Generous Death

Unfortunately, I had read ALL of Nancy Pickards books before I even got to this first one! How I missed it I'll never know. It sets the story line for the books that follow and filled me in on quite a few gaps I previously missed. Fast flowing and smooth, but you can tell also how much she has progressed as a writer. This is not her best but it is up there with the others in the suspense department. I wish I knew why she hasn't written anymore books.....maybe someone can inform us?

Nancy Pickard hasn't written a Jenny Cain novel in a long time, so I was "forced" to start re-reading the series to get my fix. I started at the beginning, with Generous Death. I'd forgotten just how much I like this series, and this book. Ms. Pickard did a great job introducing the characters without overwhelming with too much wordy detail. I found myself rooting for Jenny, but also caring about what happened to the rest of the characters as well. The mystery itself is not heavy but there's still a lot of suspense and danger. And yes, there is a relationship in this story, but it's not overdone and does a lot to advance the story while giving insight into the characters.Ms. Pickard followed in the footsteps of trail-blazers like Marcia Muller and Sara Paretsky with this series, which features a first person female protagonist who loves men but doesn't need one to be happy. If you like those authors, you should definitely give the Jenny Cain series a try. But I would encourage anyone who likes mysteries to add Nancy Pickard to the list of authors you read.

Having read a couple of the Jenny Cain series at random, it was fun to finally read the book that set up the series. Indeed, I found myself liking Jenny a good deal more in this book than in some of the others. She displays a charming dry wit that I really enjoyed.This book sets up the earmarks of the series. For me, a westerner, the clearest distinction is the strong sense of New England that permeates this book and series. Not that it is a foreign country, but certainly it is its own place. It's also fun to get insights on how foundations work -- a setting I haven't seen in other books.Bottom line -- a debut book that is a good read in its own right.

I'm in the process of reading through the entire Jenny Cain series, trying to stick to the order in which Nancy Pickard wrote them. Generous Death was, as the others have been, a quick and very fun read! It's so easy to get caught up in the storyline and develop a true fondness for the characters. I thought I had this one figured out, but was pleased to be surprised in the end!