to read more about Aunt Faye and the residents of the retirement home, so I am hoping there will be a spin-off series just for Aunt Faye and her cohorts. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. I highly recommend this book.
September 27, 2016
Delightful! Absolutely delightful! This is a series I enjoyed the first time through and then liked even better the second time as I re-read it to get ready for this latest installment. I adore Joe and Alexa (for the most part) and I love their relationship arc, but adding Alexa's Aunt Faye to the mix made everything even better. Aunt Faye is lovely, and she absolutely steals the show in this book. I especially enjoyed the way this book reads more like a cozy mystery than the others. I can't wait for the next book, and I sincerely hope that it maintains this book's perfect balance of Aunt Faye and Alexa as amateur crime-solvers!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.
September 30, 2016
After a series of adventures, things are going along pretty well at the start of Front Window. Alexa’s relationship with Joe Freidan is ready for a happy-ever-after conclusion and her favorite, slightly eccentric aunt Faye is moving to Fairbury. All of them are looking forward to a happy season when strange things start happening at the retirement village. Aunt Faye is the real star of this book, and she’s a worthy addition to the series! Front Window is an entertaining book with all the best qualities of the series. You’ll love it.
October 1, 2016
Chautona Havig has done it again with this fourth installment of the Alexa Hartfield mysteries. Alexa and Joe are married and enjoying marriage. Aunt Faye, Alexa's aunt has moved to Fairfield and quickly steals the stage. Mystery, mayhem and murder follow Alexa and her family as always. This definitely a book worth reading.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews