Mariner's Compass (Benni Harper Mystery) Mass Market Paperback – April 1, 2000

It's not about quilting either, despite the title (although of this author's books have quilt block titles).The story involves Benni Harper inheriting a house and some money from a total stranger. Who is this man and why did he leave everything to her? The will has an odd provision -- in order to inherit, she has to spend the night alone in the house -- for two weeks. Benni's police chief husband is fighting her all the way on this (and this couple does seem to have a lot of conflict), but Benni is determined to do this on her own and without his protection. Benni finds herself on a kind of scavenger hunt begun by the man who left her the house -- who is taking a big chance, it seemed to me, that she'd pick up on the initial clue and be able to solve the puzzle of who he is and why he left her everything. Benni gets to know a number of people in the California coastal town that the house is located in, and quite a few of the people who knew the deceased (Jacob Chandler) them seem angry that Benni inherited. This makes both Benni and her husband Gabe nervous and adds to the tension.All in all, this book was a page turner -- so much so that I finally cheated and looked at the ending so I could get some sleep. There is indeed a murder in the book, but it seems less important than finding out who Jacob Chandler was and why he was "stalking" Benni.

Benni receives a mysterious bequest from a dead stranger: stay in his home alone for two weeks and inherit his entire estate. The home is 12 miles away in Morro Bay and as she stays in the home she is led on a scavenger hunt to find the true identity of the late Jacob Chandler. His identity was an easy guess at the beginning from the foreshadowing that's gone on in the previous books, but the trail of obscure clues was fun to follow with Benni as things became more strange and dangerous. She is assisted by a retired Hispanic fireman next door who gives her some clues into Gabe's psyche as she struggles to alternately free herself from his protectiveness and dive into it. She won't admit to herself that she is terrified of being alone and having more people leave her, so she hides it by being tough and invulnerable. Slowly she and Gabe are learning to how to deal with each other's idiosyncrasies as they work to make this second marriage thrive. These characters come with some real-life baggage and although Benni is sometimes annoying in her reactions, she's a fun character who is maturing. This story also has Gabe dealing with a sit-in by Gramma Dove and her cronies in an attempt to save the local historical museum from the new mayor. She is a plucky, fun character. These novels also deal with some art form and this one is Jacob's wood carvings and the wisdom he imparts posthumously about working with wood.

The Earlene Fowler "Benni Harper Mystery" series keeps getting more rounded characters. I have loved it since the first book, but have grown to know the characters better with each addition. The mysteries are tight and the endings satisfying.

I'm in the process of reading the Benni Harper series. This is my favorite so far. It's not a typical mystery, which made it surprisingly interesting.

Benni inherits the estate of someone she swears she has never heard of. As if this isn't complicated enough, there are some strange stipulations in the will and some devious clues she has to unravel. An interesting read, and an enjoyable time trying to figure out what the clues mean.

I have read many of Earlene Fowler's novels and I enjoy them all. As a quilter, I enjoy the tie-in to quilting, and as a Californian, I really enjoy the references to places in California. This novel inspired me to plan a trip to the area next month.

This is a fine mystery... Benni finds herself the owner of a house in nearby Morro Bay, but there are "strings attached." You'll love following her through the fine weaving that Earlene Fowler has put into this story. No murders, no mayhem, but plenty of mystery!

I am a fan of the Benni Harper books, and this was a good read.