Mariner's Compass

While quilting is not as integral to the story as the Elm Creeks series, the storytelling is superb. Fast-paced, witty and with enough chutzpah and machismo to keep Benni & Gabe from getting staid; and keep me grinning. Tying the title quilt block to the plot of the book is clever and entertaining.I found this book darker than the other Benni Harper mysteries as Benni confronts suspicions of her parentage thanks to her previously unknown uncle, the late Jacob Chandler. She has to deal with a wealth of suspicious characters as she tries to survive the terms of Jacob's will. Benni and Gabe seem to be growing together as a couple and their wildly differing viewpoints are finally rubbing off on each other. Dove, as usual, is a stitch; leading the "San Celina Seven" to rescue the Historical Society museum from the money-grubbing, development minded mayor. Cousin Emory and temporary neighbor Rich Trujillo add a healthy dollop of Southern and Mexican spice to the plot. Eccentric potter Azanna Nybak, best friend Eliva, and even Scout the dog add body to this story. A fun read that left me wanting more.

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Fowler's Benni Harper mysteries, but I really enjoyed this last one. It took a different approach than the previous books, but still had all of the fun and excitement of the previous plots. The characters are interesting, the language is clean, there is no blood and gore descriptives, there is romance without explicit detail. It is just a light mystery that is entertaining to read. So refreshing in the choices of mystery novels of today. I hope she continues to write Benni Harper books, I look forward to what happens with her next.

I found my first Earlene Fowler by accident in an airport bookstore, it was her second book. I then bought her first book and have bought every one since and intend to continue. Her characters develop and grow in each book and the stories continue to hold my interest. I have a crush on Gabe Ortiz. I am an avid reader and because there are too many books and too little time I rarely re-read but I have read each of her books more than once and I am enthralled and enveloped in the lives of people I've come to care about each time. This book in no exception and the end has a twist I didn't see coming although I almost always guess ahead what is going on. I was too caught up in her family drama to even consider the right answer. A great read.

benni harper faces her toughest, most personal mystery to date in mariner's compass, a compelling tale of family history, roots and love. she learns that she's inherited a house from a man she's never met and it soon becomes apparent that although she didn't know him, he certainly knew her. one condition of her inheritance is that she spend two weeks alone in the house jacob chandler willed to her, and the two weeks gives her time to delve into his motives and his murky personality. Spiritual without being preachy, earlene fowler's characters come alive and grow in the pages of her novels with a rare combination of depth and impassioned motivation. the benni harper series is one of the best, and mariner's compass may be the best of the series.

"Mariner's Compass" is Earlene Fowler's best book yet, and all of them have been excellent. Although there is a mystery in this book, and protagonist Benni Harper certainly does detection, Ms. Fowler's depth of writing and character development are so great in this well-told story exploring family relationships that "Mariner's Compass" transcends the mystery genre. I recommend this book not only to mystery-lovers but to everyone who enjoys reading a book they can't put down. Although I did want to know the outcome of the mystery (which was a well-crafted surprise!), at the same time I didn't want the story to end because I didn't want to stop reading. I wanted Ms. Fowler's graceful and often profound prose to go on forever. The next book can't come soon enough.