Admittedly, I've found that the so-called "cozy mystery" isn't my cuppa. Particularly in a series. Agatha Christie is so clever in plotting, I can forgive that her Miss Marple stumbles into one homicide after another. I'm less forgiving with other books featuring amateur detectives and including cute cats or delicious recipes isn't enough. No particular gimmick that I could note graces this series featuring interior decorator Ellie Haskell "blissfully married to the handsomest man outside a gothic novel, with three lively children" and a cat. The Thin Woman is the first, but the earliest book I could find in bookstores is Withering Heights. (Is that it then? A literary allusion as extended metaphor? In this case the Brontes?) I just found this so annoying from the first, and I couldn't put my finger on it exactly until one paragraph on page 22 that so got on my nerves I couldn't take it anymore. Here--sometimes a quote is worth a thousand reviews: Such a pity! Ben had, without raising a dark sardonic eyebrow in my direction, reminded me why I had known on first meeting him that there would be no joy in my remaining an unattached overweight female with a bunch of finely tuned neuroses. So much had happened since. I no longer needed two mirrors to get a good look at myself. But I still thrilled to the image of him striding across the moors with the wind whipping his black hair to a wild tangle. The intent set of his shadowed jaw, the opal fire of his blue-green eyes, and the way his mouth curved in wry amusement all mocked the impudent folly of the elements in enlisting him as a opponent. Blech. The writing reeks of romance aisle. No way I could take over 200 hundred more pages of that.
My daughter was supposed to pick up Wuthering Heights for a literature class she was taking, and accidentally took this home. I decided to read it as an accidental book that found its way to me. It was a fun light mystery of sorts. Kind of a modern Nancy Drew for adults. For some reason it took me half way through the book until I finally knew the characters well enough to enjoy the book. Maybe its because it is number 12 in the series of Ellie Mystery books. I don't know. I did enjoy reading the book once I got in to it, though.
Withering Heights (Ellie Haskell Mystery, #12) by Dorothy Cannell A great thing about his book was the beginning. it was very intreging and makes you want to read mor adn you wonder alot.i think if you like wondering you will like this book thats is why i liked the beginning. But i should say after sally?(not sure aboout name retured the book)came becasue she wanted to be with a myster/hooror novel reader , her friend who recommends good books it seems that she finds some mysterys in there hous
—Kendra
These books, for me at least, our like literary snack food. Delectable, tasty, and fun to consume. I agree with the quotes on the book jacket: "thoroughly entertaining", "wickedly witty, good bubbly fun", and "sparkling wit and outlandish characters". Ellie Haskell, the main character, is delightfully human with all her insecurities and foibles. The interplay between Ellie and her housekeeper/partner Mrs.Malloy, is absolutely delightful. There is a bit of romance in these too. Ellie is married to a drop-dead gorgeous husband who is a chef and owns his own restaurant. Their relationship is just fun to read about. In this episode Ellie finds herself being invited to a Victorian style mansion to look into some mysterious goings on. Some of Ellie's insecurities manifest themselves when a beautiful woman from Ellie's husband's past appears on the scene.
—Laura
Another Ellie Haskell mystery. Ellie and her housekeeper and sometimes detective partner mrs. Malloy are involved in another mystery involving a missing man suspected of being murdered, as well as other murders. There are many overlying plotlines involving a cousin and his family of Ellie's husband Ben and various things happening at their large estate home, the cousin's first love, the winning of the lottery, and Mrs. Malloy and her sister who haven't spoken to each other in 40 years.There is the usual Ellie wise cracking humor along with her suspecting the worse regarding her husband leading to strained relations between them. The mystery story line is good while the usual Ellie humor and misjuding her husband less so.
—George
