Caught in the Middle

Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air
Review: I am sick and tired of reading sappy Christian novels that revolve around a perfect heroine-beautiful, perfect, damsel in distress type. That is why I love Gayle Roper's Caught in the Middle series-her heroine is none of those things!

Merry Kramer is the kind of person you would meet in the check out line in the grocery store who got in the Express lane with 1 item too many. She's like a real person-nothing phony about her. She's hilarious! I fall off the couch laughing every time I read this book! She doesn't do stupid things like other heroines do (you know, like running into the dark, abandoned building at night while being chased). She's sensible, and a little bit ditzy, just like normal people!

The mystery here is truly a good one-and I read mysteries all the time. I can usually figure out what's going to happen, but this book kept me guessing until the answer was revealed. Curt, the love interest in the story, isn't the knight in shining armor that fixes everything-true, he helps her out a couple of times, but she is not at all a subservient type of lady! She tells him off several times, which results in very entertaining reading!

Bottom line: Read this book if you're sick of cheesy, unreal Christian novels with characters that make you want to puke.

Rating:
Summary: I really loved this book
Review: I picked up this book by random one day when I was my local christian bookstore. I started reading it and I couldn't put it down. The book is about a rockie reporter for a local newspaper who just happens to be a sleuth as well! The main character's name is Merry Kramer. One night as she was doing a human interest story she finds a dead body in the trunk of her car. When another dead body is found Merry becomes suspicious. When realize that she is the next target she realizes that she knows something the murderer wants to be kept hidden.... I'm not telling anymore because it is just too exciting.

Rating:
Summary: Hard to put down!
Review: Imagine you want to take a can of diet Coke out of your trunk and find a body instead. That's what happens to Merry Kramer who just moved to Amhearst, Pennsylvania to work as a reporter for the local newspaper and to forget about her ex-boyfriend. After the first shock she is interested in finding out who killed the man in her trunk. Not only because she is involved but also because it's now her story. The first thing she finds out is that now someone tries to kill her. It seems as if the killer thinks she knows something. And why is Andy, the main suspect, hiding since the day she found the corpse? Is he the one who tries to kill Merry? What about the death of Trudy, the mayor, who died in an accident she had at home? And why is Merrry's boss behaving so strange towards her? Luckily Curt, a painter is always with her to protect her. But then Andy wants to talk to Merry alone! She agrees and the showdown can start...

I enjoyed reading this book from the first to the last page. It's a mistery where as reader you always get the story from the point of view of Merry. So you get the same information as Merry and you can guess with her who did it. And it's not untill the showdown that the reader and Merry find out what happened. I like misteries like that. The book has only about 230 pages so it's not too long and quick and easy to read. No long hold ups with unimportatnt information. I really recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: A clever caper of whodunit
Review: Merry Kramer is a feisty reporter not afraid of an assignment - even if it includes chasing down the person who put a dead man's body in the trunk of her car.

Roper delivers a spirited heroine who is confident yet sometimes questions herself. With Merry Kramer, she has created a likeable, good-head-on-her-shoulders character and has numerous possibilities of whodunit in this story.

If you like mystery, intrigue, and suspense with a bit of romance, you'll want to read the three book series.

Rating:
Summary: Mysterious and very funny! I want to read them all.
Review: This is a great mystery. Merry is a well drawn character who it's really easy to like. I loved the attention to detail down to the handbell scene. The story had a couple surprises for me. I had an idea how it would end, but enjoyed the ride so much that I really didn't care. The other plots involving her personal life are great and add to the story so much. I'd recommend this book to anyone looking for a great mystery.

Rating:
Summary: The *kayters* review
Review: This was a good introduction to an inspirational mystery series of which I will be reading more. Merrileigh "Merry" Kramer is new to Amhearst, PA and has been working for The News, the local newspaper for just about three months when she finds a body in her car trunk. Of course, she must write a story on this and so she does. She ALSO has to write a puff piece on a local artist, Curtis Carlyle, whose show is opening the next evening. She and Curt hit it off rather well and she runs into him again the next night when they wind up being shot at. Various mishaps continue to occur until, of course, Merry stumbles onto the murderer.

One of the major things I enjoyed about this story was the humor. It was a unique style of humor that occasionally made me laugh out loud. I didn't feel as though I was being pandered to, which was nice. The humor was truly humorous. Also, this is definitely a Christian mystery, but I didn't feel as though I was beaten over the head with religion. Merry is just your average twenty-something with relationship issues, flaws, etc. She does rely on God, but she also makes mistakes - and not the HUGE mistakes that you sometimes find in Christian novels - just your average, everyday kinds of stupid things people do. I really appreciated that!

I welcome this series debut and will be reading the others in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Nancy Drew for Grown-Ups!
Review: This whodunit has everything you could hope for in a mystery--clues that lead the reader delightfully astray, suspense to the very end, a double-dose of romantic intrigue, and a truly lovable heroine. But here's the real surprise: This book is also laugh out-loud funny. More, please!