Home Again, Home Again (E. J. Pugh Mysteries)

Rating:
Summary: Was I Supposed to Root for Willis?
Review: I agree with the reader from Star, except that I didn't find the rock as interesting as they did. The first section of the book, told from E.J.'s point of view, held my interest. However, it didn't feel like a mystery -- there was more ruminating and grieving than detecting. The second part of the story is told from the viewpoint of E.J.'s husband, Willis, who has been kidnapped. Willis has a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome, as he inexplicably helps and sympathizes with his kidnapper. The same kidnapper who threatens to murder him and refuses to let him tell his wife he's alive. Willis lets numerous opportunities to seek help pass him by. When he does make attempts to escape/call home, they're usually at the dumbest possible times! Willis' level of fixation on a rock comes across as more than a mid-life crisis; he seems a tad demented. For much of the book he is also so resentful of and inconsiderate toward his wife and children, that I found it hard to root for him. The solution to the murder mystery seems to arrive just because the book is nearing its end.

This book isn't *hideous*, it's just sort of silly and pointless. Overall I thought it was insufficiently entertaining. It is, however, a quick read and the first third or so is fairly engrossing. I do tend to read less "cozy" mysteries, so perhaps I'm being somewhat harsher than a cozy fan would be.

Rating:
Summary: Good.
Review: I did not consider this one to be as good as her first two. The first two I enjoyed very much! I could not put them down. Home Again, Home Again was good, but the switching back and forth between Willis' story and EJ's story put me off a little, especially since they were both written in the first person. It got to be confusing at times. Other than that, I would highly recommend the EJ Pugh series and I am eagerly waiting for her next book due out early next year.

Rating:
Summary: Was I Supposed to Root for Willis?
Review: The first half of this book was not half bad for its description of family life and mid-life crisis of the husband. E.J.'s, the wife, reaction to her missing husband, is pretty well written and seems true to life. The author loses me completely in Willis'story about his disappearance. When he has the chance to escape and doesn't; I completely lost interest. I detested the character of Rogene so much, it would have been alright with me for anything to have happened to her. Why Willis would want to help Tater and Rogene is completely baffling. And Tater is as much a criminal as the other bad guys in this book. E.J.'s cop friend Luna is also apparently stupid. She doesn't call for back-up when she goes to the turkey farm-truck stop. However, I gave this book a 3 because I did finish it and the story of the rock made up for the stupidity of the story. This rock sounds like a really interesting place to visit!

Rating:
Summary: Enchanted Rock is best part of story
Review: The first half of this book was not half bad for its description of family life and mid-life crisis of the husband. E.J.'s, the wife, reaction to her missing husband, is pretty well written and seems true to life. The author loses me completely in Willis'story about his disappearance. When he has the chance to escape and doesn't; I completely lost interest. I detested the character of Rogene so much, it would have been alright with me for anything to have happened to her. Why Willis would want to help Tater and Rogene is completely baffling. And Tater is as much a criminal as the other bad guys in this book. E.J.'s cop friend Luna is also apparently stupid. She doesn't call for back-up when she goes to the turkey farm-truck stop. However, I gave this book a 3 because I did finish it and the story of the rock made up for the stupidity of the story. This rock sounds like a really interesting place to visit!