Judith CutlerRezensionen

Troubles in the library!

Harriet and Matthew Rowsley have their hands full. Archeologists have arrived for the summer dig in the grounds of Thorncroft House, Shropshire, uncovering the Roman ruins.
Professor and Mrs Marchbanks have come to catalogue the library. He’s rather nasty and she appears bullied. Mrs Marchbanks also experiences frequent fainting episodes.
Harriet has a new housekeeper who seems to not quite fit in, but Mrs Brooks came with an excellent reference. Both parties are on trial for a month. Still her questioning of Harriet and the use of the house keys does grate on Harriet.
Life is busy, busy, busy! Harvesting has to happen so it’s all hands on deck.
It’s when newly expectant father Ned Marples is found dead in a dig trench and his friend Harry Tyler is arrested for murder that the tension reaches boiling point.
More problems emerge for Thorncroft House. Harriet and the local rector Reverend Theophilus Pounceman are nearly killed by a falling painting. The Reverend has a head injury and needs to be confined to bed in the family wing.
Further investigation reveals someone has been cutting the hanging cords of paintings half way through.
Montgomery Wilson, the family lawyer and one of the trustees is called in. The police are investigating but the farming life of the property waits for no-one.
Quite a puzzle! Harriet is given some astounding news to ponder on right at the end.
An intriguing Victorian read, complete with buried treasure and way too many suspects.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

1861. The Thorncroft Estate in Shropshire is experiencing a busy time, with the archaeological dig with its influx of professorss and students. Coupled with harvest time, and the new housekeeper on probation. But there seems to be a series of small incidents but which result in a theft, an injury and a death. Can the Rowsleys solve the mysteries.
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery with its cast of likeable and varied characters. Another good addition to this entertaining series.

Intriguing Victorian mystery!

I loved everything about this not so cosy Murder mystery. The relationship between husband and wife, Harriet and Matthew Rowsley is quite lovely.
The newly married couple have been asked to a country house party by Matthew’s cousin. Harriet is not enamoured. There will be those who will look down on her as she was once the housekeeper, and now the custodian of the lovely property, Thorncroft House, it’s library and Roman ruins.
But go they do and Harriet is rather put on what with a murder, a young girl being accused of theft, then another murder, attempted murder. Not to mention her treatment by her host Hortensia. Grrr! As the time progresses some shattering truths are revealed about the various members of the party.
I loved the way the author takes chapter about giving us the position of seeing events from Harriet’s side and then Matthew’s. I fumed at the polite put downs Harriet had to endure.
I have begun to read earlier novels in the series and am enjoying them as thoroughly as this.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

1861. The Rowsley are invited by Matthew's cousin, Colonel Barrington to a house party. When a death occurs and a maid accused they investigate. But they are trapped in the house by a violent storm and are faced with hostility from some of the other guests.
Another entertaining and well-written Victorian mystery with its likeable and interesting characters. A good addition to this series which can easily be read as a standalone story.

Because of the of illness of Lord Croft, his estate is now managed by a group of trustees including the Rowsley. While digging the foundations for the new estate village at Stammerton skelton is found among the newly discovered ruins. But problems arise when the heir presumptive arrives and one of the staff is attacked.
Though there didn't seem to be an investigation taking place it was an enjoyable Victorian historical story with a hint of mystery.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The recently appointed Land Agent, Matthew Rowsley, is kept busy on the neglected country estate of Thorncroft. But he is soon distracted from his work by the disappearance of a young maid, Maggie Billings. But what really is going on at the Hall and why is it not a safe place to be.
An enjoyable Victorian mystery with a cast of likeable and interesting characters. A good solid start to a new series.
A NetGalley Book

This was a quick and easy read but also very enjoyable and a real page turner. The writing is excellent and I feel the author has a real 'of the period' style. The main characters are all very likeable and the villans all very villanous. There is also some pithy social comment. I will be searching out more books by Judith Cutler.

You can always count on author Judith Cutler for a strong mystery and engaging characters, and her second Matthew Rowsley mystery, Legacy of Death, is no exception. The discovery of DNA nailed the coffin lid down on one of my favorite mystery conventions (is the long-lost heir of a wealthy estate really who he says he is), but with this set in Victorian England, I can enjoy it once more. Trescothick is a piece of work, and it takes time for Matthew and Harriet to find the truth behind his claim to the Croft estate.

As intriguing as the mystery is, for me, the strongest part of the book is its Victorian setting. The finding of Roman ruins and how Rowsley deals with the discovery. How a large estate is run when its owner is ill and the heir has yet to be found. And, most important of all, how the trustees set about improving the lives of the estate workers when they'd been neglected by previous owners. One of the scenes I enjoyed the most is when a few of the more vocal workers tell Rowsley and another trustee that they want a say in these improvements to their lives instead of the trustees just stomping in and assuming they know what is best.

The point of view in Legacy of Death shifts between Matthew and Harriet, and sometimes the transitions are a bit confusing, but this is still an absorbing mystery set in Victorian England. Now I'm left wondering what Matthew and Harriet will be facing next.½

Rating in line with 3,77 avg. on Goodreads. This one was fun to read and passed the Chistmas holliday time. However, give me Jonathan Gash's Lovejoy or Iain Pears anyday for more knowledgeable antique mysteries. Will not re-read, nor recommend. Doubtful as to further books in the series.½

Well written but not very credible mystery. From a continental perspective the very influencal role of the governors is incomprehensible. School life, children, staff and where appropriate parents should have been better developped and red herring characters (Meg Brewster, ...) banned altogether. Will not re-read, nor recommend. Unsure about reading other books in the Jane Coman series.½

The only parts of Judith Cutler's second Jane Cowan mystery, Head Count, that might not set well with American readers are the scenes in which Jane is an umpire for cricket matches. Fortunately, they are few and serve more to spotlight Jane's people skills (which she has in abundance) than anything else. Good thing, too, because the only part of cricket I like is the bit where fans sit out in the sunshine in that green and pleasant land.

Jane probably has more highly developed people skills than most because she was the victim of domestic violence for years. She's had more than her share of dealing with unreasonable humans. Although the man who abused her is now in prison, she still tries to fly beneath the radar (no Twitter or Facebook for her) because he has many loyal friends on the outside and retaliation is a definite possibility. Jane is an intelligent, capable woman who's a brilliant teacher and administrator, and when she's embroiled in something like human trafficking, she knows enough to let the police do their job.

Some readers may not think there's much of a mystery to Head Count because it percolates beneath the surface while Jane lives her peripatetic life, going from school to school and cricket match to cricket match while trying to deal with her house. Most readers of crime fiction are used to the main character conducting their own investigation and putting themselves in danger. With Jane's life experience, she's learned to trust the police to do what they're trained to do, so anytime she learns something, she hands it over to them. This makes a great deal of sense, and although it may sound boring, it's not-- because Cutler has created a very real sense of danger from her ex-husband's friends. Readers never know which bad guy will be sneaking up on this caring head teacher.

Readers familiar with Cutler's mysteries (and I wish there were a lot more of us here in the US) may come across a familiar name or two as they read. The author mentions one of my favorite characters, Fran Harman, and brings in Caffy Tyler and the formidable group of women known as PACT from Scar Tissue. Judith Cutler has created a wonderful group of intelligent, strong, "in charge" women characters throughout her career. Jane Cowan-- the woman who should be afraid of her own shadow but isn't-- is the latest and a prime example of why I think Cutler's books should be much better known in this country.½

This is another thoroughly enjoyable mystery from one of my favorite writers, Judith Cutler. Jane Cowan is just the sort of nuanced character that Cutler can sink her teeth into. Victim of horrific spousal abuse, Jane has worked hard not to let that define her. She's funny, she's smart, she's hardworking, and she's an excellent school administrator. In many ways, she reminds me of another favorite Cutler character, Fran Harman. Both characters certainly have superb people skills.

Another thing that I liked about Head Start is that Jane isn't your typical amateur sleuth, and with the horrible things that have happened to her in the past, she shouldn't be. She has more sense than to tackle investigating vandalism, theft, "accidents" and the like on her own. She lets the police do their jobs and keeps them informed.

While readers can learn about the joys, trials, and terrors of teaching, they're also experiencing a finely crafted plot filled with twists and turns. First and foremost, who's responsible for what's going on? Does Jane's ex-husband have someone on the outside doing his dirty work for him? Is all this even aimed at Jane to begin with? Could it be aimed at the school itself? Readers have to pay attention to navigate the plot and arrive at the proper solution.

The reveal happens offstage because Jane let the experts handle all the heavy lifting, and this didn't bother me a bit. It's realistic. 99.9% of amateur sleuths who think they know more than the police are only going to make everyone's lives more difficult. Head Start is a fast-paced, first-rate puzzle of a mystery with an appealing heroine. I hope to read more books featuring Jane Cowan.½

Couldn't get into this story at all and abandoned it after 3 chapters.

Having been aboard for this entire series, I completely understood the reasons for both Fran and Mark retiring from their high-stress positions in the police force. One of Cutler's strengths is giving readers so much insight into both the characters' personal lives and what is happening in the modern world of policing that we feel we have our fingers on the pulse of what's really going on. The changes Fran and Mark experience are organic. They are a natural part of the series narrative and don't come across as some unknown supreme being throwing down stray lightning bolts. Yes, occasionally there are multiple plot threads running at the same time, but life gets messy. Seeing how Fran and Mark deal with personal life issues and complicated investigations make them all the more real to me.

This cold case is perfect for the pair's talents. They're expert in police procedure, and they excel at dealing with the personality quirks of all sorts of people. If something becomes difficult, they just work harder, and they often find the strength they need in their relationship.

The setting and the case itself are mysterious and-- with the incessant rain-- water-logged. When the pace becomes sluggish from time to time, a lot of it is due to the fact that the rain indeed has an effect on what they have to do. As Fran and Mark uncover more and more people hiding secrets and motives, the animosity becomes almost Christie-esque. Does everyone have a hand in the woman and child's disappearance? Are there too many suspects? It certainly can feel that way.

Green and Pleasant Land is another strong entry in one of my very favorite British police procedural series. It is a series I highly recommend, and I would suggest starting at the beginning because the events in Fran Harman's life are key to the books. These aren't books that merely feature a murder of the week, tie everything up in a big bow, and then fade away until the new case in the next book. No, this series immerses us in the life of an exceptional woman, her life and her work. It reminds me most strongly of Deborah Crombie's excellent Duncan Kincaid and Gemma James series. I can't get enough of Crombie's characters, and I certainly can't get enough of Judith Cutler's Fran Harman.

When I think of the best crime fiction series that combine British police procedurals with the domestic lives of a wonderful cast of characters, Judith Cutler's Fran Harman series is one of the first two that come to mind. (The other is Deborah Crombie's Kincaid and James series.) If you're the type of reader who likes all the plot threads to be knotted and tied off by book's end, you may want to give Fran Harman a pass. Since her life is every bit as important as the cases she solves, some of those plot threads can take two or three books to resolve themselves. But if you're like me and love to bury yourselves in marvelous, nuanced characters and their lives-- as well as solve intriguing mysteries-- you're going to love this series. (It would be a good idea to read them in order, too.)

Fran's fiance Mark has retired from the police force, and one of the ways he's found to decompress and get some exercise is by joining the local tennis club. His expertise is badly needed when the little girl goes missing. For Fran, this case is of primary importance, and she purposely sets the case of the possible serial killer on the back burner while all stops are pulled to find the little girl before it's too late. One of the most interesting points made in Double Fault is how Mark's presence is both blessing and curse because, since he's retired, some of the officers on the force consider him some sort of traitor. (Oh, that wonderful office politics!) There's a sense of urgency and foreboding in the little girl's disappearance that really increases the suspense and makes the pages turn faster and faster.

Of course Fran gives all her considerable talents to both cases, which have become mired in those budget cuts, staffing problems, and wranglings for promotion. Cutler does an excellent job of showing how the odds are increasingly stacked against officers who want to keep people safe. Many crime fiction authors who write police procedurals seem to stick with obnoxious superiors and leave the difficulties at that, but Cutler digs much deeper to show readers what all the problems are-- without once bogging down the plot.

From Fran, who can bring you out of your chair with one brusk command, make you laugh with one of her observations, freeze you with an icy glare, or wrap you in a hug; to Mark, who's dealing with family issues and the problems of the newly retired; to the women like Caffy Tyler who renovated their cottage and became honorary family; and on to suspenseful and absorbing investigations, I was completely wrapped up in this book. I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

I have been a fan of Judith Cutler's Fran Harman series since the very first book. Fran is such a wonderful blend of intelligence, determination, empathy, and risk taking that I just can't read enough books about her. In all the fiction that I have read, this character is my favorite boss, and there's been a time or two when I wished that she were real so we could be best friends. As you can see, Fran has had quite an effect on me after four books!

There are crimes to solve in Burying the Past, and speaking of that title, there are plenty of characters-- including the house itself-- who have either buried their pasts or are trying to. There are even characters here who have appeared in other novels by Cutler-- like Caffy Tyler from Scar Tissue and Lina Townend who has her own series. You can read this book perfectly well without even knowing that these characters have lives of their own in other mysteries. They carry out their tasks here in fine style and add a bit of zest for Cutler's fans.

In the midst of people trying to take over the plans for Fran's wedding and Fran trying to keep all the various investigations straight, the reader soon realizes that this book has less to do with crime solving and more to do with tying up many of the loose ends of Fran's and Mark's lives so they can make a happy start to their new one together. This may irritate some, but as invested as I am in these characters, I really didn't mind a bit-- especially since so many of the investigations actually do tie in with these two retirement-age people who love each other so deeply.

Burying the Past definitely puts an enjoyable Paid In Full to some questions that have lingered for a book or two. What I like in particular is that Cutler does it in such a way that someone who's never read a Fran Harman mystery before can pick this one up and begin reading without feeling lost. When I'd savored the last page and closed the book, I was left with two things: a big smile, and a feeling of excitement. I have to find out what Fran's life has in store for her next!½

I have long been a fan of Judith Cutler's writing-- especially her Fran Harman novels-- so I was very happy to see this first book in a new series. Once again the author has created a character that lives and breathes on the page. Jodie has a tendency to hold her husband's first wife up as a paragon-- whether she should or not-- but her heart is in the right place. Her husband works incredibly hard for the people of his parish, and Jodie makes it one of her primary goals to ensure that he has time away from people who seem to believe that he should be at their beck and call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

Where she most comes into difficulties is in the world of finance. She's worked hard for years to be able to afford nice things, and she'd love to just throw money at all the problems of the parish and the village, but her husband won't allow her to. What's wonderful is to watch this woman in action. She may say she's not a delegator, but she certainly knows how to marshal the troops, think on her feet, and come up with beautifully creative solutions to some of the problems in Lesser Hogben. Yes, once again Judith Cutler gives the reader a wonderful sense of being in the midst of ordinary people getting on with their lives.

The mystery is slow to develop. There's no hint of danger, just a whiff of things not being as they should be, until halfway through the book, when Burble (her young gardener) disappears. Too many of the villagers have Burble marked down as a "bad sort," and I enjoyed watching Jodie stick to her conviction that something was wrong and work hard to find the young man-- even to the point of having a policeman friend (who just so happens to have ties to the aforementioned Fran Harman) to help her with her investigation.

It's worth reading Judith Cutler's mysteries solely for the wonderful characters she creates, but when I factor in her settings, her writing style, and her story lines... well, what can I say? I'll always come back for more. I'm really looking forward to reading Jodie's next adventure amongst those villagers of Lesser Hogben!

This book manages to start with one of my biggest mystery bug-bears - a Prologue that gives away half the ****ing plot! Parson Campion spots a warbler, gos in search of its nest and finds it lined with auburn hair. It is clear he recognises from whose head they have come, and so we know that when an auburn haired lady appears, she'll shortly be leaving us. And so it doesn't take may chapters for the said lady to appear - being rescued from rape by a guest at the big house at which she is a servant. Her rescuer is non-other than the parson, who is clearly from an honourable family, but has chosen to make his own way in the world and is about to take up a post in a Warwickshire village. We meet a cast of village characters, and experience some of the hardships exerienced by the rural poor at the beginning of the 19th century. The parson and the doctor are both down to earth men, with the doctor having seen more of thr world than our young Parson, but between them they make a formidable team, aided and abetted by Jem and the housekeeper at the big house, Mrs Beccles.
And you're left wondering what the mystery might be and when the red head will meet her untimely end, and in the mean time make do with other incidents that probably deserve more attention than they are granted. The red head's demise duly occurs and the pace really picks up. Parson & Doctor hare across the country in search of the lady of the house and a potential murderer and find more than the bargained for. Actually, I thought this went really well, excellent characters, both the leads and the supporting cast. A fraction unlikely in its resolution, but just deserts were had, so I can't complain. - I just wish that writers wouldn't feel the need to trail the murder as the very first lines.

I've fallen for Lina Townend. Author Judith Cutler has created a flawed and charming young woman that I would love to mother, and that's something to write home about, since my maternal instincts normally only kick in with the furred and feathered. Passed around from one foster home to another "like a parcel" as she puts it, Lina is fighting against low self esteem and a tendency to self harm. A miracle occurred when she and Griff, an older gay man met. Griff took the time to see how valuable this young woman is, and he's taken her under his wing. He's teaching her everything he knows about dealing in and restoring antiques. He's working with her to better herself and to increase her vocabulary, and he's definitely working on Lina's low opinion of herself. Under his care, Lina is beginning to blossom, and it truly is wonderful to see.

The book is written in Lina's voice, and I can find myself engrossed in her investigation of the mystery, laughing at her turn of phrase, or wanting to wrap her up in a big hug. Watching the policeman slowly realize what a treasure she is is worth reading the entire book, but there's much more to Silver Guilt than that. Lina is the illegitimate daughter of the totally eccentric and almost completely batty Lord Elham who's given over his stately mansion to a trust to run, provided that he gets to live in one wing of the house. And if you won't tell anyone that he squirreled away loads of priceless antiques from the rest of the house into his wing, I won't either.

As you can see, I love the characters-- which isn't all that unusual for me when reading a book written by Judith Cutler-- but the mystery is top notch as well. In trying to deduce what's happening to the silver pieces disappearing from Elham's house to trying to keep an eye on Lina's new boyfriend, there's plenty of skullduggery going on... and more than a few pearls of wisdom about antiques to be found, too. If you love antiques, intriguing mysteries, and excellent characterization, I'd love for you to meet Lina Townend.

I like British police procedurals. I guess this one is no exception except that I found the multiple relationships the heroine (Kate Powers - get it?) had with her superiors to be questionable at best. Part of the tension arises from Detective Inspector Powers' prior relationship with Detective Chief Inspector Graham (with whom she still works and who was married to someone else) and her current squeeze, a Detective Superintendent (moving up the ladder) who at least is not married. But my goodness, all those detectives floating around and no one scopes out the possible difficulties of such relationships? I mean really.

English, antiques and collectables.½

First Line: "Chief Superintendent Harman! Ms Harman!"

So near and yet so far. Counting the few remaining days until her retirement, Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Harman is asked to fill in for a colleague who's undergone triple bypass surgery. All she has to do is oversee investigations into a rash of happy slappings (unprovoked attacks on individuals made in order to record the event on video phones) and minor assaults. Initially taking a backseat in these matters, due to the media frenzy it's not long before Fran is right in the thick of the action. Unfortunately she's spending as much of her time in an attempt to control the media as she is in trying to catch the criminals. The local reporter who broke the story has personal reasons for taking such an interest in the case, and as the crimes begin to intensify, there's no way Fran Harman is going to retire until she can resolve everything.

It's a shame for me as a reader that fifty-five-year-old Fran Harman is so close to retirement. She's reached a position of some authority, and you don't have to read very many pages before you know why. She doesn't waver at making tough decisions, she's not afraid of hard work, and she's a deft hand at working with her people and dealing with her superiors. She can even have the media eating from the palm of her hand:

"Is it true, Chief Superintendent Harman, that they've brought you back out of retirement to investigate these cases?"

"Golly, did I forget to park my Zimmer frame properly?" She looked about her in comic distress. "No, Ms Pound, I hadn't retired and have no immediate intention of doing so."

But this woman deserves retirement. For the first time in over twenty years, she's free to do as she pleases. Her children are grown and living their own lives. She's no longer spending every weekend caring for her aged parents. Moreover, she has a man in her life whom she loves dearly, and she'd like to be able to concentrate on their life together.

The investigations aren't solved by brilliant flashes of insight or marvels of deductive reasoning; they're solved by hard, dogged policework. Fran is in her element, although she does have to deal with a journalist who's such a timid blockhead that Fran doesn't know whether she wants to shake or slap Ms Dilly Pound-- and having the man she loves also be a police officer can put a crimp in her hands-on investigative style.

Reading Cold Pursuit lets you get to know an extremely talented police officer in her element. It's too bad Fran Harman can't be cloned and put in police forces around the world.

First Line: QUALITY ANTIQUES FAIR.

Happiness finally finds Lina Townend at the ripe old age of nineteen. After being in foster care all her life, she's living with kind-hearted old antiques dealer Griff and becoming a very deft hand at restoring old china. There's only one thing missing: no matter the consequences, Lina wants to find her real father.

When Lina comes across a page from a very rare old book that she remembers from her early childhood, she buys it. Her memory of the book and of the room she was in is so vivid that she's convinced that, if she can find the book, she'll find her father. However, what she seems to have done is stir up a hornet's nest of violent burglaries and attacks. Something tells Lina that she's found more than a link to her father, and she refuses to stop searching until she's found all the answers.

I firmly believe that each reader has a distinct interior voice with its own cadence and phraseology. If we're very lucky, we find authors who tap into this so that reading their books becomes an effortless extension of our thoughts.

I have been lucky because author Judith Cutler has tapped into my own interior voice so that, in reading one of her books, my thoughts are the main character's thoughts; my voice the main character's voice-- a completely natural process that doesn't happen nearly as often as I'd like.

I'm always on the look-out for books by Cutler, so when the first book in the Lina Townend mystery series fell into my hands, I jumped at the chance to read it, especially since Lina is in the antiques business.

It's easy to empathize with Lina; she's so bright and self-effacing. Cutler has a knack for drawing sympathetic characters from fractured backgrounds who have personal demons they must overcome. After going through the revolving door of foster homes so many times she's lost count, it is wonderful to see how love and kindness make this young woman blossom.

Combine marvelous characterization with a plot full of twists and turns, and Drawing the Line becomes a true pleasure to read. Lina may be young, she may be troubled, she may be naive, but you can't help but cheer on someone who's so determined to succeed: "Hang on: I was not about to be a victim. I was going to think my way through this." You also can't help but become a bit misty-eyed when someone like Lina bursts into tears and says, "It's just so rare...to meet someone who is what he says he is and does what he promises."

I'm hoping you'll make Lina's acquaintance and become as big a fan of Judith Cutler as I am. Go on. You know you want to!½

This is a detective story set in a modern English village with a dislike of incomers. There's skullduggery afoot over illicit meat suppliers and a mysteriously missing vet. Our heroine is a good hearted and acerbic publican, formerly of the big brassy blonde style but now assiduously weight watching her way down. She's the widow of a notorious criminal, and don't ask where the money came for her to open her new country gastropub...

It's a good fun bit of light reading, not too cosy and twee, but still a long way from hard boiled. This is my first book by this author. She has another detective series, which I am now inclined to look out for in the second hand and remainder bins.

The second DCS Fran Harmon book I've read, there is such a lot that that you'd think would make these books unlikeable. Fran is almost too cheerful and nice, she's the sort of person that it's not hard to fantasise about as a victim of brutal crime. Mind you, she's also refreshingly not like your stereotypical angst ridden, difficult boss - she actively supports and encourages her subordinates, both in a day to day work sense, and as part of her ongoing police policy work. She's got her own boss problems though, and she handles them (mostly) with aplomb. There's a big concentration on Fran (and Mark's) personal life - which whilst not totally idyllic, is love's young dream enough to drive you mildly nuts, especially if you're slightly allergic to that level of the personal in the middle of your police procedural. And finally, in STILL WATERS, there is the classic multiple unconnected threads that end up converging.

But for some strange reason STILL WATERS (and the other book I've read in this series) are quite entertaining reads. On the less than confrontational side, there's something very engaging about Fran and Mark, their ongoing love story, their investigation methods, the station in which they work, and in all their colleagues. Sure things are a bit busy in places, who is who and where they fit in the police structure can be hard to follow at points, and Fran - as you'd expect from somebody of her personality type - has a tendency to talk way too much, but the basic plot of the investigation was nicely done, and cleverly drawn out - right to the end of the book.

STILL WATERS is the latest in the Fran Harmon series, and reading the earlier books will give you a total view of who she is, where she came from, although you could also pick this book up on its own without any problem. There is enough back story filled in, without it being tedious if you have read earlier books.

There's some really entertaining storytelling in STILL WATERS, despite all the things that you'd think would drive you slightly bats, Fran is the sort of overly cheerful character that even this grumpy reader can happily spend some time with.