Beth GutcheonReseñas

Laurus and Sydney fall in love.Laurus is a well-known musician from Denmark. Laurus and Sydney marry. Laurus goes off to defend Denmark in World War II. He leaves Sydney pregnant and stays in Europe for several years, for the duration of the war. During the war, Laurus's sister, Nina joins the resistance and eventually is caught and sent to a concentration camp. Laurus returns to the U. S. and he and Sydney have several more children. Their son is a trouble maker and is kicked out of a number of boarding schools.
Sydney, like her mother, is more concerned with herself and how she looks to other people than she is her children. Each summer the family spends their time in Maine at Leeway Cottage participating in sailing, parties, and golfing. If you are interested in family sagas spanning from the 1930's to the 1990's this is an interesting story.

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I had a little reading getaway, and this was the book I chose--how fun to read something like this in one sitting! The kind of book you really sink into. A really interesting mix of a family novel and history (Denmark in WWII)--Gutcheon did a great job of seamlessly mixing the two.

I got swept into the drama very quickly, and the family was deliciously dysfunctional. As were the churches - this just nailed church politics. I found out this book was a continuation of [b:Leeway Cottage|895410|Leeway Cottage|Beth Gutcheon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348964207s/895410.jpg|880604], and now I want to go back to the library and find that book as well.

I did want to see how some of the secondary conflicts ultimately played out, but perhaps that's material for a sequel. Also, I could never figure out who exactly the ghostly narrator was, although that could be because I hadn't read Leeway Cottage first.

I also appreciated the brief biographies of each character at the back of the book. I only wish I had found it sooner. It would have made things so much easier if it had been at the beginning.

Some quotes I enjoyed:

"Andrew Carnegie said that if you die rich, you die disgraced. Well, Mother will be safe with Andrew, if they meet in heaven. She'd been living beyond her means for years. Way beyond." (Page 4).

"Apparently once Rachel threw his suits into the bathtub and set them on fire so he wouldn't have anything to wear to work. That's not normal. But I begin to think there may well have been two sides to that story." (Page 28). You don't say...

"There are always two sides in a marriage. Always. At least two." (Page 28).

"Once I understood where the ring came from, I wanted it. It's hard, dividing this stuff. It isn't really bits of stone and metal and wood. It's the history of our family. Who loved who, who was cruel, who was kind." (Page 52). On a larger scale, this is why we need archeologists and indeed the entire field of archeology.

"I once worked in a school where they'd had a really pugnacious head. He couldn't get along with anyone, although he'd come with great recommendations. Turns out the last school gave him glowing recs because they wanted to get rid of him." (Page 62). I laughed so hard.

I got swept into the drama very quickly, and the family was deliciously dysfunctional. As were the churches - this just nailed church politics. I found out this book was a continuation of [b:Leeway Cottage|895410|Leeway Cottage|Beth Gutcheon|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348964207s/895410.jpg|880604], and now I want to go back to the library and find that book as well.

I did want to see how some of the secondary conflicts ultimately played out, but perhaps that's material for a sequel. Also, I could never figure out who exactly the ghostly narrator was, although that could be because I hadn't read Leeway Cottage first.

I also appreciated the brief biographies of each character at the back of the book. I only wish I had found it sooner. It would have made things so much easier if it had been at the beginning.

Some quotes I enjoyed:

"Andrew Carnegie said that if you die rich, you die disgraced. Well, Mother will be safe with Andrew, if they meet in heaven. She'd been living beyond her means for years. Way beyond." (Page 4).

"Apparently once Rachel threw his suits into the bathtub and set them on fire so he wouldn't have anything to wear to work. That's not normal. But I begin to think there may well have been two sides to that story." (Page 28). You don't say...

"There are always two sides in a marriage. Always. At least two." (Page 28).

"Once I understood where the ring came from, I wanted it. It's hard, dividing this stuff. It isn't really bits of stone and metal and wood. It's the history of our family. Who loved who, who was cruel, who was kind." (Page 52). On a larger scale, this is why we need archeologists and indeed the entire field of archeology.

"I once worked in a school where they'd had a really pugnacious head. He couldn't get along with anyone, although he'd come with great recommendations. Turns out the last school gave him glowing recs because they wanted to get rid of him." (Page 62). I laughed so hard.

3.5 stars.

The Affliction by Beth Gutcheon is a puzzling murder mystery which takes place at a girls' private school in a Hudson River town.

Retired girls' school head Maggie Detweiler is part of a three person team evaluating whether or not Rye Manor School should remain open. Having already delivered the report to the head of school, Christina Liggett, Maggie is planning to leave when favorite teacher Florence Meagher goes missing. Deciding to stay a few extra days, Maggie is on campus when Florence's lifeless body is discovered in the swimming pool by student and promising diver Lily Hollister whose father Hugo is also a board member. When Maggie fills in her friend, Hope Babbin, on the situation, she drops everything to help Maggie look for clues.

Maggie and Hope are great friends and they each have different skill sets to bring the investigation. Maggie knows the ins and outs of the private schools so she is the logical choice to poke around the private school campus. Hope has a wealthy background so she has easy access to insider information about certain individuals they encounter during the course of their investigation. Maggie is quite insightful whereas Hope is a little scattered due to some unexpected family news.

The secondary cast of characters is HUGE and it is not at all easy to keep up with who is who and which of the guest appearances will prove to be meaningful. There are also numerous story arcs that might or might not figure into the murder investigation. This confusing jumble of cast members and storylines are also difficult to keep straight since the main plot just kind of meanders along. Although most of the characters and story arcs are interesting, copious notes are needed to keep everyone and everything straight.

While The Affliction is an entertaining cozy mystery, the overwhelming number of characters ad multiple story arcs are confusing. Hope and Maggie are a fantastic amateur sleuth duo and they are quite likable. Despite the affable lead characters, readers will most likely be a little disappointed by the lack of resolution for many of the storylines, including a clear-cut solving of Florence's murder. This second installment in Beth Gutcheon's Maggie Detweiler and Hope Babbin series can easily be read as a standalone.

Definitely a must read for anyone who enjoys a book about close friendships that stand the test of time. To read my review in its entirety please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy.com/2012/03/20/gossip-by-beth-gutcheon/

During under-graduate, graduate, and post-graduate studies in library science and in years attending library conferences at the local, state, and national levels I heard the phrase, "Right Book, Right Person, Right Time" countless times and also participated in innumerable discussions as to the phrase meaning and how a librarian puts that philosophy into realistic practice with patrons of every age level every day. I learned that to be a good librarian I also needed to be a good listener. The initial question by a patron was not always the question that they really needed the answer to so a spontaneous stop that there was a book to answer the initial question was not necessarily the book that the patron wanted or needed. Listening with pertinent questions could lead to an assessment that could supply the patron with the "Right Book, Right Time."

I was reminded of "Right Book, Right Person, Right Time" most recently when I was looking through a bag of books that a friend had returned to me. I looked at the cover of "Death at Breakfast" and it reminded me of a scene in an episode of a television mystery series I had watched not long ago. But I couldn’t remember anything about the story and the author’s name didn’t seem familiar which also seemed strange as after I read a novel I generally visit the author’s website and/or Facebook page. I decided to check my reading list on GoodReads and imagine my surprise to see notes as follows:

Started 20-Jul-2018.
Abandoned 21-Jul-2018.
Abandoned 21-Jul-2018 at page 33 – "Otherwise known as Day Three, October 8” - This novel's type of chapter heading. There is a snippet of a review on the front cover that advises, "Everything Beth Gutcheon touches turns into an elixir that says, 'Read Me!' ---Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "The Deep End of the Ocean." My endorsement would notify readers of "Tedious Redefined."

To be candid, I was shocked at myself by the harsh comment I had written in my private notes. The cover was still intriguing me due to the previous television series I had enjoyed and although a totally different mystery I decided to give "Death at Breakfast" another try.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that without even thinking twice I read beyond page 33 on the very first night of reading and was looking forward to continuing to read the novel the following night. I delighted in the thought of 2 female friends deciding to enjoy an excursion for a week-long cooking course being given by the inn’s resident chef at the Oquossoc Mountain Inn in Bergen, Maine as a trial run to test that their long-time friendship might also make them compatible travelers before longer trips to explore ancient civilizations. Maggie Detweiler is recently retired as head of a private school in New York and is adjusting to being widowed instead of following the retirement dream that she and her husband had of living in a bedsit in London’s West End. Hope Babbin is a divorcee living in Boston and has not mentioned to Maggie that her son Buster is Bergin’s deputy sheriff. Imagine their surprise when they encounter Buster not as Hope’s son but in his professional role when called to the murder scene at the inn.

It was fun to follow the clues not only to solve the case but to try to determine if the crime would be solved by Deputy Sheriff Buster or new amateur sleuths Hope and Maggie. I hope it goes without saying that I was voting for Hope and Maggie but you’ll have to read the mystery as I cannot divulge the answer.

I still can’t imagine what caused my initial reaction to the novel but I’m glad I followed my secondary curiosity to give the novel another try. Now I am curious to know where Hope and Maggie will travel to next and if they’ll continue using their sleuthing talents.

This is one of my favorite ghost stories. Made the hair on the back of my neck stand right up.

When a 6 year old boy goes missing in Boston, USA, the country is on alert. Local volunteers, the police setting up an office in the family home, sympathetic friends and family. But as the months roll by, compassion fatigue sets in...friends, overwhelmed by the situation, turn their backs; the detectives, tired of pursuing fruitless leads..even the mother's employer, inconvenienced at her lengthy absence. There's the doubts that the mother...and the reader...begin to have over family members, notably the recently estranged husband. But with no body, Susan Selky rides out the accusations of not moving on with her life and livesa in hope...

Quite a readable, interesting novel.

The writing is different and when I first started it I didn't get into it. I set it aside and tried again later. I'm so glad I did!
It's a fast read and a very well written story.
Two stories based in Maine that involve a ghost and first love.

Well written family story but I was a bit bored by it.

No clue where I heard about this one but I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of two romances, 100 years apart. Each young love story one goes wrong in very different way. a perfect quick, easy engrossing read.

While the cover and title may make this seem like a trendy, psychological thriller, this has more the pace of an old fashioned murder mystery. Friends Maggie and Hope have finally returned--although the first book didn't wow me like I thought it would, I kept checking the library to see when this new one would be out. Maggie says it best near the beginning. "At any stage in life it was important to have at least one person who was always delighted to hear from you.". That person is her friend Hope, who gives up book club to meet with Maggie after a murder at the Rye Manor School for Girls. Maggie is on campus for an annual evaluation and stays to help the very new and young headmistress navigate the investigation.

Rating 4.5. Maggie Detweiler and her friend, Hope, are investigating what begins as a missing persons case and becomes a murder. Maggie and Hope are wonderful characters. Maggie is your expert in all things school related, and Hope is a bit of a wild child, who thinks outside the box and thus uncovers things that otherwise might not come into play. She's also a hoot! The little asides between Maggie and Hope are lots of fun. Everyone should have a friendship in their lives like Maggie and Hope. As for the mystery here, there were lots of possibilities, including the students themselves. A little excitement here and there. A lovely beach read.½

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

This is what passes for a murder mystery in the 1% crowd where even the police are happy to have their jobs done for them by wealthy women who have nothing better to do. Although we're meant to assume who the murderer is and what the motive is, we're never actually given any closure on that point.

Mindless, uninspiring read.

I liked the summary of this from the first so I was glad to get to reading it this week. It was a pretty absorbing and quick read. The murder actually takes place about 40% of the way in. The beginning is a set up for the our main sleuths, Maggie and Hope, the other characters staying at the Inn and also the small town locale. Maggie and Hope are newly retired BFFs who have decided to travel and this is their maiden trip to see if they travel well with one another. Adding to the sleuthing is Hope's deputy sheriff son, Buster. I watch what is likely far more British mystery television than is advisable, so in my head, Maggie and Hope were Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme of Rosemary & Thyme, without the accents. I had Hope's son Buster as Laura's officer son, Matthew too. So, I whisked right away with them but they were pretty much tertiary to the solving of the mystery until pretty much the last couple chapters where this all comes together. This makes practical sense, I grant, but it didn't give the reader a lot of time to get to know Maggie & Hope. Still, the case of who killed Alex Antippas turned out predictably & I wasn't surprised by the reveal or reasons of the murderer. All the threads were tied well and I enjoyed how the other characters were woven into the story. I know it's probably not likely but I hope Maggie & Hope run into Detective Prince sometime in the future (I think the Kleinkramers live in LA). The look in at the Antippas family in all their revolting glory was impressive in that there was humanity on display and it was rendered in such a way that made me feel a certain sympathy for people whose lives have become more habitats than habitable for having sought fame. Let me also raise a glass to Walter and I'll pour one out for Grommet.

I thought this was a standalone when I began but by book's end, I was fairly sure this was the first in a series. I'm looking forward to the next visit with Maggie and Hope. Definitely recommended & not a bad choice for summer reading.

I really liked the premise of friends Maggie and Hope deciding on going on a small trip to see if they would be compatible on longer journeys in their retirement. The Oquossoc Mountain Inn seems like a good place. The Inn, seemingly on the skids and losing money, is pretty full as the new Chef is offering cooking classes. Hope's son, Buster, is the deputy sheriff, another good reason for them to head to Maine. It took about 100 pages for me to really discern what I needed to know about the important players in this murder mystery. I was glad I stuck with it, both Maggie and Hope are very astute, observing things quietly and getting to the crux of the story by the end. I did find it a bit wander-y, as old friends from other parts of the country did the legwork in some other areas for the women.½

Thank you to Goodreads for this win and my honest review.

I don't know if I should have read the first in this series to find out how Maggie got involved in sleuthing but I thought it was a bit far-fetched that she got so involved in it after just being on the school's committee to see if it should be funded or closed. Then she gets her friend involved too who turns out to have a better head on her shoulders to me.

A lot of involvement with students and their parents and murders too which was a nice diversion from who I call "Nosy Maggie." The murderer was not announced and not sure if it's because there is a sequel or what.

The title was a little silly since they called the woman who was initially murdered "The Affliction" because of her non-stop talking.

Would I recommend this book? Not sure.

3.5 STARS.....i enjoyed but i would not suggest anyone rush out to buy it sad to say. I read Leeway Cottage awhile back and am glad i did, it's almost a necessity.
Fiction based on fact including pictures, this is a generational story about a family and a summer home in Maine. Good story! But there were so many references to people from the other book, the past, that it made the reading a wee bit confusing.
THAT SAID: I WOULD read another by this author.

On an ordinary day, Susan Selky allows her almost 7-year-old son, Alex, to walk the two blocks to school by himself. He never makes it, and so begins the horrifying tale told from several view points, Susan's, the detective Menetti, even Alex himself, all of them heart wrenching. You fear for Susan and Alex, but you can't stop turning the pages.

I loved this book about 5 women who meet for the first time at an exclusive fat farm and forge such close bonds during the week they're there that they vow to come again the next year. They also keep in contact and help each other throughout the coming year. Thus, the reader gets to see their 'real' lives and how they grow and change as the months unfold. I liked these women, each of whom is brave in her own way. Recommended.½

A new mystery series featuring Hope Babbin and Maggie Detweiler. A fun and interesting mystery set in Maine about an arson death at a hotel. It made me laugh out loud several times and I enjoyed the many characters, including Maggie and Hope. I figured out the 'who dunnit' about 2/3's through, but that didn't make the book any less enjoyable. I look forward to reading more of this series.