Mariner's Compass

Rating:
Summary: Mystery without murder
Review: Fowler's Benni Harper series seeks a new way around the usual formula of, There's a murder, Bennie wants to solve it, fights with her police chief husband for 300 pages about whether she, as an ex-rancher and director of an artist coop, should even be doing this. The change of approach worked in Mariner's Compass, except that it put the emphasis on Benni, who is the weakest link in this chain of light mystery reading. Fowler writes well, the quilt-premis is interesting, but her supporting characters are what make the series go for me. Benni's contribution to the plots of her own series is to provide naive, adolescent, sometimes downright stupid action, so I kinda wished somebody had been bumped off after all.

Rating:
Summary: They just get better and better
Review: How could someone you don't even know leave you all their worldly possessions? Well, Benni Harper needed to find this out and it was a great adventure to follow. I have read all of this series to date - have just ordered Seven Sisters - and am loving each one. Earlene Fowler's writing is refreshing and absorbing and her characters are so likeable and interesting. I would have any or all of them as friends. If you enjoy easy but captivating reading, you must try this series. It is one of the best I have read. Lovers of Mary Higgins Clark, Diane Mott Davidson, Janet Evanovich, etc. will love Earlene Fowler.

Rating:
Summary: A different Benni Harper Mystery, not my favorite
Review: I also read the new Benni Harper mystery quickly, as others commented, and was disappointed with it. I am a big fan and have read the others several times, yet couldn't get into this one in the same way. Maybe it was too spiritual??? Maybe it was too improbable??? In the other books, Benni seemed like someone who might live in the small towns I know. So it was hard for me to believe that Benni knew so little about her mother. I also was disappointed that there were two errors not caught by the author or editor. The major one: Were Benni's parents married on August 2nd or August 21st? On the positive side, I loved and will continue to love the other books. I'd like to know more about Sam, Benni's stepson, and his mother. I'd like to know more about Benni's cousin and his romance. But this book was not for me. I did not want to know that Benni and Gabe were married for 40 years. I like to take things one book at a time. I look forward to Ms. Fowler's next one and will give this one another try the next time I read through the entire series.

Rating:
Summary: Like having lunch with old friends.
Review: I awaited Mariner's Compass to be published with great expectation. You begin to feel comfortable as you read the first page. The dialogue flows and Ms. Fowler's wonderful sense of humor makes you laugh out loud. Her writing is the same as one would think. The characters are real and the friends she writes about are friends I would want to have myself. Benni and Gabe seem to share something special every couple should have. The book surpassed my expectations. Reading about the characters again was like having lunch with old friends.

Rating:
Summary: Worst book I ever read
Review: I bought this book because it was an Edgar Award Winner. How that happened I cannot imagine. It is a trite and cliche riddled. There is very little original thought and almost no character development. There is no serious action except burning down the garage (big deal). And the end was predictable. But there was something vaguely familiar about it and this may be an opportunity for Earlene Fowler. She should write for network television.

Rating:
Summary: It made me cry!!
Review: I can't say that this is my favorite of the Benni Harper series; that would mean trying to figure out which one I like least (I love them all equally). Although, I can truly say that this is the first one to make me cry. Who can't relate to Benni's feelings? All it takes is one event to turn her life around so completely. Earlene Fowler took that event and made it so real that a few tears dropped from my eyes as I shared in Benni's anguish. Although, I have thoroughly enjoyed the last five murder mysteries, it was good not to be entangled in a mess of bodies and suspects. Instead we had a story full of character development, feelings and emotions. Next May cannot come too soon....

Rating:
Summary: My favorite of all her books.
Review: I eagerly anticipate each new Earlene Fowler book, and with Mariner's Compass I was not disapointed. I loved the uniqueneess of this one. The way Ms. Fowler developed each character for the "clues" were wonderful. Her rich and detailed descriptions of places and things are believeable. The plot twists and turns keep you glued to the book, a real page turner. I read it in less than a day. Please Ms. Fowler, write another ASAP!

Rating:
Summary: Earlene Fowler has me hooked as a fan.
Review: I finished Mariner's Compass during quilt week in Paducah, Kentucky. That was my first trip to Paducah. I was on "quilt overload" for five days. The one thing that I'll cherish most is that I was fortunate to meet Earlene Fowler. Reading about Benni Harper has brought true joy to reading. Earlene writes in a way that makes you feel that you are part of the essense of Benni Harper. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Each entry gets me more deeply involved.
Review: I found my first Earlene Fowler by accident in an airport bookstore, it was her second book. I then bought her first book and have bought every one since and intend to continue. Her characters develop and grow in each book and the stories continue to hold my interest. I have a crush on Gabe Ortiz. I am an avid reader and because there are too many books and too little time I rarely re-read but I have read each of her books more than once and I am enthralled and enveloped in the lives of people I've come to care about each time. This book in no exception and the end has a twist I didn't see coming although I almost always guess ahead what is going on. I was too caught up in her family drama to even consider the right answer. A great read.

Rating:
Summary: It was light, entertaining, entrancing and fun.
Review: I have enjoyed all of Ms. Fowler's Benni Harper mysteries, but I really enjoyed this last one. It took a different approach than the previous books, but still had all of the fun and excitement of the previous plots. The characters are interesting, the language is clean, there is no blood and gore descriptives, there is romance without explicit detail. It is just a light mystery that is entertaining to read. So refreshing in the choices of mystery novels of today. I hope she continues to write Benni Harper books, I look forward to what happens with her next.