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For Benni, the annual State Fair is a much anticipated break in her routine of overseeing museum exhibits, temperamental artists, and stubborn cattle. This year they are showing traditional African- American quilts. But when one is stolen and it leads to a cold-blooded murder, Benni realizes there is more to this fair, and she'll have to see who is really a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California, by a Southern mother and a Western father. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Allen, a large number of quilts, and twenty pairs of cowboy boots.
Benni Harper Ortiz is the curator of the Sinclair Folk Art Museum and Artist's Co-op. She has every intention of enjoying the San Celina Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles. The Ebony Sisters Quilt Guild, a spin off of the San Celina Quilt Guild, supports an exhibit of African-American quilts. The headliner is a copy of the renowned Harriet Powers' classic story quilt that took one year to replicate.
Benni's plans to enjoy the fair are crushed when she learns the Powers' duplication was stolen. She also finds out that the first black manager of the fair Levi Clark has been receiving hate mail. Trouble comes in threes when Benni finds a corpse in the Piebald Family Farm Exhibit. The victim is white male Calvin Jones, who was dating Les' daughter and at one time was involved with supremacist skinheads. Benni and her Aunt Garnet investigate only to end up in danger from someone who kills without remorse.
It has been a few years since Benni's last inquiry (see Tumbling Blocks), but fans of the series will appreciate her return and that of other friends as the State Fair proves an exciting venture. Putting aside the amateur sleuth too often finding a corpse (see Delectable Mountains) and need to investigate, readers will enjoy the often amusing inquiry by niece and aunt while the heroine's grandmother has a tendency to cool the heat between Benni and her spouse Gabe. Long time fans will welcome Benni back into the fold with this enjoyable whodunit.
Harriet Klausner
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Years ago I picked up my first Earlene Fowler 'Bennie Harper' mystery at a quilt show and have been reading them ever since. This is another great story as are all the others that precede it. I love that the author combined the fictional aspect of the story along with the real historical aspects of the 'blackcloth dolls'. I wish she would have included recipes of some of the dishes that she refers to in the book like the black walnut cake with maple frosting. The location and characters are great which makes for a wonderful story. If I were the author I'd be finding a new proofreader. There are a lot of mistakes in this book, i.e., duplicate words, wrong words, which is a slight interference, however, it shouldn't keep anyone from reading it. I wish I had a family like Benni Harper's and lived the life she does without the mystery part. This book inspired me to research blackcloth dolls and check out the video of the original 'State Fair' movie. Read the book and enjoy your local state fair!
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I have read and own all of the Benni Harper series and have mit been dissappointed yet. It is not a set I will part with and I hope they start lowering the price of these older paperbacks in ebook format. I would like to get them for my nook library too. Maybe they will box the set snd offer it at a better price. Earlane keep revisiting SanCelina, you have true devoted fand craving more!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted June 16, 2010
I Also Recommend:
Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper books go far beyond the mystery "cozy" concept. They're really novels that happen to have a homicide somewhere in the plot. While the murder portion is central to the plot of the story, it is by no means alone in the spotlight. The relationships of the characters spin intriguing subplots that carry through from book to book and offer just as much, if not more, enjoyment to the reader.
"State Fair" is a particularly good example of this. One can't help but like and admire Benni Harper and the members of her family and community as their full personalities are revealed, with human strengths and foibles. A secondary plotline confronts subtle and not-so-subtle racism in a realistic and enlightening way. Benni's religion is obviously important to her character, but is not "preachy" or banging a drum...a very realistic portrayal of how Christians try to live that has nothing to do with the politics of polarity.
Wonderful job, Ms. Fowler. I can't wait for more!
NellieWhitney
Posted May 27, 2010
Deep fried candy bars, deep fried cookies, deep fried jelly donuts- a stolen quilt, a murder, black cloth dolls, a strange acting aunt, and some tension between Hud from the sheriff's dept. and the Chief of Police. What do they all have in common Benni Harper Ortiz.
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Overview
For Benni, the annual State Fair is a much anticipated break in her routine of overseeing museum exhibits, temperamental artists, and stubborn cattle. This year they are showing traditional African- American quilts. But when one is stolen and it leads to a cold-blooded murder, Benni realizes there is more to this fair, and she'll have to see who is really a wolf in sheep's clothing.