And that's only fitting. Aurora Teagarden, after all, has evolved from a mousy librarian in Real Murders to the wiser, edgier figure she cuts in this and subsequent installments of the series. Ms. Harris's ending sets the heroine up for deeper emotional plumbing in future installments, and this book definitely marks the death of the cozier stories earlier in the series. All in all, the book remains highly enjoyable and worth seeking out.


Uninvited Murder...   October 29, 2003
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Aurora 'Roe' Teagarden's day started out normally enough. She woke up, ate breakfast, got ready for work, greeted Darius Quattermain who was delivering the firewood, and then watched incredulously as Darius proceeded to take off all of his clothes and dance naked in the yard. After dealing with that unsettling incident, Roe is even more surprised when her husband's niece, Regina, arrives unannounced on their doorstep with her baby, Hayden in tow. Southern hospitality being what it is, Roe felt that she had to offer a temporary refuge to the young woman and got her settled in the garage apartment. But when Roe returned home from work, she found a dead man on the steps, a baby hidden under the bed, another man sleeping in her living room and no Regina. As Roe and Martin try to discover what trouble Regina has gotten herself into now, they are led on a madcap journey to Martin's home town in Ohio and the small house where Martin grew up and Regina was living. Instead of solving all of their problems, however, Martin and Roe find that they have stepped into a kidnapping/adoption/murder plot and do not know who to trust. As the strain of attending to Hayden and learning more about Martin's secretive past begin to catch up to her, Roe is unsure of everyone and everything, except the fact that Regina has ruined her life!

A Fool and His Honey is the 6th book in the Aurora Teagarden series and I enjoyed it. I have to admit that the ending was a real surprise, but the darker side of the mystery did not bother me. In fact, I think it is good when characters change and mature and grow because it makes me feel that they are more like me. I still love Harris' characters and I especially enjoyed Roe's attempts to take of the baby because she had always wanted a child but was so clearly clueless as to what to do with one. The plot is fast paced and this is an easy, quick read. If you have enjoyed any of Harris' other books, I think you will enjoy this one, but it does have a tear-jerker ending so be ready for it!


Shocked and Dismayed!   July 26, 2003
 6 out of 6 found this review helpful

Being a huge fan of the Aurora "Roe" Teagarden mystery series, I was anxious to read the latest book in the series. However, I was extremely shocked by the outcome of this book and kept waiting to find out that Roe was having a bad dream or something similar. This series has always been on the tougher side of the cozy mystery genre, but I was blown away by the darker edge to the plot in this book. When a book makes your heart stop for a moment and your eyes well up with tears, you know that you really "care" about the characters. Caring about what happens to the characters is one of the aspects that makes a good book, and if the reaction of readers is any indication, this must be one to look at. Ms. Harris definitely took a chance with this plot, and I have to say that it was indeed a shock. Like other readers I have had a hard time picking up subsequent books in the series, but am determined to find a reason as to why Ms. Harris chose the ending that she did.

Saying all of these things, I would highly recommend all of the previous books in this series. Roe is a great character, and the relationship that she has with her husband was a big reason that I loved the previous books. If you enjoy a bit of a darker cozy, this might just be the series for you.

The first book in this series is "Real Murders". Enjoy!

A Cozy Mystery Lover