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badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I'm pretty sure I'm only still reading these books so I can say I've read the entire series.
icalyn_13's review against another edition
3.0
Goodness I did not remember this series as well as I thought I would. I spent the first several chapters utterly lost about who is who....and that ended up making it hard to enjoy the book. The story itself was interesting and had great twists, but had a hard time with it honestly.
extrememochi's review against another edition
This has become such a comfort series for me, despite some questionable elements. I think its probably 90% due to Therese Plummers excellent narration.
lanoirede's review against another edition
3.0
I first fell in love with this series about ten years ago while in high school so I was pleasantly surprised/excited when I saw that Charlaine Harris continued the series. Especially since book 8 kind of ends on a cliffhanger.
I went into this book very excited and ended up very disappointed. I made sure to reread the entire series before starting Book 9 because I thought there might be things I forgot, I was right, so everything was fresh in my mind when I started All the Little Liars.
**spoilers ahead** While the actual mystery part of the book was good and on par with the rest of the series, it was the events of Aurora's life that were disappointing. So much of it didn't make sense.
Book 8 was published in 2003, Book 9 in 2016. Though there is a 13-year gap in between the two books it's written as if Book 9 takes place immediately after Book 8. However, it seems like someone forgot to tell that to Charlaine Harris. In Book 8, cell phones were new to people and Aurora had one that she never remembered to have on her and hated carrying around with her. In Book 9 she not only has it glued to her but she's constantly texting and calling people. It was completely out of character. Uber did not exist when Book 8 was published. Now in Book 9 despite the fact that it takes place literally days after Book 8 ended Uber is not only a thing but a completely normal thing for people to use every day.
Another inconsistancy was Aurora's pregnancy. It's never explained how a woman who previously had infertility problems and was told by doctors that she couldn't get preganant was suddenly pregnant. It was made known in previous books that the problem was Aurora and not her late husband so how did Robin manage to get her pregnant?
Another thing that I felt was an inconsistency was Aurora's feelings about her relationship with Martin. I really liked the character of Martin and was very disappointed when he died. I didn't like that their relationship was suddenly being framed as Martin being controlling over Aurora. I do admit that their relationship wasn't perfect but I didn't see it as that and I feel like Aurora in Book 8 wouldn't have thought of it that way.
I've been so bothered by these inconsistencies that I came back and wrote a review, my first lol, months after I read the book. I'm looking forward to continuing the series but I hope Charlaine Harris doesn't continue to have these inconsistent plot points.
I went into this book very excited and ended up very disappointed. I made sure to reread the entire series before starting Book 9 because I thought there might be things I forgot, I was right, so everything was fresh in my mind when I started All the Little Liars.
**spoilers ahead** While the actual mystery part of the book was good and on par with the rest of the series, it was the events of Aurora's life that were disappointing. So much of it didn't make sense.
Book 8 was published in 2003, Book 9 in 2016. Though there is a 13-year gap in between the two books it's written as if Book 9 takes place immediately after Book 8. However, it seems like someone forgot to tell that to Charlaine Harris. In Book 8, cell phones were new to people and Aurora had one that she never remembered to have on her and hated carrying around with her. In Book 9 she not only has it glued to her but she's constantly texting and calling people. It was completely out of character. Uber did not exist when Book 8 was published. Now in Book 9 despite the fact that it takes place literally days after Book 8 ended Uber is not only a thing but a completely normal thing for people to use every day.
Another inconsistancy was Aurora's pregnancy. It's never explained how a woman who previously had infertility problems and was told by doctors that she couldn't get preganant was suddenly pregnant. It was made known in previous books that the problem was Aurora and not her late husband so how did Robin manage to get her pregnant?
Another thing that I felt was an inconsistency was Aurora's feelings about her relationship with Martin. I really liked the character of Martin and was very disappointed when he died. I didn't like that their relationship was suddenly being framed as Martin being controlling over Aurora. I do admit that their relationship wasn't perfect but I didn't see it as that and I feel like Aurora in Book 8 wouldn't have thought of it that way.
I've been so bothered by these inconsistencies that I came back and wrote a review, my first lol, months after I read the book. I'm looking forward to continuing the series but I hope Charlaine Harris doesn't continue to have these inconsistent plot points.
peppermintbat's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
meshuggeknitter's review against another edition
3.0
I frankly did not remember reading this book so listened to the audiobook in March 2020. While I rated it a 4 in 2016, I would have rated it a 2 upon re-reading so I averaged it out to a 3. I don’t remember why I liked it so much on the first reading especially since I remembered nothing of the story.
meeghanreads's review against another edition
1.0
Charlaine Harris, most notably known for writing the Southern Vampire series (which was then turned into the TV show True Blood) commenced writing the Aurora Teagarden mysteries in 1990, and published the eighth (and last at that time) in 2003. Fast forward 13 years and she has written and published book nine in the set.
Aurora Teagarden is a librarian turned sleuth, and is up to her 4'11" (5'0" on a good day) height in trouble. I like most of Harris' characters, each for different reasons, but Aurora's love of books has always appealed to me.
As this story commences, Aurora (Roe) has married her second husband of the series, and her and Robin are expecting their first child. Roe is worried as she is an older first-time mother (at the age of 37), and so her and Robin are being careful before they announce anything. Phillip, Roe's half-brother (aged 15) is also living with them as he ran away from his parents - their gambling, philandering father, Phil, and Phillip's mum Betty Jo. Phillip has just started to fit in and make friends in town when he and said friends all go missing. Things go from bad to worse when a teenage body turns up, and another commits suicide.
I had always thought of Harris as a solid writer, but there was something about this books that just set me on edge. It could have been that I have been reading such stellar writing all this year up to now, but this book seemed like a half-assed effort to appease Harris' readers who asked for more Aurora stories.
The writing was childish and immature, and the storyline was under-developed. The ending was bordering on the ridiculous and felt rushed. I've only made that complaint a few other times, but Harris' final book in the Harper Connelly series had that same 'crammed' feeling - like she was trying to tie up everything in a neat bow too quickly and forgot about attempting to have the story make sense.
The characters also felt a bit flat - it could be that it's been a long time between books, but it was nearly two decades between readings of the Obernewtyn series, so I can't help but think that time is not the real reason here. Also, there is something about Robin that I just don't like or trust. I kept waiting for Roe's new hubby to be the kidnapper (even though I knew that wasn't the case). In fact the book would have been just the same without him in it - he literally made no difference to the overall plot.
I kept hanging on, even as the number of pages quickly diminished, that the old Aurora from my memory would come back and start puzzling to figure it out. Librarian-turned-sleuth is what she is supposed to be - but it felt like she was too wrapped up in her own pregnancy (or dazed? I'm not sure), then right at the end she took a random pot shot of a guess and it miraculously all worked out for them. Not my kind of mystery - sorry Charlaine.
Harris' other most recent novels are the Midnight trilogy, and I loved those. This just didn't have the same spark. It felt like I was reading a poorly written episode of Pretty Little Liars with more aged characters in it, as if it was focused on the parents instead of the teens.
To be honest, I was pretty disappointed in this book, and (like HPatCC) I kind of wish that Harris had left well enough alone.
♥ ♥ - 2/10 hearts
Aurora Teagarden is a librarian turned sleuth, and is up to her 4'11" (5'0" on a good day) height in trouble. I like most of Harris' characters, each for different reasons, but Aurora's love of books has always appealed to me.
As this story commences, Aurora (Roe) has married her second husband of the series, and her and Robin are expecting their first child. Roe is worried as she is an older first-time mother (at the age of 37), and so her and Robin are being careful before they announce anything. Phillip, Roe's half-brother (aged 15) is also living with them as he ran away from his parents - their gambling, philandering father, Phil, and Phillip's mum Betty Jo. Phillip has just started to fit in and make friends in town when he and said friends all go missing. Things go from bad to worse when a teenage body turns up, and another commits suicide.
I had always thought of Harris as a solid writer, but there was something about this books that just set me on edge. It could have been that I have been reading such stellar writing all this year up to now, but this book seemed like a half-assed effort to appease Harris' readers who asked for more Aurora stories.
The writing was childish and immature, and the storyline was under-developed. The ending was bordering on the ridiculous and felt rushed. I've only made that complaint a few other times, but Harris' final book in the Harper Connelly series had that same 'crammed' feeling - like she was trying to tie up everything in a neat bow too quickly and forgot about attempting to have the story make sense.
The characters also felt a bit flat - it could be that it's been a long time between books, but it was nearly two decades between readings of the Obernewtyn series, so I can't help but think that time is not the real reason here. Also, there is something about Robin that I just don't like or trust. I kept waiting for Roe's new hubby to be the kidnapper (even though I knew that wasn't the case). In fact the book would have been just the same without him in it - he literally made no difference to the overall plot.
I kept hanging on, even as the number of pages quickly diminished, that the old Aurora from my memory would come back and start puzzling to figure it out. Librarian-turned-sleuth is what she is supposed to be - but it felt like she was too wrapped up in her own pregnancy (or dazed? I'm not sure), then right at the end she took a random pot shot of a guess and it miraculously all worked out for them. Not my kind of mystery - sorry Charlaine.
Harris' other most recent novels are the Midnight trilogy, and I loved those. This just didn't have the same spark. It felt like I was reading a poorly written episode of Pretty Little Liars with more aged characters in it, as if it was focused on the parents instead of the teens.
To be honest, I was pretty disappointed in this book, and (like HPatCC) I kind of wish that Harris had left well enough alone.
♥ ♥ - 2/10 hearts
ipomoea's review against another edition
3.0
I received an advance copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I devoured Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries. So when I found out about these decidedly un-supernatural cozy mysteries, I had to give them a try. The Aurora Teagarden books aren't High Art, but they are fun, sweet little things that I can gobble up in a couple late nights and feel fine afterwards. I've skipped around in the series over the years and I can mostly keep the characters' histories straight and if I can't, they generally aren't essential to the plot.
In this, Aurora's in the midst of some upheaval in her life-- she's recently married, her teenage half-brother has moved in with her, and she's even more recently pregnant. Her brother is settling into the rhythms of small town teenage life, and Roe is getting used to her upcoming arrival, when her brother doesn't come home one day... and neither do almost half a dozen other teens. As Roe tries to locate her brother, a body turns up, and almost as bad, so does her deadbeat father from California, ready to raise hell in her life and make a scene over the son he didn't miss that badly.
I'm not very good at solving mysteries, but at 80% I had this figured out. The characters and the rhythm of small town life are interesting, but there's a social media/bullying subplot that's awkwardly horned in and it sort of threw me off. That said, this was still fun and a nice gateway into mystery for folks who prefer their books with sulky civil war vampires.
I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I devoured Harris's Southern Vampire Mysteries. So when I found out about these decidedly un-supernatural cozy mysteries, I had to give them a try. The Aurora Teagarden books aren't High Art, but they are fun, sweet little things that I can gobble up in a couple late nights and feel fine afterwards. I've skipped around in the series over the years and I can mostly keep the characters' histories straight and if I can't, they generally aren't essential to the plot.
In this, Aurora's in the midst of some upheaval in her life-- she's recently married, her teenage half-brother has moved in with her, and she's even more recently pregnant. Her brother is settling into the rhythms of small town teenage life, and Roe is getting used to her upcoming arrival, when her brother doesn't come home one day... and neither do almost half a dozen other teens. As Roe tries to locate her brother, a body turns up, and almost as bad, so does her deadbeat father from California, ready to raise hell in her life and make a scene over the son he didn't miss that badly.
I'm not very good at solving mysteries, but at 80% I had this figured out. The characters and the rhythm of small town life are interesting, but there's a social media/bullying subplot that's awkwardly horned in and it sort of threw me off. That said, this was still fun and a nice gateway into mystery for folks who prefer their books with sulky civil war vampires.
rdyourbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
I was so happy to see another Aurora Teagarden book. I’ve been enjoying the movies on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and the only thing better than them is a new book!
Because of the missing teens, a lot was revealed about people in Aurora’s life. Digging up all of the dirt didn’t necessarily lead to finding them, however. The mystery was a complicated one and I enjoyed unraveling what happened. Seeing changes in Aurora’s life, like being pregnant and married to Robin was fun as well. I hope to see more Aurora Teagarden books and movies in the future!
Because of the missing teens, a lot was revealed about people in Aurora’s life. Digging up all of the dirt didn’t necessarily lead to finding them, however. The mystery was a complicated one and I enjoyed unraveling what happened. Seeing changes in Aurora’s life, like being pregnant and married to Robin was fun as well. I hope to see more Aurora Teagarden books and movies in the future!