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Might have been written just for me
A Real Basket Case by Beth Groundwater is a really fun book, and just perfect to add to that gift basket for mother, sick friend, empty-nester, or whoever else you feel needs a bit of spice to cheer them up. Just be sure whoever reads it will be inspired to believe in themselves, in the future, and in the value of love and relationships.
Beth's protagonist, Claire Hanover, is a middle-aged mother of grown-up children, valued confidante of friends whose marriages are breaking up, and loyal wife. But an exercise class run by gloriously handsome Enrique surely can't be a problem, and all she agrees to is a massage. Depending on your own position in life, you'll either be crying out "Go for it Claire," or "Claire, don't do it!" as one of her friends eggs her on, and the other decries the duplicity of all men.
But things go drastically wrong. Claire's moment of pleasure becomes a trek through the seamy underbelly of Colorado Springs. Her husband is arrested for murder. Everyone thinks he's guilty. His boss threatens to fire him. And when Claire manages to arrange his bail, he retires straight to a friend's house because he doesn't believe she loves him anymore.
By the way, did you know that works? Arranging bail and all that?
Meanwhile Claire delivers gift baskets to the realtor, and tries to avoid getting shot by the local drug lord. She'd have every justification for ending up a real basket case, but that's not her aim, and true love, true grit, and true determination win through.
I love Claire. I love this story. And I'll soon be reading the sequel, To Hell in a Handbasket. I can hardly wait.1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Martha-A-Cheves
Posted February 23, 2009
A Very Enjoyable Book
I loved this book. Usually I have the bad guy figured out about halfway through a book. Not with this one. "A Real Basket Case" didn't reveal the killer until the last few pages. And I can't believe who it ended up being. This has been a really enjoyable book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery. Beth, don't change your way of writing!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted April 17, 2007
Great new cozy mystery series
Claire Hanover is feeling lonely. Her Colorado Springs gift basket business is enough to fulfill her. Her husband is working night and day and ignoring her. Her friend Ellen, who has been bitter since her divorce, gets her to join her exercise class. When their handsome aerobics instructor, Enrique, shows interest in Claire, Ellen urges her to have a fling. Claire agrees to a massage. What she didn¿t realize was that it would in her bedroom! Just when the massage was about to start, Enrique is shot and Roger, Claire¿s husband, is in the doorway with the gun. At first Claire isn¿t positive Roger is innocent, but soon realizes he¿s being framed. The police are happy they¿ve got their man, so she sets out to prove his innocence. She finds herself with many unsavory people in the course of her investigation, especially the drug dealers. Then there are the many gym ladies he supplied with cocaine or seduced for money. Can Claire sort out the suspects and find the killer before the killer finds her? I really enjoyed this book. I can¿t wait to read the next! Claire is such a fun character. The story kept my interest at every turn. It did have some situations where I found myself saying, no way would I do that. I felt a normal person would have called the police, but Claire persevered and won me over! I hope the author writes fast! I highly recommend this book.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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A fine amateur sleuth tale
In Colorado Springs, middle aged Claire Hanover suffers from an empty nest syndrome with her two children Michael and Judy at college and her spouse Roger, the Chief Finance Officer working late hours and ignoring her. She has some satisfaction with her gift basket business, but that fails to overcome the loneliness. Her best friend Ellen Kessler suggests she have a fling with her aerobics instructor Enrique Romero especially when he offers her a home massage, which she accepts.----------- Enrique comes over to her house, but someone shoots and kills him in Claire¿s bedroom. Immediately afterward, she sees Roger standing next to the bed holding the gun. Police Detective Wilson feels he has an ironclad case of a cuckold husband catching his wife with her lover, but Roger insists he is innocent. Claire believes him though he believes the worst in her. She begins investigating who would have a motive to kill Enrique besides Roger. As she fumbles her way through hookers, drug dealers, irate aerobic students, and some jail time, she soon concludes someone close to her fits might be the culprit.----------- Though Claire should have hired a professional investigator, readers will know her motives to risk her life are solid as she blames herself for causing the immediate mess by going outside her beliefs when she invited Enrique to her home. The story line is fast-paced as she follows clues that the police ignore because their case against her husband is overwhelmingly solid. Readers will appreciate this fine amateur sleuth as Claire knows if she fails she will become A REAL BASKET CASE.---------- Harriet Klausner
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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