The reason I picked up this book was to get a head start on a reading challenge for 2015, which suggested I read a book set in my home town. It was really cool to see which images I imagined and which were real places I filled in with real memories. Being set in my hometown also had some draw backs though. For instance, the characters eat out a lot, and they always go to the ritziest places in town! I get that they are supposed to be wealthy, but it didn't feel real to me. I just can't imagine heading over to the Broadmoor or the Cliff House after hitting the gym. Especially since they're a decent drive apart, and there's probably plenty of perfectly fashionable Panera Breads along the way.Even though the book is less than ten years old, it cracks me up how much technology has changed. All this talk of compact disc players and looking things up in the phone book seem so foreign now!The characters developed nicely, and I wasn't able to guess the ending early. I really enjoyed reading A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater. It was a light, quick read that was laced with humor. I also enjoyed the fact that I could identify with where Claire finds herself in her middle-age - with an empty nest and often at loose ends.I especially liked the twists and turns the story took. Unlike many other reviewers, I hadn't guessed "whodunit" early in the story. I truly appreciated the fact that a couple of the characters that I had truly disliked were making sincere efforts to redeem themselves by the book's end (her husband, Roger and her friend, Ellen). I look forward to reading To Hell in a Handbasket to see what happens next for Claire - a murder close by that will need solving, no doubt, but also the good life changes that Claire deserves!
What do You think about A Real Basket Case (2011)?
Loved the Colorado Springs references.. otherwise a pretty average cozy mystery.
—xiopau
I liked this book. It was short and straight to the point.
—joe
Nicely plotted and written. Can't wait for her next book
—Davina
