Earlene Fowler

Does anyone else enjoy the Earlene Fowler books? I have been re-reading the entire series. It's like going home and visiting friends you haven't seen in years.

I haven't tried them yet. What are they about?

The series is about a recent widow who stumbles on to a dead body in the first book, encounters the new police chief and generally aggravates him. There are now 12 books in the series and book 13 is due out in May.

I just discovered them recently and love them. I haven't gotten hold of the first three novels, but I can't wait to read them, too.

The first book in the series gives a lot of detail about Benni's first marriage and the circumstances of her husband's death, as I recall (it's been a while since I read it), so I recommend it prior to reading the other books, although they will all stand alone.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'd love to have another series to start on. I love finding new authors who have written lots and therefore have a hefty supply of reading material just waiting for me. It's like shopping at Costco where you can get a year's supply of paper towels at one time; finish one roll, there's always another. :)

#6: Boy, isn't that the truth, especially where books are concerned!

Thank you for the suggestion. I will try an Earlene Fowler. I love the way you describe the mood: "like going home and visiting friends....

My favorite in the bunch is "Arkansas Traveler" ... love the sisterly quibbling between Grandma Dove and her sister.

I still have several to go; I generally try to scavenge for my reading material at used bookstores, so I haven't done the series in order. So far that doesn't seem to have hurt.

Since my last post, I've read two more, Mariner's Compass and Sunshine and Shadow ... and my parting last-page thought for both was, "I think this is the best one yet!"

I just finished the last one in the series, Tumbling Blocks, and thought it was the best one yet. I read on her web page that Fowler has contracted to do 2 more Benni Harper books with her current publisher, so that is very good news!

I was led to the Benni Harper series because of the connection between quilts and mystery. I love that she uses a quilt pattern as the title and theme of each book, especially in the early books.

Resurrecting this thread just to mention how much I loved The Saddlemaker's Wife and Love Mercy ... neither of which are in the Benni series, but Benni & other characters fom the series have cameos. They aren't mysteries per se, but highly, highly recommended.