A Bone to Pick (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries - Book 2)

ByCharlaine Harris

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Readers` Reviews

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
howie
Another good entry in the Aurora Teagarden series by Charlaine Harris, although disappointingly, in my omnibus edition, Chapter Eight is virtually unreadable because of formatting errors.
I like Roe Teagarden. She's a fun character, quirky, has some idiosyncrasies and not everything goes the way she wants it to. In this entry to the series, Roe has come into an unexpected inheritance, a house, and a significant amount of money, after her friend's death. She also accidentally inherits a cat, which adds some fun to the story. Naturally, there's a mystery to solve, and in this case, the mystery comes in the form of a skull... which Roe finds in the house she has just inherited.
I love these stories, and highly recommend reading them, but if I was you, I would avoid the Kindle Omnibus edition and purchase the books individually.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
carlybelle
overall a good book. Aurora Teagarden has gone to her moms wedding. she also went to the wedding of a former boyfriend. an attorney approached her and informed her that a friend had put her in the will.

as Aurora is going through her new home she has found a skull. with her interest in the mysteries she had to figure out who it went to. meanwhile Roe's dating life took a drastic change from where it left off in book one. I like this guy but don't think it a good match as he not I to the details of mysteries and gore that can come from it.

the writing is easy, the book is good to read and doesn't drag on and on. characters are likeable and with some laughable parts.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
betsy blanc
I was enjoying the story until THIS happened. After explaining that the head of the real estate agency will hire anyone with a go get 'em attitude regardless of what they look like, the narrator mentions a new black agent (apparently their first). A character says "the younger clients don't mind a black realtor, and black clients love it"! Really?! Like it would be normal for someone to object to a black realtor! Like it was even necessary to the story to point out that the new employee was black. There was no reason at all to include this bit of racism. I'm white, but this attitude was so disgusting and offensive that I couldn't get past it. I tried to keep reading it but didn't make it very far....I just can't condone that attitude.
Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 2) :: A Lily Bard Mystery (Lily Bard Mysteries) - Shakespeare's Champion :: An Ice Cold Grave (Harper Connelly Mysteries - No. 3) :: Last Scene Alive (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries - No. 7) :: A Touch of Dead (Sookie Stackhouse - The Complete Stories)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
marley
I accidentally found this book while searching for something on Google. It seemed interesting, so I looked at the sample on the store, and then checked it out in Overdrive.

I was held fairly well throughout the story. It was easy to read, conversational. I had hopes of a spectacular ending, a twist that would make me rush out and find another book in the series. Unfortunately that didn't happen. It felt forced. Like the author just sort of tapped out at the end. I had a difficult time suspending my disbelief in the out-working of the conclusion. I could think of about six different ways it could have ended but didn't.

It was fun to read, but anticlimactic. I'd like to give it 3.5 stars, but I can't, and since it was fun to read, the story had an excellent premise, I decided to rate up rather than down.

If you're familiar with southern (USA) culture, you have a decent vocabulary without an insistence on complex paragraphs and letter-of-the-law grammar, and you don't expect a thrilling twist at the end, this story will be worth your afternoon.

I will likely pick up another in this series eventually, but I'm still undecided.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
caroline
What a fun book! I breezed through it, it was very exciting. But I was soooo disappointed that the murder club was still disbanded. I thought it would be back on after the events finished in the first book. At least in the movie version they continued meeting. Jane Engle, a member of Real Murders, passes away and leaves Roe with a real mystery! And a ton of money! I enjoyed this book. The movie only gave 2 years for a body to become a skeleton. I Googled it, 8-12 years. Good job, Hallmark channel. The movies are cute but I like the books better. Obviously.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
gareth jones
This is the second in the AURORA TEAGARDEN series.

When we first met Aurora Teagarden she was a hardworking librarian in her hometown on the outskirts of Atlanta. As this novel opens we discover that there have been numerous changes in Aurora's life. At the end of REAL MURDERS two men had been pursuing her, the Arthur, a local police officer, and Robin, the mystery writer who lived next door. Now Arthur is marrying another woman, and Robin has moved away leaving Aurora to feel rather abandoned. Adding to her feelings of abandonment her father and step mother have moved to California, taking Aurora's six year old little brother, and her mother has recently married and left on her honeymoon. The death of a co-worker and friend, Jane has only added to this trend in Aurora's life. Little did she realize that this latest event was going to change everything.

Once again Aurora was thrust into the midst of a mysterious death when she discovered a skull hidden in her new living room. The question is who's skull is it and who made the hole in it? Unfortunately it was all too obviously who had hidden it, but did Aurora really want that information to be revealed.

Unlike Harris' later series, most notably SOOKIE STACKHOUSE/TRUE BLOOD there are no supernatural element to this one, just well crafted cozy mysteries happens to be set in a little southern town filled with quirky characters.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
amberlee christensen
I'd never read a book in this series before and I found the main character, "Roe" Teagarden to be a bit underwhelming. She is a librarian who ends up inheriting a home and a chunk of money from someone who was in a Real Murders club with her, but was not her best friend. This seems odd until she discovers that Jane left her with a little problem...the matter of a skull hidden in her home. Roe is also bouncing back from a bad break-up and starts dating again, ends up taking in a cat she never wanted, and meets her new neighbors.

Basically, this book never seemed to really get going, but was filled with distractions from the central issue--the matter of a human skull and who might not want it to come to light! But then Roe herself seems filled with distractions and I really never got into her as a character, which is a problem.

The ending seemed to resolve itself rather too neatly and without any help or work by the main character, and all of the witty banter and commentary I've come to expect from this author seemed, sadly, to be missing. I've really liked the Sookie books, so this was a disappointment. This book definitely seems like it could have used some tightening up, or some sparkle...or something.

Not a bad book, but not a great one either. I might try one more about Ms Teagarden just to see if this is one-off, but if she doesn't start being more interesting, I'll just go back to Sookie.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
mike lawson
Got this at a yard sale and had heard of C.Harris so thought I'd give it a try. This was so thinly plotted and so padded with trite details of Roe's life that by page 10 I was basically reading just the first sentence of every paragraph and quickly skimming the rest.
I guess if you like silly small town characters and enjoy hearing about people's clothes and don't mind reading about the heroine's boring life then this is a fun read. I was bored. I also found the details of the murder incongruent. Apparently, the body had been decapitated--why? we never learn and according to the eye witness account, the victim had been bludgeoned with a hammer. But Roe only found a small hole in the skull.
Also, I was annoyed with Roe's leaps of logic that never made any sense. ex. if you find a skull in a house why do you jump to the conclusion of murder? A lot of people have skulls for still lifes or study. The only positive that came from reading this is that I know I won't bother wasting my time with any more of her books.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
brooke parrott
A Bone to Pick (1992) is the second mystery novel in the Aurora Teagarden series, following Real Murders. In the previous volume, Roe went out to look for her half brother Phillip and was caught by the killers. They broke her collar bone and bruised a few ribs. Then Jed and Robin saved her from the killers.

In this novel, Aurora Teagarden was born and raised in the small town of Lawrenceton, Georgia, in the suburbs of Atlanta. She is the only child of Aida. Roe works at the local library.

Aida Brattle Teagarden is Roe's mother. She owns Select Realty, a very successful real estate firm. She is dating John Queensland.

Arthur Smith is a Burglary Detective in the Lawrenceton Police Department. He has been dating Roe.

Lynn Liggett is a Homicide Detective in the Lawrenceton Police Department. Roe knows her from the Real Murders investigation.

Amina Day is a longstanding friend of Roe. She has dated most of the eligible boys in Lawrenceton. Then she moves to Houston and starts dating men there.

Jane Engle is an older woman who had been a librarian. She is a friend of Roe and also a member of the Real Murders Club.

Bubba Sewell is a Lawrenceton attorney. He acts like a good old boy, but has sharp wits. He has been married twice and is now dating Lizanne Buckley.

Aubrey Scott is priest of St. James, an Episcopal church. His wife had died three years ago of cancer.

Torrance Rideout lives next door to Jane. He is married to Marcia, a homemaker.

In this story, Roe has been to three weddings and one funeral in the past year. The first wedding was for Lynn and Arthur. This had come as a surprise for Roe, who had been dating him before the engagement. Lynn is clearly pregnant at the wedding.

The second marriage was for Aida and John. Amina had come to town to attend the wedding and announced her own plans to be married sometime soon. Roe had been a bridesmaid for Amina's first wedding and is asked to do it again.

The third marriage was for Amina and Hugh Price. Although the couple live in Houston, the wedding is held in Lawrenceton. Roe is the only bridesmaid.

The funeral -- occurring between the second and third wedding -- was for Jane. Although none had known, she had been ill for a while. Jane only had one relative, her aging cousin Parnell Engle.

After the burial, Jane's attorney tells her that she is named in the will. Roe follows Bubba back to his office and rides up on the elevator with him. After rummaging on his desk -- which Roe thinks is an affection -- he finds the folder. Then Bubba tells her that Jane left everything to her.

That is, everything except five thousand dollars and the car to Parnell and his wife Leah if they take Jane's cat Madeline. Roe asks how much remains and is told that Jane has three thousand dollars in a checking account. Roe asks if that is all and Bubba tells her about the bank account with half a million in it.

When Roe reaches her townhouse, Aubrey is leaving a note on her backdoor. Roe invites him into the house and fixes him a seven and seven. Finally Aubrey asks her for a date.

The following morning, Roe meets Bubba in front of Jane's house. He hands her the keys and she opens the front door. Pillows and other items are scattered all over the floor.

Someone has broken into the house. They find that a window has been broken in a back bedroom. But nothing seems to be missing. Even the TV and microwave are still there.

Apparently no one else has keys to the house itself. Torrance has keys to the garage storeroom, but not to the house. Bubba notifies the police, tells Roe to call if she needs anything, and then leaves the house to her.

Roe takes note of the pattern of disorder. Only large drawers and cabinets and some luggage have been emptied. The intruder appears to be searching for a large object.

Torrance -- who has cut the grass while Jane is in the hospital -- comes over to offer to mow the lawn the following week. Then he mentions that someone had been digging holes in the back yard. Roe considers that a large object might have been buried in the yard.

After thinking things over, Roe decides that she knows where the object is hidden. She takes some tools with her and rips out the carpet over the window seat. She finds a skull under the hinged lid.

Then Arthur and Lynn move in across the street. Marcia passes on some neighborhood gossip. Madeline -- Jane's cat -- returns home and has kittens.

This tale has Roe boxing Jane's clothing for Goodwill, cleaning the house, and thinking about the skull. She discovers that the carpet had been installed three years ago. And she discovers two candidates for the skull.

The story leaves Roe feeling guilty and exposed. The next installment -- Three Bedrooms, One Corpse -- brings a new man into Roe's life. Read and enjoy!

Highly recommended for Harris fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of old killings, mental disorders, and inquisitive women.

-Bill Jordin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
marin rose
Aurora Teagarden finds she has been left an unexpected legacy. Jane Engle - a fellow member of the now disbanded Real Murders Club - has died and left Aurora her house and all her money but her solicitor implies that there may be a mystery she has to solve as well.

Aurora is pleased with her legacy and it cheers her up after her former boyfriend, Arthur Smith the police detective has suddenly married a colleague. She is less than pleased when she goes to her new house and finds someone has broken into it.

This is an intriguing mystery with Aurora trying to work out exactly what the problem is that she has to deal with. The appearance of part of a skeleton at the end of the road adds to the mystery which Aurora feels she needs to unravel after a note written by Jane saying `I didn't do it' falls out of one of her books. I really enjoyed reading this story and found myself turning the pages even though I had intended to read something else.

This is the second book in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series which started with Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)and continues with Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (Aurora Teagarden)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
alain amiet
I am a fan of Charlaine Harris's Harper Connelly Series. It is imaginative and quirky, but grounded. The first one, especially: Grave Sight (Harper Connelly Mysteries, Book 1) The last book in that series took a nasty turn and another hasn't come out for me to give the series one more shot. I'm not a fan of vampire stories, so this Teagarden series seemed like a perfect compromise. My thought was that I'd get Harris's tight, clear, wonderful writing and a story with neither overtones of incest nor vampires.

That part is true, but I also didn't get much of a story...so far.

It's not a spoiler to say that after "Roe" receives an inheritance, the police are not called in after two major things happen. This really seemed incredulous and contrived. It defied logic and killed the realism that the police would not be involved if only as an occasional annoyance to Roe getting on with her sleuthing. I'm sure I'm not the only mystery reader who tires occasionally of the "police detective versus the protagonist" line. However, these stories involve murder and the police are typically at least on the periphery when a crime is committed or a murder is discovered. Skillful writers make the stories credible but keep the police out of the way, as needed. Even a cozy needs some logic.

I enjoyed the first few pages of this book so much that I ordered the others in the series right away. It had a good start and I figured I'd finish quickly and wanted the others to keep going. Well, by page 33 or so, I tried to stop the order, but you know how fast the store moves.

I'm not sure I'll finish this one. Maybe I gave up too soon or expected too much. But as they say, "Time is too short to read a bad book." Her Harper Connelly series demonstrated that Harris is a skilled writer with vivid characterizations and usually tight plots.

You may enjoy this book. Maybe it's not as bad as I think or won't be bad to you. Can you tell I don't like to criticize authors? :) Just be aware that if you like tight logical cozies, you may have to put that aside just to enjoy her impressive, expressive prose and interesting turn of phrase. Sometimes those elements are missing in cozies. Pick Your Poison. Ha. The name of another book in an interesting cozy. Check it out, especially if you like Texas. The cover art belies a good story in this book:Pick Your Poison (Yellow Rose Mysteries)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
mialena
Aurora Teagarden, part time librarian, is barely over the huge wedding-of-the-year event where her mother, a prominent realtor, married a wealthy bank manager when she learns that an old friend and former member of her "Real Murders" club, Jane Engle, has passed away. And as she's leaving the cemetery, Roe learns from Jane's attorney that except for a small bequest to a cousin she never liked, Jane has left her entire estate to Roe. That was quite a surprise, and finding out the amount of the inheritance (a house and over half a million dollars in cash) was an even bigger one, but it's the skull that Roe finds hidden in the window seat in Jane's living room that is a downright shock. Along with a terse note in one of her many real life murder books ("I didn't do it."), Roe feels determined to try to figure out who the skull belongs to and why Jane had it in the first place, but she's hesitant to turn everything directly over to the police because she feels she owes it to Jane to keep her name out of the headlines if at all possible.

In this second installment of the series, Ms. Harris has hit her stride. The characters that were introduced in "Real Murders" are fleshed out more fully and Roe has become someone I can identify with. As soon as Roe did the little jig in the privacy of the elevator at the lawyer's office building after she learned of her inheritance, I knew she and I were going to get along just fine. I'm looking forward to more books in this series.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
charlene younkin
Mediocre "mystery" involving that endearing librarian, Ro Teagarden, and of course several other interesting characters and events. When friend and club member Jane Engle dies leaving Aurora the primary benefactor of her estate, she leaves a house, a cat, some money....and quite a few secrets. When a break in at Jane's house makes it obvious that someone is searching for something, Ro does a search of her own....and finds something sinister and scary. While canoodling with handsome Epicopalian minister Aubrey, Ro tries to untangle the mystery behind what she finds hidden in Jane's house....and finds herself in a whole heap of trouble.

I find these books so ridiculously elementary that I'm almost embarrassed to be seen reading them. And throughout this tale, there are racial references that I find questionable. African-Americans are routinely pointed out as being "black".....while I guess the Caucasian characters are supposed to be a given....?? That whole little section regarding black realtors I found offensive, and makes me question this author's own racial perpectives......if necessary to point out ethnicities, savvy authors have ways of doing so without beating the reader over the head with it.

DYB
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
obiora okwudili
This series is totally different from other books written by Charlaine Harris. Aurora is an amateur sleuth and becomes involved in numerous mysteries. In my opinion this lady is an accident waiting to happen. She seems to have a knack for stepping in one mess right after another. Not intentional, but things just seem to happen when she is near. Apparently she is a very tiny woman with a big heart and is well respected in her town. She finds love once in awhile, but mysteries is the name of the game for her. This is a great read, lots of thrills and action. A big "who done it" type of mystery. If you enjoy a good mystery, I will highly recommend this book. All of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries are stand alone books, but I would recommend reading them in order because of the various repeating characters and events. I really enjoyed this book and series. Charlaine Harris is a very talented author.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
felipe
Aurora "Roe" Teagarden has to go to two weddings and a funeral in the span of a few months. One wedding is of a former lover's, and the other is her mother's. The funeral is for Jane Engle, a member of the disbanded crime discussion group.

Roe is surprised to learn that Jane has left her money, jewelry, and her house. It's a substantial estate. When Roe uncovers a skull hidden in a window seat, she knows Jane purposely left her everything so she would solve the murder. As she gets to know her new neighbors, she discovers there are a few people who went missing and wonders if one of them belongs to the skull. Along with that, she begins to wonder who murdered the victim.

Add to that a new boyfriend and getting used to the wealth, a house, and pets, Roe is kept quite busy while trying to discover the identity of the victim and killer. Can she do so without putting herself in any danger?

I love this series. Roe is such a fun character. I found myself not wanting to put the book down 'til it was done. I like the small-town setting and the various neighbors in this book. The plot was well written and had plenty of red herrings and twists to keep me wondering right up to the end.

I highly recommend this book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
meaghan o connell
"A Bone To Pick" by Charlaine Harris is the second book in her series about librarian Aurora Teagarden. (The first being Real Murders: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Bk. 1) In this mystery, Aurora aka Roe is stunned when she inherits a house and a large sum of money from elderly Jane Engle after her death. That's not the only thing Jane left her- there's a human skull in the window seat. On top of that, the people that have just moved in across the street from Jane's house are none other than Roe's ex-boyfriend Arthur Smith and his new pregnant wife.

After some snooping around, Roe finds out that a couple of people in the neighborhood have gone missing. One went out for diapers and never came home; another skipped out on his rent and left during the night. Was one of them killed? Is it their skull? Roe is determined to find out!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I fully recommend the rest in this series. Next is Three Bedrooms, One Corpse: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, followed by The Julius House: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Bk. 4,Dead Over Heels: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Bk. 5, "Fool And His Honey: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Bk. 6,Last Scene Alive (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries), and Poppy Done To Death: An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Bk. 8.

Or if you'd like to try a different series by Charlaine Harris, check out the Lily Bard mysteries.(Shakespeare's Landlord (The First Lily Bard Mystery), "Shakespeare's Champion", Shakespeare's Christmas", "Shakespeare's Trollop", and Shakespeare's Counselor")

Or her new supernatural Southern Vampire Mysteries (Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Bk. 1), "Living Dead in Dallas", "Club Dead", "Dead to the World", "Dead as a Doornail", "Definitely Dead", and "All Together Dead")
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
horatiu plapsa
I have been looking forward to reading "A Bone to Pick" to read how Aurora Teagarden comes into her inheritance. The story opens with Aurora Teagarden attending weddings for both her mother and Arthur Smith and the funeral of Jane Engle. Aurora then inherits Jane's house and finds a sinister surprise inside.
Aurora, as always, has lots of character detail and internal dialogue (love her hair : >), but
I was disappointed to find little charactization for benefactress and Real Murders ex-cohort Jane Engle. There was also little sleuthing in this story. Aurora gets to know her new neighbors through a couple of social events, but does not beat the street to try to solve the mystery. This installment shares the great atmosphere and the small-town setting with the rest of the series, but I didn't buy the mechanics of the story. Neither did I appreciate that Jane Engle just "didn't have time" to put things back the way she found them.
"A Bone to Pick" is effective in that it made me want to read the rest of the series, but mostly to fill in the blanks this story leaves and see if Harris' characterizations develop further.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
austine etchevery
For some reason I put off reading this book for quite some time, but it was a very enjoyable read. The mystery wrapped up too quickly and with too much deux aux machina to get 5 stars, but it was a pleasant read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
caitlen
I read this book in two days. My, how I love Charlaine Harris. A murder doesn't start off this cozy, but foul play is involved when Roe Teagarden discovers a skull in her newly inherited house. Later, the rest of the skeleton is found and no other murders are committed on the page. There is talk of another body, but we never read about it getting dug up. Most of the gore is saved for birth in this book. A cat gives birth to kittens and a detective gives birth while arresting a perp. What Harris does well is that most of this novel is focused around the skull, and when the narrator aids in the final human birth of the story, she is worried about the baby's head, bringing us back to the skull she's carried around and hidden for most of the story.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
jim bremser
"A Bone to Pick" is the second book in the cozy mystery series featuring Georgia librarian Roe Teagarden. In this story, Roe is surprised to find out that she has inherited a large sum of money and a house from Jane Engle, an older lady who was a member of The Real Murders Club in their Georgia town. (The first book was all about the Real Murders Club). This story was fun but didn't have much mystery in it at all. The big mystery is that Roe discovers a skull hidden in the house she inherits, and most of the story revolves around Roe trying to determine whose skull it is. There is also a bit more development of Roe's love life.

This is a fun series, I just think this story wasn't as exciting as the others I've read in the series. I enjoy the characters, though, and I'm glad I got the background information on how Roe inherited her money.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
cathy wood
Inheriting a lot of money, some very nice jewelry and a pretty little house in a nice neighborhood is every woman's dream. Or is it? Not when the house comes with a hidden skull and an old lover and his new and very pregnant wife as neighbors!
Another winner from Charlaine Harris.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
laura smith
I didn't like this one quite as much as the first one. I still liked Roe, and her inheritance does make for some interesting plot twists, but the basic plot just didn't connect with me. I think the problem is that if I were to inherit a house, snoop around, and find a skull hidden somewhere, my thoughts wouldn't immediately jump to "murder!!!". I'd think, "Cool, I wonder where they got that?" Unless, of course, there was a big ole knife sticking out of it or something.

My like of Roe is what pulled me through. She's found that her love life has taken a couple of unexpected turns. I'm interested in seeing what new adventures her inheritance allows her to undertake.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
brian
I actually read this book BEFORE reading 'Real Murders.' For some silly reason I thought that this was the first book in the series! Oh well..I wasn't too confused, really. I am a big Charlaine Harris fan. I'd like to put that out in the open. I LOVED the Sookie Stackhouse novels. I LOVED the Harper Connelly mysteries. This book, I didn't love. I didn't really dislike it. It's just that it didn't have that BANG! that other books she's written have. Maybe it's because I missed the first book. Maybe it's because I just enjoy the paranormal stuff more. I don't know. What I DO know is that I'm not going to give up on Aurora Teagarden just yet. I'm reading 'Real Murders' now, and I already have the third book in the series. I'm sure I'll just love them :)
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
debbie maccullough
This is the second in the Aurora Teagarden series. This was a quick read and the premise was interesting, but the story felt too simple to me. Once again, Aurora did not really do any investigating. The book mostly focuses on her dating life and how she will handle her inheritance. The mystery just kind of solves itself in the background. As with the first novel, there are not many clues and all characters seem equally likely to have done it. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something fun and light.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
tabitha gregory mosley
Nice cozy mystery series. As with a lot of these, the "whodunit" is not obvious because pertinent info is not given until the mystery is resolved. Rather takes the fun out of figuring out the murderer when you don't have all the clues.
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
bubulater
The entire premise of the book was rather ridiculous, but the reasoning behind what Jane did and why she did it (well, before she died) was great. I just wish it had all been written WELL. I can't get over how ridiculous the rest of the premise is, and a lot of the time what Aurora does in the book is dictated more by what has to happen in the book rather than by logical reasoning. I suppose Real Murders was 5-6 years ago in book time, but when did she get to be such a... I guess "waste of space" is the term I'm looking for.

Another review feels the same way and assures me that book 3 is better, so off I go to the third one.

(And, okay, I might be jealous of that windfall.)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
travis willmann
This book is the second in the series, and starts off on a good note. Roe gets a bunch of money, a house, a cat, and a skull hidden in her new house. She got this from an unlikely source--a friend she barely considered friendly. Someone else wants the skull, so Roe is in danger and must find out who did it. She doesn't go to the police because of respect out of the woman who left her the house. In the end, she finds out the truth, which is quite random but makes a great story. This story is really a feel good one for murder mysteries, and I like this one a lot. Roe does lots of character development in this one and grows up significantly. A good, light hearted read (for adult murder mysteries, that is).
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
madison
bUt it was a fast paced and interesting book. If you were looking for more True Blood, look no further, it is not here. This is a murder mystery series and a very cute one at that.I’ll be reading the third book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
montybrookfield
This is not a book that's going to make it to the big screen, the little screen or any other screen. It's just an entertaining book for those of us who don't want to spend the first 20 pages reading about the color of the sky. The fact of the matter is, spending time with Roe and people in her life is just plain good old fun with a little mystery added. I enjoy going dress shopping with Roe. I like knowing what she had for breakfast. I care about the cat curling up in her lap. On face value this sounds very mundane but therein lies the talent of Charlaine Harris; she can take the ordinary and make it interesting. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
tianjun shen
What a fun read! Absolutely loved the ending!! Now you'll Have to read it! Heroine Aurora "Roe" Teagarden find herself in the middle of a conundrum! Only she could inherit from an acquaintance a house, $$$ & a mystery! I hate saying much more, don't want to spoil your read...... Though this book does have her attending the wedding of a former lover & his obviously pregnant bride, who also happens to be a homocide detective!!! Thanks to Goodreads for allowing me to read & review this fun cozy mystery!
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
tonja
This is the 2nd book in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series and I'm not sure I'm going to continue reading them. Why? Because I can really decide if I like the main character. I think she's a little forced, kind of a snob in some ways and it's still unclear if she's a bit racist or not. Also, I'm a Librarian and I can't imagine wanting to quit my job. Since we aren't in the profession for the money, it must be a calling so I can only deduce that Aurora wasn't much of a Librarian to begin with.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nitrorockets
I won this book in a GoodReads.com give away.

This is the second book in the Aurora Teagarden mystery series. In this one we find out one the elderly ladies from the now defunct "Real Murders" club has passed away.
If you want to read more you can visit by blog.
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★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
susan m
This Southern librarian turned amateur, bumbling sleuth novel is now a teenager, and as such has not aged gracefully.

I don't mind far-fetched plots, some of the time, but I object to far-fetched, silly plots peopled with silly, unlikeable people.

No, I do not like Aurora Teagarden, although I did in Real Murders. However, I find her mother obnoxious to the point where I cringe when she comes on the scene. Even more, the whole community in their little town is enough to send me looking for another book.

I am definitely not crazy about flat characters who judge others by the value of their houses, the perfection of their make-up or the cut of their bridesmaid dresses. And who are more concerned about personal inconvenience than going to the police...

Or authors who seem to think that first babies are born within ten minutes of one's waters breaking.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
matt bowlby
Excellent. Charmaine Harris wrote two wonderful series before she started with vampires. For those of us who like down-home mysteries with characters we can relate to, the Aurora Teagarden series is great. This is the second in this series. Also loved the first and will be beginning the third. This series is being made into Hallmark Chanel movie, the first to air April 19.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
untitled
In this sequel to Real Murders, A Bone To Pick once again takes us back to Lawrenceton and librarian crime-solver, Roe Teagarden. The books jumps right into two weddings and one funeral. During the funeral, Roe meets Bubba Sewell, the lawyer for the deceased Jane Engle. Roe and Jane were members of the now disbanded Real Murderer's club that was so prevalent in the first book. Although they were club members, neither Jane nor Roe were very close. When Roe finds out that she inherited all of Jane's belongings, including a house, over five hundred thousand dollars and a cat, Roe knew that there was more to the inheritance than just the financial benefits. Setting out to look for clues in Jane's house, Roe comes across a hidden skull, and soon figures out that Jane left her a murder to solve.

In terms of mystery books, this one was a real dud. There wasn't much of a mystery. Every character was a good guy, and most of the characters were really dull and without much substance. There wasn't much plot to the book other than Roe coming to terms to with her inheritance and trying endlessly to find the love of her life. I was really disappointed with book, because Real Murders started out with a lot of spunk and energy. I'm going to give the third book in the series a try: Three Bedrooms, One Corpse, and hope that it doesn't fall flat either. I rated Real Murder PG-13, but this book I would give a G to PG rating. Very neutral, and very tame.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
allison yarrow
Like some reviewers have mentioned, Aurora Teagarden Mysteries are not actually mysteries. Rather, these books are about Roe's life, with a little bit of a mystery thrown in, mostly in the end of the books. I personally didn't mind that. Charlaine Harris has that special talent of describing everyday life of an ordinary person (in this case, Aurora's) and lives and gossip of a small town in a very entertaining manner. Although this series lacks uniqueness of the supernatural world described in the Southern Vampire series, it is still very engaging, and I will continue reading it.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
jill raudensky
Just started reading Charlaine and have enjoyed one or two. Read the first Aurora and enjoyed.
Unfortunately, A BONE TO PICK is not worth the time. The plot is somewhat suspect (no pun intended) and after some 200 pages (and end of the book almost upon us) we still have no substance.
In fact, Roe has spend most of her time debating moving into the inherited home and wondering as to whom is responsible for the skull.
Incredibly boring. I will move on to Aurora book 3 and hope things get back to normal
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
allie mac
I discovered this wonderful series before Lily Bard or Sookie Stackhouse. Each of these series is spectacular in its own way but I will always have a soft spot for smart and funny Aurora. She's the kind of person who is really easy to relate to and the kind of gal that you could be friends with. She also happens to be a a whiz at solving mysteries when she isn't working her day job as a librarian. I highly recommend each of these books!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
anisha
An interesting second addition that had Roe digging into the past and present to solve a mystery, while dealing with personal issues such as a former flame showing up. The strongest part is the character development, which Harris excels at, and though the story may somewhat slow down at times, it's an overall very good book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
saily
[A Bone To Pick] by Charlaine Harris 3.5 stars 272 pages

A Bone to Pick has Roe inherit a house and alot of money from one of the old members of Real Murders. In the house she finds a skull that has been there for a few years. Someone on the street is a murderer and is trying to find out who has the skull. The stage is set up for the next book to have alot of changes. Not her best series but it's an ok one.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
nandini
In this second book of the series, Aurora Teagarden inherits a house and a substantial amount of money from Jane Engle, a former high school librarian. Aurora is surprised at this bequest since she had not counted Jane as a close friend. However, she becomes even more surprised at what she discovers in Jane's house. She becomes acquainted with the neighbors on Jane's street while assessing the possibility that they were involved in a crime which she thinks was committed in the neighborhood. A light and enjoyable read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
george hawkey
I have to say that I am divided over how I feel about this installment of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. On the one hand, I found this book interesting because it focused on Roe's personal life. On the other hand, the mystery was second rate. The plot moves slowly, & everything comes together in the last chapter. There are very few clues dropped along the way, which makes the outcome seem irrelevant. The reason given for the murder was ridiculous & had nothing to do with the rest of the book.

The odd thing is that I actually enjoyed this book because Roe made up for the lacking mystery.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
ltbisesi
This is the second book in a mystery series. Aurora Teagarden, a librarian, inherits a house and a large sum of money from her friend Jane. While Roe is cleaning out the house, she finds a skull in a storage trunk. Roe begins to investigate where the skull came from and how it ended up in Jane's house. Good twists and turns in this book, I enjoyed it. I will continue this series.

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★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
stephanie laurenza
I have been reading some intense mysteries, so this is a bit less so! Of course, I enjoy Aurora's interaction with
Havilland, the standard black poodle! And like the interaction with the book club members as they become
good friends!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jill ramsower
As a fan of Charlaine Harris, I love the characters she builds. However, Even though an excellent read, I had trouble caring about most of the suspects this time. Still surprising, excellently written.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
robert black
I read this book in one sitting and found it quite enjoyable. The mystery was not that big of a mystery. What intrigued me was the story. The main character inherits a house and more than enough money to live happily in the house, but she soon finds out that having a house and some money does not guarantee happiness. Instead it means she has traded in small old worries for new ones. How she deals with what life has brought her is what kept me reading this book until it was done.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
margaret christensen
I loved this mystery because I couldn’t figure out who the murderer was until the end. The story is well-written with very few mistakes found. I enjoyed this story so much because it’s a very quirky, entertaining read. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
david melik
I think I may have nailed down why I like this series. It's about the Aurora's personal life first and the mystery second. Aurora doesn't go out looking for murder or mayhem but it finds it's way into her life and she has a curiosity that won't let her just let it go.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
marilou pelletier
I absolutely love this series! Everything from the choice of quirky characters to the story line had me hooked from the beginning! I am saddened when I come to the end of a book or the end of one of her series...I look forward reading the next book in the series. This is another must read from Ms. Harris!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
skooter
I loved A Bone To Pick. The Aurora Teagarden mysteries are my favorite books by Ms. Harris. A Bone to Pick was funny and a good mystery. I have read all of this series as well as the "Grave" Series and "Sookie" series. This is my favorite book of all of them. Great read!
★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
victor
I enjoyed "Real Murders" and the character Aurora Teagarden. I don't want to give away too much, but in "A Bone to Pick," it's as if Ms. Harris decided to change Aurora's character completely. Accordingly, the book feels very transitional: a lot of deliberation and very little action. That's not the Aurora Teagarden I thought I knew!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
dylan reed
For Harris readers... Entertaining and enjoyable reading but the Sookie series is so much better. So, don't go into it thinking it's going to be so great as that series, but it's still very enjoyable. Kind of a cross between Sookie and Stephanie Plum. The main character is a librarian and trouble constantly seems to find her.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
mel gonzalez
I was very pleased with the service from the provider. I was also very pleased with the condition of the book. It was just as they described it. They shipped it immediately upon order which was very appreciated.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
hayley mccarron
I have read all the other series by Charlaine Harris and enjoyed them thoroughly. I loved Sookie, Lily, etc..but when it comes to Aurora I am not sure why i am supposed to care about her. She is very flat. She could be killed in a murder and I would not care one way or the other. If you are a true Charlaine fan based on her other novels I would stay clear of this series. It is really lacking....
Please RateA Bone to Pick (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries - Book 2)
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