From Publishers Weekly
With the imminent arrival of her mother-in-law, unfinished Christmas shopping and unexpected dog-sitting responsibilities, Benni Harper, amateur sleuth and folk art museum curator in San Celina, Calif., has enough on her hands even before she looks into a suspicious death in Fowler's delightful 13th entry in her Agatha Award–winning series (after 2006's
Delectable Mountains). When Constance Sinclair, Benni's boss, can't get help from Benni's police chief husband, Gabe, the art patroness demands that Benni investigate the death of her friend Arva "Pinky" Edmondson. Pinky apparently died of a heart attack in her sleep, but Constance is convinced she was murdered by one of the local socialites vying for admittance to the exclusive 49 Club. Benni delves into the secrets of the town's elite with her usual flair, unraveling a plot that is as dangerous as the bulls on her father's ranch and as cozy as the quilts she reveres.
(May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Benni Harper Ortiz, curator of the Josiah Sinclair Folk Art Museum, watches her stress level rise as she prepares for a major new exhibition of California Outsider Art, its centerpiece a gift from famed painter Abe Adam Finch. Of course, the fact that her mother-in-law is coming for Christmas isn't helping the stress problem, either. When museum patron Constance Sinclair demands Benni investigate her good friend Pinky Edmondson's death, Benni is ready to decline. However, her husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, asks her to pretend to investigate to keep Constance off his back. Meanwhile, Gabe's mother arrives with a surprise or two of her own, leaving Gabe angry and withdrawn. While looking for a killer, Benni tries to mediate the mother-son issues, babysit a cute puppy, and prepare for the prestigious art exhibit. The mystery here is weak, but the relationships between the characters are explored in some depth, providing insights into Benni's and Gabe's pasts. The rich cast of secondary characters, plenty of humor, and details about the "outsider art" phenomenon enrich this thirteenth in the long-running series.
Sue O'BrienCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
