****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I have now finished this book and enjoyed it as I always enjoy her books. She does seem to be drifting more and more to their being more family stuff than mystery but maybe that is why people love these books so much. There is just a charm and comfort in her story telling that is lovely. She may have overdone it this time. I have all the Benni Harper books and for anyone who is thinking of buying one for the first time I would suggest that you order all of them and read them from #1 all through the series. You will enjoy this one much more if you have read the others first. I do agree with another reviewer that it dwells far too long on her father's love life and her grandmother and aunt's attempt to control it. The ego-centricities (I made up that word)of Dove have been rather annoying in the past but now she has a cohort in her sister and there really is too much time spent on that. Benni's character is taking on the smallest amount of smugness with her life that is also a little annoying. For someone in charge of the Center/Museum, etc., she doesn't seem to spend much time there. The resolving of the mystery was too abrupt with no real explanation of why this person began shooting people. I think that should have been explored more. And, the wrapping up of her husband's horrendous problems in just a few paragraphs didn't ring true. In the past, the behavior of her husband, Gabe, has seemed to push him over into the category of "full of himself" and "maybe not worth the trouble" to me but there is also a sweetness in her love for him. He has always seemed to me to value her more for the love she has for him than for her lovable qualities. I love the character of Hud and think she should have had a fling with him a long time ago. I'd like more of him in the books. Sam is a charmer but not much about him here. It's a good book but not her best by any means.
