Broken Dishes (Benni Harper Series #11) by Earlene Fowler

From Barnes & Noble

The Barnes & Noble Review
Good things come in threes, so here's a tantalizing trio for you. Broken Dishes is the name of a popular patchwork pattern, dating back to the 1790s. It's the nickname the central California locals give the Broken DIS Ranch that's the setting of this book. And it's also the title of the 11th Benni Harper mystery by Agatha Award–winning author Earlene Fowler. In this outing, Benni is helping out her friends Shawna and Johnny at their dude ranch, as they entertain a group of guests gathered for a Western-style quilting extravaganza. Everyone knows that this event could make or break the fledgling business. And with rumors abuzz that a famous travel writer is among the visitors, the stress level for Benni and her friends has more peaks than the nearby Diablo Mountains. Shawna and Johnny's dreams for the future seem fated to shatter when a dog discovers a human bone on their ranch. Things go from bad to worse as more disturbing discoveries pile up, including a shallow grave, a murdered man, and a midnight prowler who visits the hidden burial place…not to mention unsettling cases of theft and arson. With the police pursuing a seriously unproductive traditional investigation, it's up to Benni to keep everything from crashing down. She must find the truth -- before a man is accused of a crime he didn't commit and a woman loses her only chance to right an old wrong. Sue Stone

From the Publisher

Benni's friend and her husband have opened a dude ranch that's about to go belly-up. So Benni helps out, tempting vacationers with a Western extravaganza. Soon, she's cooking and quilting with a slew of tenderfoots. But the fun turns sour when a dog finds a human bone on the property and Benni uncovers the remains of a man murdered outlaw-style.

Publishers Weekly

In Fowler's 11th Benni Harper mystery (after 2003's Sunshine and Shadow), one of the best yet in this well-written cozy series, quilter Benni comes to the rescue of Shawna and Johnny Abbot, the new owners of the Broken DIS (aka the Broken Dishes) cattle ranch, now converted to a guest ranch. The opening of the retreat goes smoothly, until a makeshift grave is discovered during the ladies' first trail ride. Finding a dead body, albeit skeletal, around Benni is nothing new, and neither is the arrival of Detective Ford "Hud" Hudson their paths have crossed before, and not to the liking of Benni's luscious Latino hubby, Police Chief Gabe Ortiz. Gabe's presence at the Broken Dishes insures more testosterone-fueled battles than the ones already boiling between Johnny and head wrangler Whip. Rumors that a syndicated travel critic is secretly among the ranch's first guests add to the staff's already abundant distress, and tempers and tensions stretch to their absolute limits. Plenty of exciting PG-rated action some mild flirtation and innuendo is as sexy as it gets will keep the reader turning the pages, while Fowler's sense of humor crops up in character names like Kitty Katz and Bunny Hopp, as well as in Benni's wise and witty personality. Agent, Ellen Geiger. (May 4) Forecast: The author won an Agatha for 1999's Mariner's Compass. She should have a good shot at winning another with this superior effort. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Cowgirl and sometime sleuth Benni winds up investigating murder when she attempts to help some friends publicize their California dude ranch. If the murder isn't solved quickly, their guests will be scared away. For all collections. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents