Rating: 
Summary: Here Comes the Bride -- Who's Next to Die...
Review: I have always enjoyed the Jane Jeffry books by Jill Churchill, they are well-plotted overall and very entertaining -- but "A Groom with a View" definitely ranks as one of her best. When poor Jane gets roped into putting together a wedding with nearly zero assistance from the bride or her family, then stumbles on a dead body in the dark to further complicate what already leans toward disaster -- well, it seems almost too much for the frazzled housewife/mother/sometimes novelist, even with the help of gal-pal Shelley. But what makes this book amazing is Jill Churchill's incredible sense of place; through minimal description of setting and even character, you feel like you are right there with these people, in this gloomy old wreck of a club where the wedding is being held. Add to that a nicely-plotted mystery ingenious in its simplicity, almost to the point where you are sympathetic for the killer, and you have one of the best of the series. I always look forward to the next Jane Jeffry mystery (come on, "Mulch Ado About Nothing"!!), but this one was one of the most entertaining whodunnits this mystery lover has ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Easy Read
Review: I have always enjoyed the Jane Jeffry books by Jill Churchill, they are well-plotted overall and very entertaining -- but "A Groom with a View" definitely ranks as one of her best. When poor Jane gets roped into putting together a wedding with nearly zero assistance from the bride or her family, then stumbles on a dead body in the dark to further complicate what already leans toward disaster -- well, it seems almost too much for the frazzled housewife/mother/sometimes novelist, even with the help of gal-pal Shelley. But what makes this book amazing is Jill Churchill's incredible sense of place; through minimal description of setting and even character, you feel like you are right there with these people, in this gloomy old wreck of a club where the wedding is being held. Add to that a nicely-plotted mystery ingenious in its simplicity, almost to the point where you are sympathetic for the killer, and you have one of the best of the series. I always look forward to the next Jane Jeffry mystery (come on, "Mulch Ado About Nothing"!!), but this one was one of the most entertaining whodunnits this mystery lover has ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Here Comes the Bride -- Who's Next to Die...
Review: I have always enjoyed the Jane Jeffry books by Jill Churchill, they are well-plotted overall and very entertaining -- but "A Groom with a View" definitely ranks as one of her best. When poor Jane gets roped into putting together a wedding with nearly zero assistance from the bride or her family, then stumbles on a dead body in the dark to further complicate what already leans toward disaster -- well, it seems almost too much for the frazzled housewife/mother/sometimes novelist, even with the help of gal-pal Shelley. But what makes this book amazing is Jill Churchill's incredible sense of place; through minimal description of setting and even character, you feel like you are right there with these people, in this gloomy old wreck of a club where the wedding is being held. Add to that a nicely-plotted mystery ingenious in its simplicity, almost to the point where you are sympathetic for the killer, and you have one of the best of the series. I always look forward to the next Jane Jeffry mystery (come on, "Mulch Ado About Nothing"!!), but this one was one of the most entertaining whodunnits this mystery lover has ever read.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant, Easy Read
Review: I have bought and read all of Jane Churchill's Jane Jeffry novels in paperback. They're an enjoyable, quick read. Her style is competent but basic. There's a dash of humor, a lot of comfortable, neighborly dialogue generally unrelated to the plot, and characters that are interesting but not captivating. My major emphasis in professionally published books is on style. The printed word is the last bastion of our rich language, and therefore correctness should be a strong consideration. Heaven knows I'm far from being a grammarian (but I'm struggling to learn after a less-than-perfect education), and there are a couple things that bother me about her books. Yeah, a "couple things." You'd think after umpteen books, someone might have mentioned to her that it's a "couple *of* things." I find this consistent, persistent error distracting and annoying. In dialogue, a "couple'a things" is acceptable to indicate a character's manner of speech, but in narrative, it's a no-no. Unless the rules of grammar have changed since I was a child, you can have a "few things" or a "couple of things," but not a "couple things." Finally, the books should be read in order, and I think the earlier ones are better. The first books in the series have more of a mystery plot, with clues presented for readers, and a generally clever solution. Later books don't provide all the clues, so when Jane figures out whodunnit, the reader hasn't been privvy to the information prior to the solution.
Rating: 
Summary: The worst book I've read in my life.
Review: I have read many bad books, but this is the first of Jane Jeffry's that's been put into my hands. And it is a great example of writing so poor and predictable that each paragraph is a cringer. The main character is an adult version of the smart-aleck child and her friends are of her type. They spend their time sniping at the cartoons who pose as secondary charcters or bitng back some smart-aleck remark that the reader has to read. There's also plenty of warm-hearted gush such as women weaned on women's magazines like. Most silly of all is that the main character runs into person after person who want nothing more that to discuss in detail with strangers everything that they know about everyone involved. Her readers must be semi-literates, overworked to the point at which they don't want anything but pablum. Jane Jeffry - criminal tree murderer.
Rating: 
Summary: A fun series
Review: I love the Jane Jeffry series. Each book has been exciting. This one was also fun and will make me see weddings in a whole new light for some time to come. The books keep getting better and better.
Rating:
Summary: Nice Easy Read
Review: I'm a big fan of Ms. Churchill and the Jane Jeffry series, and while I enjoyed this book, I definitely didn't feel it was one of her best. I think what threw it off for me was the whole premise of Jane being asked by a total stranger to plan their wedding, and her agreeing to it. It would've made more sense to me if Shelley had been the one planning the wedding, since she's always been presented as the "take-charge" part of the team in all the previous books, and Jane had gone along to assist her. The whole thing being set up as it was just seemed odd to me, and not at all in character for the Jane and Shelley I've come to know through reading this series. All in all, I still recommend this series highly. This latest installment wasn't bad...it just wasn't up to the par I'm used to with Ms. Churchill.
Rating:
Summary: Weddings Can Be Murder
Review: I've been following the Jane Jeffrey series and I think they keep getting better. I enjoyed this book and felt it's one of the most entertaining. Jane and Shelly help a neighbor with her wedding primarily so Jane can get a new car. It is being held in an old monestary turned hunting lodge in the country that might harbor buried treasure. When the wedding guests and helpers show up things really get interesting as they are an eclectic bunch. That night, after a storm, the lights go out and the story takes a spooky turn. This is a great book for cozy lovers and mystery readers looking for light-hearted fun. My only quibble with the book is the motive of the murderer but it didn't stop my enjoyment of the story.
Rating:
Summary: Jane Jeffry continues to be a fresh amateur sleuth
Review: In Chicago, after attending a successful party thrown by Jane Jeffry, Livvy Thatcher decides to hire her hostess to run her own wedding party. Though not a professional party thrower, Jane agrees to arrange the April nuptials at Livvy's family hunting lodge. Livvy enlists the help of her friend and neighbor Shelly Nowack. Livvy and Shelly arrive early at the hunting lodge to make sure everything runs smoothly. They quickly meet the caretaker, a lazy, brooding Uncle Joe, who offers little help and seems to always vanish when they need him. They soon hear rumors of a hidden treasure and that a country club will be built on the site of the lodge. However, neither Livvy and Shelly could anticipate the problems that night starting with a storm that shuts down the electricity. That morning, the florist finds the body of the seamstress lying dead on the floor. Initially the elderly individual appeared to have slipped down the stair case to her death. However, the police find evidence that someone pushed the victim. Worried about the wedding, Jane and Shelly begin their own not so discreet inquiries. Both of the ladies are in for a surprise when another murder follows. The long running Jane Jeffry amateur sleuth series remains very fresh with its eleventh tale that highlights the lead protagonist and her best friend. Jane, Shelly, and Mel (Jane's boy friend) retain a midwest charm that augments an entertaining story line, which borrows elements from a modern gothic. The secondary characters are fun to follow, especially the wedding party. Jill Churchill continues to make the Jeffry novels some of the best tales the sub-genre has to offer. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A Groom with a View
Review: Interesting plot with a surprise ending. Churchill has done it again!
|
