Aurora Teagarden Mystery Series

 

It's not a good sign that when reading a book in which the main character talks about a book she is reading, you're wondering if her selection is better than yours. By which I mean that the despite Charlaine Harris' runaway success with the True Blood vampire book series (of which I'm a fan), her Aurora Teagarden series left much to be desired. I read the entire series--all 8--and after the fourth book, I hoped that the series would recapture the hook that got me reading them in the first place. Sadly, it became more like "a day in the life of a boring librarian."

The Aurora Teagarden Mystery Series

by Charlaine Harris

The first book, Real Murders, got me hooked. Aurora, a mild mannered librarian by day, member of a club for enthusiasts about real murders by night, seemed to be a page out of an Agatha Christie novel--the quiet, unassuming detective in a sea of possibly untrustworthy characters. Though the book had a few rough spots, I read it quickly and looked forward to the next installment.

By the fifth book, Dead Over Heels, the series started to go off the rails, or in a post-Indiana Jones IV world, it nuked the fridge. Sure, it's plausible the main character can inherit a ton of money, but now she's married to a man who used to be a gunrunner to South American countries with the U.S. government's knowledge? And he's wealthy beyond belief too? To compound reader frustration, his shady past isn't really explained satisfactorily. I think Harris needed a vehicle to introduce two bruiser characters who would protect Aurora from unseen foes, since Aurora was made, in the first two titles, to be so delicate and unable to defend herself that she can barely retrieve items from the top shelf in a cabinet without causing herself harm or inconvenience (as a modern woman, I say Aurora should have taken a self-defense course or two and grow a spine).

Another quibble: At times, I had trouble remembering how old Roe was--she acted like she was in her mid-60s, but she was only in her early 30s. This character could have been someone interesting, but--as a cautionary note to all writers developing their own characters--making the character's main form of enjoyment reading is not that exciting--especially when you reference books and give no hint of their background/story line, assuming the reader knows who you're talking about. I don't like racing to Google mid-sentence.

Overall, I'd give this series a C. Someone looking for easy reads could do worse, I suppose, and the writing is solid. There are a few interesting crimes, though Harris provides few clues to assist the reader in giving even a reasonable guess as to who the murderer(s) could be before the end. It's like watching a crime show for 55 minutes, only to discover the murderer was someone never seen, but only referenced once and in passing--hardly satisfying to true mystery fans and cozy readers. To prevent frustration, take my advice and stop after "Real Murders." Then pick up the Lily Bard series, also by Harris, to find more satisfying mysteries.

Recommended for: Those who have nothing else to read or don't want to think--at all--about what they're reading. Want a lightweight book for carrying purposes.