Hunting The Witch

Rating:
Summary: More Complex and Satisfying than any other Lawless mystery!
Review: I've been a fan of Hart's books since the first one appeared many years ago. Her development as a writer has been amazing, and this is the best book yet. I will say, I was surprised by the ending, but I feel as if Jane has become such a friend that I understand why she did what she did. I couldn't put the book down, though I had to or get fired at my job. And then I had to fight with my husband to get the book back. We both love this series, as well as the other one Hart writes. I just wish she could write them faster. It's hard to think I have to wait another year to revisit Hart's world. These books aren't just for the gay community (although our son who is gay turned us on to them) but for everyone who loves a good mystery. Well done, Ellen!

Rating:
Summary: a success on every level --
Review: The books of Ellen Hart, especially those featuring restaurateur Jane Lawless, as does this one, are like a rich, multi-layered torte. Each layer has its own variety of satisfaction embedded in it. This does not mean that I think all her books are alike. Oh, no! Nothing could be further from the truth. Well, there is one common thread in all of them: gays and lesbians are treated like ordinary, normal people. Which, of course, they are. We get to know them, and love them and laugh with them, in all their human foibles, even as we learn more about ourselves in the process, and discover the ultimate secret: how much alike we all are. In the previous book, Jane was severely injured, and needs a lengthy recuperation period to regain her strength and stability. A former lover, Dr. Julia Martinson, wants back in Jane's life, and suggests a stay at her secluded cabin--a non-rustic year-around home, north of the Twin Cities. In spite of some little niggles of her own, and bigger ones from Cordelia (Jane's long-time best friend), Jane agrees to the rest period. At the same time, an enterprising young woman, Patricia Kastner, has launched a campaign to turn an old downtown hotel into a Senior Living complex. With the help of a group of local philanthropists, she is on the verge of locking up the financing when one of the group is found dead in the empty hotel, after a meeting with the architect. Patricia, who is hoping to bring Jane into the project to supervise the food service, is also interested in becoming more than just a friend to Jane, and asks her to please investigate the death. Very much a novel of today's world, mirroring the headlines in tomorrow's paper, Ms. Hart manages to blend her characters, her settings and her plot into a very believable, totally enthralling novel. This short review cannot begin to do justice to such a multi-textured book. Read it for yourself, and enjoy. You won't soon forget this one.

Rating:
Summary: could Jane be any more depressing?
Review: This and the last book written by Ellen Hart have become progressively more depressing and irritating. I don't know whether Ms. Hart is suffering in her own personal life, but it is clouding her mysteries. What was once a well written series with entertaining characters has become a dark and gloomy series with characters you wish would just shut up and quit feeling sorry for themselves. Just be prepared not to enjoy this book if you've been a fan of her earlier works.