These are individually pleasant, competent mysteries. There is a fairly large continuing cast of characters that are well differentiated from one another and a fair amount of humor. Given the length of this series, obviously a lot of people like it; I think that a fan of the series will be very happy with it.

I find them extremely repetitious - if you've read one, you've pretty much read them all except for plot details. I don't find the two main characters, Sarah (Quill) and Meg particularly endearing. Sarah is a fool and Meg is an explosive tantrum thrower, which I find a little wearisome. An exemplar of what I don't like about this series is Max the dog. For five or six books at least, Max has been running wild, infuriating the other townspeople, and causing various kinds of damage. Get a dog chain! Get kennel fencing! Get a leash! This might be amusing if I didn't have to carry a large stick to ward off other dogs when I walk my own.

I'm also not terribly fond of "gourmet" food - I wouldn't care to even taste most of the dishes that this celebrated chef prepares, but clearly that does interest a lot of people, so take that into consideration when deciding. There is usually at least one recipe in each book.

Another point is that if I'm going to read farce, I want it completely off the wall, not mixed with reality. I know that some people will be extremely amused by things that leave me rolling my eyes.

If you're looking for something to read, you could do a lot worse, and individually they can be cute and charming. ( )