A Fool and His Honey (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries - No. 6)

I've read the Aurora Teagarden series out of order, unfortunately, due to boredom and a dependence on the local library. I made the mistake of reading this book second; I usually don't mind reading a series out of order because I never read a book for plot alone. Harris's style is good as always, developing irresistible main characters with strong and interesting supporting characters that are rarely two-dimensional.

There was nothing really remarkable about this book compared to the others, however, save for some strong objections I share with other reviewers about the plot, particularly the ending. Though it was well told, Harris tried to interweave a little too much into the plot, wringing dread and horror from the reader in a way none of the other books had been able to do. It might have worked for me if she could have ended the book on a note of hope or at least given some kind of upswing. Instead, the reader got what amounts to a slap in the face, what felt like a last minute, slapdash knot to tie up that dangling loose end, a knot Harris pulled a little too tight.

If the intention was to make the reader feel as helpless, unhappy, and unsatisfied as the main character, that objective was obtained. It makes it hard to want to pick up the next book in the series, though, and I'm keeping a wary eye on my other obsession: her Southern Vampire series. Like other readers, I feel a bit betrayed. I no longer trust Harris enough to read with unrestrained pleasure.

This is the last of the Charlaine Harris series books I have read. The Sookie Stackhouse books are my favorite (bleck-but *NOT* the HBO shows). This series is my second favorite - then the Harper Connelly (although kind of weird w/the brother thing in the last book) and then Lily Bard (a little too much graphic violence with the multiple rape and torture, head being cut off by the collection plate.) Just before I picked up this book to read I thought to myself how happy I was that Charlaine Harris allowed this character some happiness. (Reminds me a bit of the Diane Mott Davidson books - a nice murder cozy about a woman with a solid love life - i.e. she's married. Although Goldie stays the same age in EVERY book as everyone else ages - so not consistent with the facts - why is this so hard to find in series books anymore?) I was also enjoying the consistency of the books previous to this. I should have never thought that because I jinxed it all. I will not say what happened - no spoilers here - but those of you that have read this book know. When I finished the book i was honestly ticked off. Deflated. Done. Why is all I thought? And who is really writing these books? Why in the previous book was Martin 15 years Aurora's senior but in this book he is only 13 years older? Is it bad editing or a different person writing the book (an "assistant writer"?) Are we readers too stupid to notice these indiscrepancies? Because of my obsessiveness with series books I just picked up the next book Last Scene Alive hoping that it would somehow reverse the ending of this book - I like the bad dream theory. I had hope. Why, I don't know. At least Martin is back to being 15 years older in this one. But all of a sudden Aurora lives in SPARLING county, GA now - not Spalding. This is the kind of thing that is disappointing. Why Harris did what she did in this book at the end - that's one thing. I don't like her choice but what can I do about that? But the lack of consistent facts from one book to the next is just plain insulting to the readers. I like the character of Aurora and I enjoyed the book up until pgs 248-49. That is why this book gets 2 stars. The inconsistent writing gets 0 stars.

Aurora Teagarden is very happy as she loves her new spouse Martin Bartell very much. She fully enjoys her work at the library and that her home just a mile outside Lawrenceton, Georgia is near her beloved mother's residence, but far enough away for some relief.
However, today turns into an ugly nightmare for the contented Roe. It starts simply enough when the person delivering wood goes crazy due to someone planting an illegal drug within his bottle of acetaminophen. Things turn even nastier when Martin's niece Regina arrives with an infant. No one even knew the lass was pregnant. A few hours later, Regina has vanished leaving behind her baby and her murdered spouse. Martin and Roe decide to track down their errant relative by following her trail to Ohio, not knowing that a killer awaits their findings.
A TASTE OF HONEY, the fifth Teagarden amateur sleuth tale, is an intriguing blending of a Southern cozy within a dark mystery. The exciting story line will leave readers enthusiastically seeking the previous tales. Roe remains a wonderful character whose needs and desires add much depth to her persona. The support cast provides a realistic feel of desperation that makes the plot feel as if it actually has happened. Charlaine Harris makes reading fun.

Harriet Klausner

I like Charlaine Harris's writing style and the way she develops her characters. Aurora is happily married and a little disappointed that she cannot bear children. She finds herself a bit overwhelmed when a visiting niece disappears leaving behind her infant and her husband's corpse. Aurora has a baby to care for, a husband who is not particularly helpful with children, and a lot of questions. The investigation portion of the story seemed a little less satisfyingly written than I expected, but still a good read.

I thought this was one of the best thought out of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. Aurora and her husband Martin find themselves with a baby, a dead body, and a missing niece. Although the niece had claimed the baby her and her husband's Aurora has her doubts. You can't tell much more of a synopsis with spoiling a mystery plot as each scene tends to unravel some more information. The book is now 11 years old and Harris's fans are still reeling from the ending of this one. *SPOILER* (Although others have spoiled the same thing throughout the majority of the reviews on the store) The death at the end of this book shocked many readers. Yes, it was surprising. I always had thought Martin wasn't quite right for Roe. I think she has something better coming to her. Martin was ok, but he kept too many secrets and he acted more bothered by Roe than anything else. Overall, this mystery was engaging and parts of the resolution I expected and yet other events were completely unexpected. There is a lot of depth to Roe's character here. We truly get to see her come off in a less than nice light...it was realistic however in that she was annoyed with having to care for a baby one minute, and then almost in love with it the next. Her friend nailed it to when she complained that Roe was a tad spoiled or selfish. There are only two books left for this series and I look forward to reading them. I hope Roe gets a HEA...this just sure wasn't it.

What is wrong with an intriguing mystery, without violence? Book immediately has 2 plots going on. The pill tampering and the unexpected arrival of a niece with baby in tow. Then blood sprayed on their garage wall....... Violence is not entertaining.

Wow! What has happened to that sweet, fun-loving librarian, Aurora Teagarden? This book begins in typical humorous Aurora-fashion with her firewood delivery man going crazy in her front yard by disrobing and hurling the wood in all directions. As soon as he is picked up by local law enforcement, Roe is greeted by the arrival of Martin's niece and her newborn baby boy. Roe hadn't received any previous warning of their arrival and in fact didn't know of the baby's existence. Soon the baby's father is found murdered, and the mother disappears. Martin and Roe take the baby to Ohio where they hope to solve these mysteries as well as find someone to take care of the baby. They find more than they bargain for and this tale of bedlam turns dark at the end with an ending that will surprise and probably not please the reader.

Aurora Teagarden's (Roe) life is feeling quite perfect lately. She loves her husband, although she thinks he works too much, and she loves her part-time job at the library. She hasn't even found any dead bodies lately, which is a relief to poor Roe, since she always seems to be a suspect. When her wood delivery guy goes crazy in her side yard, ripping off his clothes then proceeding to dance around and sing, Roe knows that things can only get worse from here. When Martin's niece shows up with a newborn baby, and then disappears leaving behind the baby and a dead body. Roe and Martin must leave there small town to visit Ohio where his family is from. They need answers, and they need to find someone to take care of the baby.

In A Fool and His Honey, with everything that happens the main issue is within Roe herself. Taking on the responsibility of a new born child is not something she ever planned on doing, since she can not have children herself. We get a deeper look into the problems in her marriage, and within herself. There are some kind of shocking events in this book. One had me just sitting and staring at the page going "whaaaaaat?" I guess you could say Harris got me, which is hard to do. I hope there are good things for Roe in the future, because she's sure had a rough go of it lately!

A lot has been said in these reviews about the ending, but that was just another disappointing aspect, in my opinion. Although Roe's character has always been rather self centered, it was never in such a grating fashion. When she is pressed into caring for an abandoned infant, she bitterly complains, and seems to hate the baby. Being unhappy with being saddled with a baby is understandable, but Harris took it way too far. Similarly, Roe seems to really dislike her husband, except when they're in bed. In this book she is constantly telling him not to talk and insinuating that he's on the verge of being tossed out of her life.

Another thing that bothered me was her sudden heartbreak over not having children. In all of the previous books in the series she stated very clearly that she never wanted to have children. And even with her unexplained change of heart, when she is with the baby in the story, she's flat out mean, not a characteristic that earlier versions of Roe would ever indulge.

This story seemed like lazy writing to me. Had this been the first Charlaine Harris work that I read, I certainly wouldn't have felt compelled to pick up another. The second star is simply because I love series books and I'm glad she continued this one.

The previous books in this series were page-turners, well thought out and well written. This book, not so much. The characters seemed wooden and the plot developed poorly. There are still flashes of the good writing, excellent scene-setting, and humor of the previous books, but it's definitely a different style and ending, with holes poorly patched.

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

After Dead Over Heels, I found myself drawn back to the series with A Fool and His Honey. I loved the twists and turns, and the relationship dynamic between Roe and Martin. We also get a lot of insight into Roe's feelings and she's vivid and real, something Harris knows how to do with her characters and in this book, Roe stands out.
This is one of the strongest entries of the series.

As many of the other reviewers have noted, this 6th book in the Aurora Teagarden series was not as light as the previous ones. The end is very sad and moving, but in a way, I think it almost had to take this turn if the series was to have a life after this book.
Martin wasn't settling into his non-criminal life of happy mediocrity very well. Would he and Aurora have drifted apart? That would have been even more sad, so I'm glad that didn't happen.
And as always, Ms. Harris has left me wanting to grab up the next book and see what trouble Roe gets into next. I want to see how she handles this curve ball life has thrown her.

Gah, this one was frustrating, like reading two different books. The beginning is so disjointed, boring, and plodding. Too much time is spent inside Roe's head, with her whining about this and that and not doing much of anything except taking care of a baby and getting mad at her husband for not volunteering to help with everything.

There's also a strange tampered-with prescription drug subplot that doesn't seem to fit into anything.

The last 1/4 of the book is tense and well done, but not enough to save it from a two-star fate.

Great murder mystery! Definitely different than some of the others in the series but a great read none the less. The beginning and end of the book have great content but the middle lacked in the murder mystery department as compared to other books in the series.

Aurora "Roe" Teagarden is happily married to Martin Bartel. But there's a lot of extra baggage when you marry a divorced man. For one, you can't pick your relatives. And sometimes you're in over your head before you have a chance to realize there is a problem.

First Darius Quattermain goes crazy while delivering the winter wood. Then Martin's niece Regina shows up with her baby Hayden when no one in the family even knew she was pregnant. Aurora's stepfather has a heart attack. And when Roe and Martin return from a dinner party gone wrong they find a dead body on their stairs, Regina missing, and the baby asleep under the bed, and a stranger asleep under the couch. And that's only the beginning.

As usual, Charlaine Harris delivers a witty mystery filled with enough twists to make you dizzy. She also manages to deal with the problems of remarriage and their extended families, family inter-relationships, the conflict of not being able to have what you want and the dangers of looking for the easy way out of your problems. There are a lot of issues here and the ending is not your usual happy one but it is satisfying in its way.

I'm such a fan of Charlaine Harris' writing style, and I've read many of her series; Southern Vampire, Lily Bard, Harper Connelly, and now Aurora Teagarden. While many people may find these books unbelievable (even I, at some moments, question the actions of the characters), nonetheless, they are a good, light read. I, for one, cannot handle suspense, and I find Ms. Harris' books to be the right combination of mystery, romance, and drama. In addition, because this is a series, I can be sure that the heroin (Aurora Teagarden) will get out of her messes relatively unharmed.

I was a fan of this series until the end of this book. I will admit that the first book definitely was the most interesting of the bunch, but that's not to say the rest was poorly written. The last 5 pages of this installment, however, completely ruined it for me. Why did Ms. Harris have to end it in such a way?! While I WILL finish the last two books of the series, I cannot say I will finish them with the same gusto as I did until now.

Another good one in the Aurora Teagarden series. These all blend together a little for me since I read them back to back, but I loved the entire series! I really love the main character arc over the whole series. It's a little unbelievable that all of these things happen to the main character over and over, but it's a cozy mystery series, that's part of the fun :-)

I am a big fan of this series in general, but the author breaks a golden rule of cozy mysteries, she kills off a character that she has developed and made her audience care about. Life has enough mourning and disappointment in it in my opinion, and readers expect an author to understand this and not make what should be entertainment and escape from daily problems into an additional source of distress. Much trust lost on my part going forward with this author.

Not one of my favorites in the series. I just couldn't get that interested in the plot or the characters. And the one major shocker was spoiled on the Kindle discussion group. So don't go there until you finish the book.

I have enjoyed all of Ms. Harris' different series. Roe Teagarden was delightful because - as one character points out - she is really pretty self centered (in a nice way, can't help of root for Roe). This is yet another tight mystery that we are lead step by step to it's conclusion.
That being said, this book goes along its merry way when all of a sudden we are thrown a very dark twist at the end which is completely out of character for this series.
I certainly hope Ms. Harris does not continue this trend in her other books. I found it dissappointing and a cheap shot for dramatic appeal. I will most likely not purchase any more in this series.

I read A FOOL AND HIS HONEY when it was first published. I was disconcerted because the content was so different from Charlaine Harris's usual upbeat Aurora Teagarden mystery. I was disappointed at the unhappiness Aurora had to face. Still, Charlaine Harris is one of my favorite authors, so I decided to give the book another chance. Reading the book two years later and knowing in advance how everything turned out, I can better appreciate how well-written this story is. It's still a page-turner even though it's more somber than usual. Maybe it's more realistic.

A fool and His Honey By Charlaine Harris

A nice cozy murder mystery. The plot was original , Aurora finds a dead body after arriving home after a party. The deceased turns out to be her husbands (Martin) Nephew-in-aw. Not only is he dead but his wife Rachael is missing. There are secrets reveals, with plenty of twists and turns. I recommend to those who love a good "who-done-it"

*This book was given to me as a gift

Worst book of the series. Let me count the acts of pure stupidity: 1. Leaving someone, who is related but still basically a stranger, alone in your home. 2. Not handing previously mentioned stranger's newborn over to CPS when they disappear and you CLEARLY do not want to take care of a baby 3. Hesitating to call the police when there has been a murder. 4. After one murder and one disappearance, finding another stranger in your home and not calling the police. 5. Driving a possible murderer and a newborn out of town to go stay on a farm out in the middle of nowhere in winter, when a phone call could have done the trick. 6. Trying to leave a newborn behind while you are trying to get to safety. 7. Wasting an evening reading this book.

I read this with trepidation after what I'd heard. Worse than I feared--definitely lacking the "charm and wit" the jacket copy hopefully offers. Roe's "edge" makes her a strong and thankfully flawed character, but the uninvolving and just plain unpleasant storyline in this one seems only a drawn-out excuse to effect the painful and senseless ending. It was an intriguing relationship and I'm disappointed that the author was not interested in sustaining it. Definitely library reading from now on.

I had heard before I read this that a recurring character was to meet his end. I was pulling for Aurora finally coming to her senses and divorcing her husband. I don't doubt that there is love and attraction there, but Martin's conscience really isn't up to Roe's standards. Some of the darkness from Harris's other books spills over into this series, which is usually quite frivolous (the previous book had the poorest excuse for a murder I'd ever encountered), and makes for a very satisfying read, and a surprising ending.

I suspect that many of the lower-rated reviews of this book are due in large part to the surprising ending. I myself was taken aback at Ms. Harris's choice of endings, but she is entitled to props for being unafraid to shake things up.
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.

Charlaine Harris went beyond anything I'd expected in this book. A little darker than the usual cozy, it takes Aurora on a personal journey that truly tests her moxie. The prose is smooth and riveting, and it's impossible to put A FOOL down. Don't go into this expecting "another" anything. It's not a cookie cutter series, folks, and Charlaine Harris is as good as they come.

I've read and loved all the Roe Teagarden books and always bought them--sight unseen. However, this one left me disappointed. Not only was I upset by the dark ending, but I was surprised at the way the secondary plot was handled. It didn't add anything to the story and seemed forced and awkward. It just didn't feel like Charlaine Harris at her best. I'm not really looking forward to the next installment.

This is my first Aurora Teegarden book, although I have read all of her Sookie Stackhouse books and mostly enjoyed them. I found this one at a free little library and was excited to try it. I was shocked at the poor writing and enormous plot holes in this book. The characters are unpleasant and not very bright. The main character comes off as nasty and self centered. She also seems completely incompetent at engaging in simple childcare tasks and has no interest in taking care of a child, although apparently she really wants a kid. Her husband seems to have few positive qualities (except sex, they have good sex but fortunately the author doesn't go into much detail).

I am a fan of this author and I WAS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED in the ending of this story. It made me wonder if Charlaine Harris is going through a bad time in her own life. The optimist in me hopes that she already has a direction for Roe Teagarden's new life. I was left feeling down and unsatisfied with the ending.

I enjoyed the Aurora Teagarden series until A Fool and His Honey.
The ending is very hard to take and I do not see how she can bring it back to the somewhat lighthearted feeling of the previous books in the series.
Obviously Ms Harris has decided to make this series as dark as her other series. I will not read another of her books.

First let me say I am a fan of Ms. Harris.

With that out of the way, this book was bleak and sad and misery-laden. There was no up and down flow, no lighter moments, just one grief after another. The end was *dreadful* and unnecessary.

I understand sometimes characters have to die, but Ms. Harris choice of sacrafice was lousy. It was overly painful. As others have said, I will probably never read another book in this series.

I join with other readers in wondering whether this book is the last in the Teagarden series. I sincerely hope not. This is a great character with loads of wit and charm. I did feel towards the end of the book that the author had negative plans. I hope this is not the case.

I really enjoyed Charlaine Harris's mysteries, both the Aurora Teagarden and Lily Bard ones. But be forewarned -- this book does not have a happily-ever-after ending. Her mysteries are never "cozy", but I found this ending very upsetting and don't understand why she chose such a sorrowful happening, unless this is how she has decided to ring down the curtain on this series.

The story was dark and confusing. This is not a cozy read. I will not be purchasing or borrowing any future books from this series. This might be a good read for someone who likes a mystery with an edge (police thrillers, sci fi.)

When the book opens, Aurora is treated to a bombardment of logs as the delivery man begins to dance and sing. The book continues to go black from there. She is treated to an escalating number of strange occurances, i.e., Martins' niece and her baby show up and move into the garage apartment, the mayor's wife goes loopy at dinner. This book is far too dark to serve Roe well. I do not anticipate buying another in this series if the next book is in the same black vein.

This is another great aurora teagarden mystery.Fast paced, and exciting. Beautifully written, scary, with a very comfortable old friends kind of feeling. I feel like I know the charecters and am a very close friend.The end of the story is painfull, in more ways than one.

Charlaine has done it again...provided me with an evening of pure entertainment. I was worn out with taking care of that baby long before I had to help fend off the killers. Talk about your virtual reality.....!