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nekreader's review
2.0
This author is badly in need of an editor who knows his/her job. Although the setting is wonderful and the main character likeable, the book is riddled with inconsistencies and repetition. For example, in the 4th book in the series, which is set in October, Natalie is wearing an engagement ring. In this book, set in December, she supposedly got the ring at Thanksgiving. The author also repeats phrases, descriptions, and details like talking about gaining weight and needing to wear a muumuu. Other reviews have pointed out other glaring inconsistencies. A good editor could point these details out. A good editor could also point out that her main character isn't really growing or evolving. The mystery series set in popular vacation spot can be a charming vacation read, but this series is rapidly becoming boring.
librarianlinda82's review
5.0
I really have enjoyed this series although when will Natalie learned not to approach people alone.
git_r_read's review
5.0
This series continues to get better and better with each entry. Not that it was ever not better, that's how good it is. This helped me sleep in beds not my own as young'n and I traveled around Kansas last week and it helped me acclimate once we returned home and sharing the bed with two 60 lb Doodles who like to take up space and kick in their sleep. Waking at various times of the night had me reading my Nook with this book to lull me back to sleep...eventually. It's an intriguing story that had me also reading "just one more page". sigh.....
Poor Nat has a crappe-tonne of stuff on her plate in this book. Money issues, death, brutal attacks and a visiting future mother-in-law who is less than enthused to have Nat join the family.
That Natalie keeps pushing on is a testament to her intestinal fortitude. Someone else might just huddle in a corner and wait for the bad stuff to go away.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
Poor Nat has a crappe-tonne of stuff on her plate in this book. Money issues, death, brutal attacks and a visiting future mother-in-law who is less than enthused to have Nat join the family.
That Natalie keeps pushing on is a testament to her intestinal fortitude. Someone else might just huddle in a corner and wait for the bad stuff to go away.
I can definitely recommend this book, series and author.
lakecake's review
3.0
There was a lot happening here, and some of the ends just felt too hastily tied up to me. The central mystery was a good one, with a lot of twists and turns that really kept the interest. The side plots--the mortgage fiasco, the homophobic undertones, the crazy family member and the mother-in-law to be--were really mostly dead weight and not that necessary for the plot. I feel like they confused things more than added to the main story.
teriboop's review
4.0
Brush with Death is Karen MacInerney's 5th installment in the Gray Whale Inn mystery series. I have enjoyed this light and fun mystery series that takes place on the little Maine community of Cranberry Island. Full of quirky characters, Brush with Death follows Natalie Barnes, owner of the Gray Whale Inn Bed and Breakfast, as she happens upon the murder and murderer of Fernand, the local art studio owner. There are bonus recipes at the end of the book of all the food mentioned in the story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
nonna7's review
3.0
The fifth in the Gray Whale Inn series is, as usual, a light read with a very slight edge. Natalie Barnes has made a happy transition from a previous job in Texas to owner of a bed and breakfast on an island near Bar Harbor, Maine. In this book, she is engaged to John, a hunky sheriff's deputy and artist. It's December. Christmas is coming. This is down time for the inn.
However, Natalie is glad to have the breather. Having recently refinanced the inn, she now has a cushion. Life is good, right? Now if the engagement ring John gave her, the one that was his grandmother's, seems to have triggered an allergy. To complicate matters, John's mother is visiting. She makes Natalie feel inadequate, and Natalie has the feeling that her future mother-in-law was hoping for a better match for her only son.
In the meantime, her niece, Gwen, a gifted artist is getting ready for her first show. Meanwhile, a famous artist and her agent have rented a house on the island so the artist can rest and paint. The island's resident artist, Fernand, is hosting a party for her. The day after the party he is found dead, an apparent suicide. However Gwen is NOT convinced. Fernand has been mentoring her, and there has been nothing in his behavior to indicate that he was depressed. I
n the meantime, Natalie also has to deal with the fact that the lawyer who handled the closing for her refinance apparently did NOT pay off her previous mortgage. Now the previous mortgage holder is preparing to foreclose. There's not a lot of mystery here, but the characters are interesting and complex. The scenery is wonderful, and there are even some great recipes at the end.
However, Natalie is glad to have the breather. Having recently refinanced the inn, she now has a cushion. Life is good, right? Now if the engagement ring John gave her, the one that was his grandmother's, seems to have triggered an allergy. To complicate matters, John's mother is visiting. She makes Natalie feel inadequate, and Natalie has the feeling that her future mother-in-law was hoping for a better match for her only son.
In the meantime, her niece, Gwen, a gifted artist is getting ready for her first show. Meanwhile, a famous artist and her agent have rented a house on the island so the artist can rest and paint. The island's resident artist, Fernand, is hosting a party for her. The day after the party he is found dead, an apparent suicide. However Gwen is NOT convinced. Fernand has been mentoring her, and there has been nothing in his behavior to indicate that he was depressed. I
n the meantime, Natalie also has to deal with the fact that the lawyer who handled the closing for her refinance apparently did NOT pay off her previous mortgage. Now the previous mortgage holder is preparing to foreclose. There's not a lot of mystery here, but the characters are interesting and complex. The scenery is wonderful, and there are even some great recipes at the end.
dollycas's review
5.0
Winter on Cranberry Island should be a time for Natalie to relax but her niece is preparing to show her paintings at an art show, her future mother-in-law is coming to visit and she has just received a foreclosure notice for the Inn. Then she finds her niece’s mentor dead and when she realizes he really didn’t commit suicide she puts herself right in the line of fire as she tries to uncover the truth.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
After just losing our house to foreclosure this one started out hitting a little close to home but as I continued to read Natalie’s circumstances were totally different than ours so I was able to get right past it and enjoy the splendor of Cranberry Island and its residents. But the financial woes of another character did break my heart.
The mystery had more than a few twists and kept me enthralled to the final page. John was away from the island when the murder occurred so Natalie was sleuthing on her own. Gwen was dealing with conflicting advice from Natalie and the gallery owner while trying to deal with her mentor’s death. John’s mother grew by leaps and bounds for me in this installment. Plus Natalie’s way with food and her ability to just whip something up had me drooling.
The author pulls us right into the story. We can feel the frigid air and the freezing water, smell the muffins baking and picture Gwen’s masterpieces with such ease. If this is a new series for you start at the beginning with Murder on the Rocks but if you are like me you have been waiting for this installment you will devour this story. Karen MacInerney has exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to return to Cranberry Island again soon.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
After just losing our house to foreclosure this one started out hitting a little close to home but as I continued to read Natalie’s circumstances were totally different than ours so I was able to get right past it and enjoy the splendor of Cranberry Island and its residents. But the financial woes of another character did break my heart.
The mystery had more than a few twists and kept me enthralled to the final page. John was away from the island when the murder occurred so Natalie was sleuthing on her own. Gwen was dealing with conflicting advice from Natalie and the gallery owner while trying to deal with her mentor’s death. John’s mother grew by leaps and bounds for me in this installment. Plus Natalie’s way with food and her ability to just whip something up had me drooling.
The author pulls us right into the story. We can feel the frigid air and the freezing water, smell the muffins baking and picture Gwen’s masterpieces with such ease. If this is a new series for you start at the beginning with Murder on the Rocks but if you are like me you have been waiting for this installment you will devour this story. Karen MacInerney has exceeded my expectations. I can’t wait to return to Cranberry Island again soon.
piepieb's review
One of the best Gray Whale Inn mysteries!
As Natalie says toward the end of this book, she not just loves her beautiful inn ... but she loves the people in her life even more. In this installment we see the islanders - familiar faces and new ones - just as strongly as before.
Gwen's art mentor dies under mysterious circumstances, and there's a weird relationship between a new artist on the island and her agent. Natalie comes across a voodoo doll, and goat's blood is thrown at her house. The mystery culminates in a heartstopping rescue out on the water!
This book takes place around Christmas, and it's fun to see holiday preparations. I loved the focus on art, too!
This is a cozy mystery, true, but I feel like it has more "substance" - it's more solid - than other cozy mysteries I've read. I love the gorgeous Maine setting!
As Natalie says toward the end of this book, she not just loves her beautiful inn ... but she loves the people in her life even more. In this installment we see the islanders - familiar faces and new ones - just as strongly as before.
Gwen's art mentor dies under mysterious circumstances, and there's a weird relationship between a new artist on the island and her agent. Natalie comes across a voodoo doll, and goat's blood is thrown at her house. The mystery culminates in a heartstopping rescue out on the water!
This book takes place around Christmas, and it's fun to see holiday preparations. I loved the focus on art, too!
This is a cozy mystery, true, but I feel like it has more "substance" - it's more solid - than other cozy mysteries I've read. I love the gorgeous Maine setting!
mhchipmunk's review against another edition
2.0
I would give this a 2.5 out of 5. Brush With Death is 5th in the Gray Whale Inn mystery series and my first experience with the series. I picked up the book at the library because the setting and characters sounded charming and the mystery revolved around the art world, which is one of my favourite worlds.
And guess what? The setting and the characters WERE charming. The book moves along at a good clip, the story and the mystery were decent although perhaps not terribly tricky to figure out. But it had all the earmarks of a good cozy mystery.
So why only 2 (or 2.5) stars? The editing was terrible. Absolutely terrible. It was like watching a period drama on tv and spotting airplanes and water bottles and cell phones all over the place. So many small continuity errors that are totally unacceptable in a mystery novel where small details really count. At one point, I couldn't even follow a conversation between two characters. I even checked to see if the book had been self-published and perhaps the author had been unable to hire an editor but that was not the case. It really detracted from what was otherwise a fun read. I will give the series one more try because overall, it does get good reviews but if the editing isn't miles better I think I'll give up on it.
And guess what? The setting and the characters WERE charming. The book moves along at a good clip, the story and the mystery were decent although perhaps not terribly tricky to figure out. But it had all the earmarks of a good cozy mystery.
So why only 2 (or 2.5) stars? The editing was terrible. Absolutely terrible. It was like watching a period drama on tv and spotting airplanes and water bottles and cell phones all over the place. So many small continuity errors that are totally unacceptable in a mystery novel where small details really count. At one point, I couldn't even follow a conversation between two characters. I even checked to see if the book had been self-published and perhaps the author had been unable to hire an editor but that was not the case. It really detracted from what was otherwise a fun read. I will give the series one more try because overall, it does get good reviews but if the editing isn't miles better I think I'll give up on it.