Dove in the Window
Read Dove in the Window Online
Authors: Earlene Fowler
| Dove in the Window |
| Fowler, Earlene |
| Berkley (1999) |
A fifth go-around for Benni Harper (Goose in the Pond, 1997, not
reviewed, etc.), the ranch-bred widow of Jack Harper, whos now married
to San Celica, California, Police Chief Gabe Ortiz. San Celica is having
a Heritage Days celebration, and Benni, as curator of the Folk Arts
Museum and Artists Co-op, is in the thick of it. Her elegant southern
cousin Emory Littleton (with a mega-crush on Bennis best friend Elvia
Aragon) is staying with her, and at her fathers ranch, presided over by
Grandmother Dove, a huge family gathering is in progress. Disaster
strikes when talented young photographer Shelby Johnson is found dead
one early morningmurder or accident? Ranch-hand Kip Waterman and
hard-drinking Wade Harper, brother of Bennis late husband, had come to
blows over Shelby the night before. Matters worsen when, days latter,
Kips drowned body is discovered behind the Frio Saloon. Through it all,
Benni has to calm her artist friends Olivia Contreras and Greer Shannon,
deal with a zillion chores, and cope with the unexpected presence of
renowned photographer Isaac Lyons, Shelbys stepgrandfather, who seems
smitten with Grandma Dove. In the end, its Bennis investigative
collaboration with Isaac (over Gabes strong objections) that brings a
killer to a kind of justice. The quest for whodunit is all but buried
under Bennis breezy down-home chatter, sometimes mawkish soul-searching,
and descriptions of the celebrations endless eventsfrom the local
gallerys show of women artists to the Cow-Plop contest. But Bennis
warmly likable persona makes it all worthwhileespecially for lovers of
the cozy genre. —
has an eye for murderous designs—and a talent for piecing together the
most complex and cold-blooded crimes
Benni and her relatives and
friends are gathered for the family's annual barbecue and cattle
roundup. Among the guests is Shelby Johnson, a young photography
student from a wealthy Chicago family. In Benni she finds a favorite
subject and a new friend. But when the young woman's body is discovered
on the ranch the next morning, Benni's closest relatives suddenly
develop into prime murder suspects...
* Fifth in the popular Benni Harper mystery series
* Each book features a different quilt pattern
| Dove in the Window |
| Fowler, Earlene |
| Berkley (1999) |
A fifth go-around for Benni Harper (Goose in the Pond, 1997, not
reviewed, etc.), the ranch-bred widow of Jack Harper, whos now married
to San Celica, California, Police Chief Gabe Ortiz. San Celica is having
a Heritage Days celebration, and Benni, as curator of the Folk Arts
Museum and Artists Co-op, is in the thick of it. Her elegant southern
cousin Emory Littleton (with a mega-crush on Bennis best friend Elvia
Aragon) is staying with her, and at her fathers ranch, presided over by
Grandmother Dove, a huge family gathering is in progress. Disaster
strikes when talented young photographer Shelby Johnson is found dead
one early morningmurder or accident? Ranch-hand Kip Waterman and
hard-drinking Wade Harper, brother of Bennis late husband, had come to
blows over Shelby the night before. Matters worsen when, days latter,
Kips drowned body is discovered behind the Frio Saloon. Through it all,
Benni has to calm her artist friends Olivia Contreras and Greer Shannon,
deal with a zillion chores, and cope with the unexpected presence of
renowned photographer Isaac Lyons, Shelbys stepgrandfather, who seems
smitten with Grandma Dove. In the end, its Bennis investigative
collaboration with Isaac (over Gabes strong objections) that brings a
killer to a kind of justice. The quest for whodunit is all but buried
under Bennis breezy down-home chatter, sometimes mawkish soul-searching,
and descriptions of the celebrations endless eventsfrom the local
gallerys show of women artists to the Cow-Plop contest. But Bennis
warmly likable persona makes it all worthwhileespecially for lovers of
the cozy genre. —
Product Description
Benni Harper, the spirited ex-cowgirl, quilter, and folk-art expert,
has an eye for murderous designs—and a talent for piecing together the
most complex and cold-blooded crimes
Benni and her relatives and
friends are gathered for the family's annual barbecue and cattle
roundup. Among the guests is Shelby Johnson, a young photography
student from a wealthy Chicago family. In Benni she finds a favorite
subject and a new friend. But when the young woman's body is discovered
on the ranch the next morning, Benni's closest relatives suddenly
develop into prime murder suspects...
* Fifth in the popular Benni Harper mystery series
* Each book features a different quilt pattern
Table of Contents
Praise for Earlene Fowler’s
Benni Harper Mysteries
DOVE IN THE WINDOW
Nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel
“Excellent ... While the characters are perhaps the most vivid feature, setting nearly edges them out. Best of all is Benni’s sharp, sassy voice.”
—
Booknews
“Fowler writes beautifully about the picturesque Central Coast, ranching, and local cuisine.”
—
Booklist
GOOSE IN THE POND
Nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel
“Engaging.”
—
Booklist
“Brilliantly crafted romantic suspense ... waiting to be devoured by the reader.”
—
The Mystery Zone
“A fast, fun read that jumps into the action right from the get-go.”
—
San Luis Obispo (CA) Telegram-Tribune
KANSAS TROUBLES
Nominated for an Agatha Award for Best Novel
“Mayhem, murder, chaos, and romance ... well-paced mystery ... fun reading.”
—
The Derby (KS) Daily Reporter
“Fowler’s story about a sassy ex-cowgirl and quilter who loves to solve crimes ... is a lot of fun to read. Fowler has a deft touch ...”
—
Wichita Eagle
IRISH CHAIN
“A TERRIFIC WHODUNIT! The dialogue is intelligent and witty, the characters intensely human, and the tantalizing puzzle keeps the pages turning.”
—Jean Hager, author of
The Redbird’s Cry
and
Blooming Murder
“A BLUE-RIBBON COZY ... This well-textured sequel to
Fool’s Puzzle
... intricately blends social history and modern mystery.”
—
Publishers Weekly
“CHARMING, BEGUILING, AND ENTRANCING ...
Irish Chain
is a total joy.”
—
The Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger
“A DELIGHTFUL AND WITTY MYSTERY full of endearing characters. It offers insights into quilts ... folk art, and historical events that add depth to its multi-layered story.”
—
Gothic Journal
FOOL’S PUZZLE
Nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Mystery
“CHARACTERS COME TO FULL THREE-DIMENSIONAL LIFE, and her plot is satisfyingly complex.”
—
The Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger
“BREEZY, HUMOROUS DIALOGUE OF THE FIRST ORDER ... Quilt patterns provide a real and metaphorical background...”
—
Chicago Sun-Times
“I LOVED
FOOL’S PUZZLE
... [Earlene Fowler] made me laugh out loud on one page and brought tears to my eyes the next ... I can’t wait to read more.”
—Margaret Maron, Edgar
®
Award—winning author
of
Bootlegger’s Daughter
“A CRACKERJACK DEBUT.”
—
I Love a Mystery
“A RIPPING READ. It’s smart, vigorous, and more than funny: Within its humor is wrenching insight.”
—Noreen Ayres, author of
A World the Color of Salt
“I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED
FOOL’S PUZZLE
... Fowler’s characters are terrific ... a super job.”
—Eve K. Sandstrom, author of
Death Down Home
“A NEAT LITTLE MYSTERY ... her plot is compelling.”
—
Booklist
Berkley Prime Crime Books by Earlene Fowler
THE SADDLEMAKER’S WIFE
The Benni Harper Mysteries
FOOL’S PUZZLE
IRISH CHAIN
KANSAS TROUBLES
GOOSE IN THE POND
DOVE IN THE WINDOW
MARINER’S COMPASS
SEVEN SISTERS
ARKANSAS TRAVELER
STEPS TO THE ALTAR
SUNSHINE AND SHADOW
BROKEN DISHES
DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS
TUMBLING BLOCKS
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously,
and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
DOVE IN THE WINDOW
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with
the author
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 by Earlene Fowler.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be
reproduced in any form without permission.
For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The Edgar
®
name is a registered service mark of
the Mystery Writers of America, Inc.
eISBN : 978-1-101-49844-6
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published
by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
The name BERKLEY PRIME CRIME and the BERKLEY PRIME CRIME
design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
To girlfriends
past, present and future
for the laughter and the tears
and
To Juanita
wherever you are
for what might have been
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No writer writes in a vacuum. Here are those to whom I owe a multitude of thanks:
For every day, for every word—thank you, Lord Jesus
For their wonderful support—booksellers and librarians everywhere
For courage and stamina on the literary battlefield—my editor, Judith Palais, and my agent, Deborah Schneider
For specialized help and/or comfort—Mary Atkinson, Bonnie Barrett-Wolf, Ginny Debolt, Justine and Jim Dunn, Joy Fitzhugh, Jim and Elaine Gardiner, Karen Gray, Christine Hill, Debra Jackson, Ann Lee, Jo-Ann Mapson, Charlene Marie, Leslie and Joe Patronik
For long and loyal friendship—Jan Annigoni, Kandi Bradley, Juli Scherer
And to my husband, Allen, for always being there. It’s been an old-fashioned love song from the moment we met.
DOVE IN THE WINDOW
Dove in the Window is an intricate star pattern made of primarily diamond shapes that give it a sharp, exacting look. Probably of East Coast origin, the early nineteenth-century pattern in one of its many forms presents a picture suggestive of birds resting beak to beak. The design is said to have derived its name from the days when everyone had barns with dovecotes—round holes cut in the gable and a tiny platform beneath—all for the accommodation of pet pigeons. Each square can contain as many as fifty-six pieces, making it a time-consuming pattern not suggested for the impatient quilter. Some other names for the pattern are: Flying Star, Four Doves, Bluebirds for Happiness, Bird of Paradise, Mother’s Choice Flying Fish, Crow’s Foot, and Crossroads.