Benni Harper (Fools's Puzzle) - Earlene Fowler

[jaxnsmom]

March

Fool's Puzzle

This thread is for discussing all books in the Benni Harper series. If you're talking about a specific book, please include the cover and it's number in the series.

For a list of books in the series:

http://www.goodreads.com/series/51428...

[Nell]

Picking up this series where I left off with Kansas Troubles, it's 4th.

[❂ Murder by Death]

Oh, I remember liking Kansas Troubles quite a bit. :)

[Melodie]

Nell wrote: "Picking up this series where I left off with Kansas Troubles, it's 4th.
"

I really liked this one, too, but my favorite is still . However, there are several in the series that come close to that one!

[ChrisGA]

I just reread this one. I have read most of the series through Delectable Mountain, but had forgotten, of course, a lot of the details about how Gabe and Benni met and her early widowhood. Elvira and Dove don't seem to have changed much through any of the books. I like this series and have TUMBLIING BLOCKS and STATE FAIR on my TBR list.

[Melodie]

ChrisGA wrote: "I just reread this one. I have read most of the series through Delectable Mountain, but had forgotten, of course, a lot of the details about how Gabe and Benni met and her early widowhood. Elvira ..."

STATE FAIR is probably my least favorite of the series. I really liked the most recent one, SPIDER WEB.

[Randa]

Wow, by everyone's comments, it seems like this series is a real winner. I will definitely have to read the next book. To tell the truth I was planning on it anyway. I rather enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more about Bennie and Gabe. It's definitely the characters that is the impetus for me to read additional books as I wasn't overly fond of the mystery (seems to be a pattern with me).

I'm beginning to think I read cozies because of characters and relationships and not the mysteries which I find I've been calling lame, mundane, etc. Who knew!?!

[☯Emily]

This is one series that gets darker as it continues. The relationships are very important in this series. Now that you mention it, I can't recall much of the mysteries, but I have vivid memories of the characters. I will rereading book 1 this month just to remember how it all began.

[Melodie]

The charcters are definitely the driving force behind this series. Mysteries are WAY secondary. I do so love Dove. Reading about her is like a visit with my Mamaw who passed away several years ago.

[Deb]

I have only read the first book of the series, Fools Puzzle. I enjoyed it. I especially like Bennie smart mouth. Probably because my mouth gets me in trouble too.

[Julie]

I just finished Fool's Puzzle this week. This was a slow but more natural paced story. I feel like the author gave me a good beginning for the series. As to the mystery itself, I enjoyed it. It kinda fell into the "it was good, but not great" category. I'm not sure how well I like Benni yet, but have a feeling that the rest of the series will add more to her character. I did like the new relationship with Gabe. The rest of the town, including relatives, felt more real than some authors present. They seemed to have more real emotions and conversations. No one seemed like they were "out to get" anyone. I will definitely try the next in the series at some point.

[Heidi]

I just finished Fool's Puzzle last night and I also thought it was good, not great. I didn't like how belligerent Benni was toward Gabe... telling the Chief of Police to get lost!?!

[G]

For some reason it felt like a change of pace cozy for me. Maybe because the writing was good, even if the plot wasn't great. And you had to know one of the characters had a twist as soon as you met him. The drinking (don't know how to do spoiler alert, so I won't say more)

[Christina]

I felt that it took sometime to get this story really going. I almost stopped reading it but I am real glad I didn't!!! I didn't really care for Benni's attitude towards Ortiz. I plan on reading more in the series since they are getting together, just to see how it turns out.

[Connie N.]

I also liked this cozy, more than some I've read lately. Benni was more down-to-earth and appealing, although what's with these women who go ahead and track down killers on their own? I mean, who does that? Would I have gone off without telling anything to the police in order to follow up on a lead--I don't think so. I really like Gabe but also found it irritating that she continued to be so rude to him. I will definitely read more of this series.

[jaxnsmom]

G wrote: "For some reason it felt like a change of pace cozy for me. Maybe because the writing was good, even if the plot wasn't great. And you had to know one of the characters had a twist as soon as you me..."

For spoiler alerts:

< spoiler>your text< /spoiler>
but without the space I put between "<" and "spoiler", and "<" and "/spoiler". Hope this makes sense. The "some html is ok" right above the comment box has info on bold, underlining, and other effects.

[G]

jaxnsmom wrote: "G wrote: "For some reason it felt like a change of pace cozy for me. Maybe because the writing was good, even if the plot wasn't great. And you had to know one of the characters had a twist as soon..."

Thanks. I'll give it a try next time.

[jaxnsmom]

I read this years ago and have kept up with the series. It's definitely more character driven, which is fine with me since I've enjoyed getting to know their personalities.

[Cathryn]

I love this series, I don't remember the first one that well I read it so long ago but I love the setting. I went to high school 15 miles from "San Celina" and spent a lot of time there so I love all the local details she uses. I absolutely love Bennie and her family and nearly all of the recurring characters. (view spoiler)[ I however hate Gabe and have from the first book, I kept hoping he would die but now suspect that will not happen, which sadly takes away from the series for me. (hide spoiler)]

[Melodie]

Cathryn wrote: "I love this series, I don't remember the first one that well I read it so long ago but I love the setting. I went to high school 15 miles from "San Celina" and spent a lot of time there so I love ..."

I love Gabe! He's "damaged goods", but that makes him appealing to me.

[G]

I thought that one thing was a giveaway (view spoiler)[ and that was Carl's drinking. Kind of led you right to him along with the hatred for his father (hide spoiler)]. This is the first I've read in the series, so I had no expectations. I was pleasantly surprised, and thanks jaxnsmom for the spoiler tip!

[[deleted user]]

I tried this but couldn't get through the first chapter. So I deleted it from my Kindle and returned to Amazon for a refund. I'm finding more and more that today's cozies aren't for me.

[Barb, Co-Moderator Challenge Expert]

I wouldn't call this one of "today's cozies," since it was published almost 20 years ago! There are a lot of new cozy series that I just can't get into, but there are a lot of older ones that I don't enjoy too.

[Melodie]

Elizabeth wrote: "I tried this but couldn't get through the first chapter. So I deleted it from my Kindle and returned to Amazon for a refund. I'm finding more and more that today's cozies aren't for me."

This is definitely an older cozy, but everyone has different tastes. That's what makes a conversation.

[Connie N.]

Elizabeth wrote: I tried this but couldn't get through the first chapter.

Elizabeth, I'm just wondering...what did you find so objectionable about this book that you didn't want to continue?

[Michelle]

Just finished reading . The book started slow, but held my interest and I eventually became engaged in the story. I have actually requested books two and three from the library.

[Kaye]

I just finished

[Elizabeth]

love, love, love this series - I love how with each book the relationship between Gabe and Benni sharpens and you learn more about various characters. I love Elvia and Elliot and their love story. I love Dove and Isaac and their love story. It really is a great series. As long as she continues to write these, I think I will continue to love them. I just finished State Fair and Cardinal Valley.

[jaxnsmom]

Elizabeth, have you tried any of her other books? They're quite good too.

[AngryGreyCat]

I really was so surprised that i liked this book! I will read more in the series. I have seen these books before but the western theme always turned me off. I like how the characters seem some how more contemporary. I liked the dynamic between the police chief and Benni. I am really happy to have been introduced to this series because I would not have picked it up on my own.

[AngryGreyCat]

Barb wrote: "I wouldn't call this one of "today's cozies," since it was published almost 20 years ago! There are a lot of new cozy series that I just can't get into, but there are a lot of older ones that I don..."

I can really see how without knowing the copyright date someone would assume this was a very current book. I can't explain it exactly, but it had a very contemporary feel to it. It actually was one of the reasons why I liked it so much, many cozies can be dated and this was a nice change.

[Sofia]

I am way behind, but I just finished this book - I haven't read a cozy in several months and I always have to remind myself that they move at a different pace than other books lol. Generally liked the book, although I found Benni's uncooperativeness and bad attitude misplaced. I also know that the author was trying to make Ortiz a dislike-able character but I didn't think he was at all. I found it a little stalker-ish that he kept showing up everywhere Benni was, even spending the night at her house to "protect" her lol It was a very cute book and I'd consider reading another one in the series but only if it comes up in this group ...