Marcia Talley

Published in 2004, this is a multi-authored novel for charity with too many names to mention, but I picked it up because one of those authors is Jennifer Crusie. Apparently not a new idea, but this is the first time I’ve come across a published novel with a different author writing each chapter. Starting with the first and the next author carrying on the story until the last author writes the ending. A murder mystery with little romance. The novel has a lot happening, with a large and entertaining cast, and it all felt a bit of a jumble but was impressive, with many fun sections. Not sure it’s a book I would want to read twice, but it was worth checking out.… (más)

This is a cooperative / team effort among thirteen women mystery writers, each one writing a different chapter.

I thought the characters were over the top, and there was little character development. I thought there were far too many murders, almost as if each author needed to add a murder in her chapter. I thought the final critical scene where all is revealed was unbelievable, though I won’t outline my reasons here as that would be a major spoiler.

I would have abandoned it but it satisfied a couple of challenges. At least it was a fast read.… (más)

I recently read the first book in the Hannah Ives series (Sing It To Her Bones), and was immediately hooked on this character. When the opportunity came from NetGalley to read the most recent entry, I jumped on it even though I hadn't read the rest of the series. Unlike some series, where it feels like you're the newcomer in an old group of friends with a shared history, I was able to jump from the first book to the latest without any sense that I was lost. While characters overlap between books and time passes, I was able to enjoy Tangled Roots without feeling that I'd missed the backstory. Hannah is an appealing amateur sleuth, prone to jumping in with both feet without looking first (but if she didn't, there wouldn't be a story, would there?). Highly recommended, especially if you're looking for new series for a book-binge!… (más)