Generous Death

Jenny Cain #1

by Nancy Pickard

Jenny Cain investigates when a class of fourth graders finds the body of a formerly wealthy patron of the arts tucked into a priceless Chinese bed at the local art museum.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Crime

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Nancy Pickard is an American crime novelist. She received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and began writing at age 35.

She has won five Macavity Awards, four Agatha Awards, an Anthony Award, and a Shamus Award. She is the only author to win all four awards. Her novel The Virgin of Small Plains, published in 2007, won an Agatha Award. She also served on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generous Death is the debut to the long-running series featuring foundation director Jenny Cain and her policeman beau Geoff Bushfield. I thought I knew who the murderer was, but I was completely wrong.

Jenny, executive director of The Foundation in tiny Port Frederick, Massachusetts, is appalled by the death of one of The Foundation’s biggest donors. She is even more horrified when she discovers the millionaire was murdered. A clever woman, she soon realizes that someone is targeting the Foundation’s biggest philanthropists. Clever plotting and a surprise ending make for a lovely read. I will be back for more in this delightful series.

[Karl]

This slipcased hardcover edition is numbered 41 of 300 copies printed and is signed by Nancy Picard.

[Jerry B · Rating 2 out of 5]

We intentionally sought out Nancy Pickard after being well pleased by a short story of hers in a mystery anthology. Noting that she is probably best known for her 10-book Jenny Cain series, we picked to try the first of the ten, “Generous Death”, published in 1984, with the set ending in 1996.

Unfortunately, almost everything disappointed – with the word amateurish coming to mind over and over. Cain has the odd role as director of a charitable foundation, and amateur sleuth (more or less). When on three straight days, the wealthiest three people in her small Massachusetts town of Port Frederick are found dead, with Cain involved in finding the bodies, in any normal story several police forces would be out in mass with such high-visibility deaths almost certainly the handicraft of some sort of serial killer.

Not herein, with merely one local cop, who just happens to interest Cain romantically, pursuing the matter, with Cain supplying ideas and private efforts along the way. At the end, the culprits are discovered, and, conveniently for we readers, spend several book-end chapters explaining the how, what, and why – as apparently the bulk of the novel was inadequate to do so.

We found the mystery poorly crafted and implausible. We found the over-the-top introduction by Carolyn Hart, apparently a friend/colleague of the author, a totally unwarranted high-expectation setter; nor was the author’s somewhat lengthy afterward, written several years after the set had taken off, little more than back-patting.

So much for having discovered a promising new-to-us author – no wonder this set apparently died a natural death, having not graciously aged, two decades ago.

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A reread 30+ years later. A stellar first novel, and this made me want to revisit the entire mystery series.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there really any such thing as a typical field trip of fourth graders? Certainly not for a group of fourth graders whom we meet as this book begins. They're touring an art museum which relies heavily on donations from a local foundation--a foundation run by Jenny Cain. As the children approach a bed used in ancient China, They see someone in the bed presumably sleeping. But of course, the guy is dead, and he's a big donor to Jenny's foundation.

It doesn't take long for Jenny to recognize, as the murders pile up, that the people who are dying are all donors to her foundation. Someone has gained access to her donor list, and she realizes to her horror that since she is also a significant donor to the foundation, her life is in danger.

I enjoyed this book largely because the Jenny Cain character is so likable. There's just a hint of romance here between Jenny and a former classmate whom she hasn't seen in some time, a guy who has become a cop. It's the first book in the series, and for once, I actually had the good sense to start with the first book rather than dip into the series at random as I all-too-often do.

[Luz C. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Nancy Pickard was an unexpected addictive experience. Her afterword in “Generous Death” was touching, hinting that she might not have chosen a cop for her heroine Jennifer Cain, however congratulating herself for choosing a great job for her as a brilliant move. (Which, I totally, agree.)The only thing she might have changed of Jennifer Cain was her height, making her a five four instead of a five eight. Now, I thought, that makes a lot more sense. I was able to crack the case halfway into the novel, but I had to remind myself this one was the very first mystery in the Jennifer Cain mystery murder series. Later on is a little bit harder to crack her cases, most of the times betting on the wrong suspect.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I stumbled upon this book and the rest of its series in the Open Stacks section of the library. You can't read it on Libby and it's not easy to get on Amazon. I felt like it was just waiting to be picked up, read, and enjoyed so I did! I've read lots of first books of mystery series this year, and out of all of them, this has the most promise. I loved the first-person narration and the mystery was genuinely very good. I was surprised at the end. The dialogue and narration were kind of cheesy sometimes, but I liked the characters and the town of Port Fred, Massachutses enough that I'll definitely pick up the next two books the next time I'm at the library.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author to me and the first in a series. I loved the character of Jenny Cain and now want to read the rest of the series. It keeps you guessing as to who the murderer is and why the victims were chosen

[Mona · Rating 4 out of 5]

another one of those funny mystery writers - also, along the lines of Janet Evanovich and the alphabet murders

[Julie H. Ernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Cain is a clever, likeable, independent protagonist, and the mystery is a good one. The setting of an art museum is a nice change from the same old same old.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant! Jenny Cain is a smart, clever and likeable character. I love her final weapon of choice.

[Jeanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite easy read mysteries. I've read the whole series a couple of times. Jenny Cain has become an old friend!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read for the start of a series. Good going, Nancy Pickard!!

[Georgene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going through my books looking for something to read and found this book. It's a good read involving wealthy patrons of the arts in a New England town who are, one by one, being murdered.

I've never read anything by this author before. I enjoyed this story quite a bit. I would rank it a bit below a 4, but much more than a 3, so 4 stars it is.

As a side note, I was flipping through the book prior to reading it and discovered that I had an autographed copy!

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. Probably closer to 3 stars, as I did finish it. I think the problem was it was published in the early 80s, so some of it is quite dated. Oh, I'm old enough to remember when computers had floppy disks and when you typed into a green square! I have probably read others by the author, the name is familiar, but I won't search them out. I got this on a library free table.

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pickard writes well, but I don't think I'll progress with this series as it's a little dated--copywrited 1984.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good mystery. I didn’t figure out the ending too quickly and the characters were fairly interesting and likeable. I might read another one.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a barn-burner, but very readable and I enjoyed the characters (even if the mystery had some issues).

[Karissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laid to rest in a lovely antique Chinese bed, one of Jenny Cain's foundations' most generous donors is found dead in a museum they support. Stunned when it is ruled murder, and horrified when more donors start dying in unusual ways all involving the charities they love, Jenny teams up with a local cop to investigate. Geoffrey Bushfield is an old school chum and the two hit it off, working together to find out who's killing their neighbors and donors and why.

This is the first book in the series, and you can tell at times; but it was a pleasant and thoroughly entertaining mystery. I was delightfully surprised by who the killer was and the person's motivation.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I like this but not only for the reason that the main character is named Jenny. Although that's a plus. :)

I came across Nancy Pickard when I read The Scent of Rain and Lightning and loved it (first book I read on Kindle too!). Then her name is tossed around a lot in Carolyn Hart's Death on Demand series, so I decided to start at the top (as I always try and do) with this first Jenny Cain mystery.

This book wasn't as solid as Rain & Lightning but I enjoyed all the characters. The premise is that the biggest philanthropists in Port Frederick, MA, start getting murdered. Is someone trying to ruin the town's Foundation (where donations are filtered and assigned)? Jenny also believes she might be in danger since she technically has a lot of money in trust from her grandfather that will be hers on the day she turns 30 (which is Sunday). She starts dating a cop at the same time all this is going on, Geof (yes, just one "f") Bushfield. I liked Geof and their storyline, even if it was predictable.

In the end, it turns out that there are TWO murderers- Allison Parker, the director of the Welcome Home house (refuge for behavioral-problem girls) and Simon Church, the director of the Martha Paul Museum. (He killed the first person, Arnie, thinking the museum would then get to inherit his millions, then Allison killed the next two when her real aim was to kill the woman who would donate to Welcome Home. They didn't know each other was helping one another out. Also I think it's funny that Simon's alibi was helped by the use of holograms, and Allison had to ask what that was.... oh the 90's!)

Other reviews have mentioned that Jenny is too perfect, too much of a fuddy duddy. Maybe she is, but I enjoyed her sense of humor and thought that the banter between her and Geof was great. It's hard to write dialogue and Pickard nailed it.

I enjoyed Hart's foreward but I really enjoyed Pickard's afterword. "Had I but known" she starts -and then talks about what she MIGHT have changed if she'd planned on this being a series (she hadn't) - but then again, probably not.

3 stars for the weird ending - I definitely skipped some pages toward the end because I had a feeling I knew how things would end.

[Judi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first Jenny Cain mystery in the series. I picked it up late last spring at a church rummage sale. I had only read the one book of hers and I really wanted to read more, this seemed like a great place to start. It's easy to see the success of her series. Jenny Cain is a very likable character, smart, a corny sense of humor, realistic relations with her community and an original occupation, especially for an amateur sleuth. Jenny is the Executive Director of The Foundation, a trust fund that manages and distributes money to needy projects in the imaginary town of Port Frederick, Massachusetts. Part of her job is to deal with the wealthy who promise to leave large chunks of money to the Foundation which in turn invests the principal and then channels the interest to the charity of the donor's choice. And since money begets money, having a lump sum managed by the Foundation is more profitable than all the smaller organizations having separate accounts. Somehow, playing with all this money to benefit those in need seems to justify the natural greediness of money....

The rest of my review here:
http://mostlyfiction.com/sleuths/pick...

[L8blmr]

I can't believe it! I randomly chose a book by an author a friend recommended and it turned out to be part of a series (I can't believe how often this happens to me; I should do my research before I embark on a journey with a new-to-me writer). This time, though, it was actually the first book in the series! I was a little put off in the beginning because this story was published in 1984, and it shows. However, if a mystery is good, it doesn't matter if it's dated, and this one was good. As it is the first in a series, there was a little feel of information dumping, yet there was a time or two that I felt there must have been books before this one because it seemed to pick up in the middle of a thread in the story. The heroine seems, so far, likable and smart, funny and fairly authentic. Time will tell; I will read at least one more book (in order!) to determine if this is a series I want to pursue. I always need an easy read to indulge in after something heavy and this book fit the bill.

[The Transmuted Tree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well the conclusion was utterly ridiculous. This wasn't as charming as the other book I've read from the series, Say No to Murder. I will not give up on these books just yet though. I do like Jenny Cain's character enough to read the next one (#3) in the series next summer. But she was supposed to be 29 in this book and she came across as a 40-something fuddy-duddy. Her personality/reactions to things just didn't seem like that of a young(ish) woman.

And Michael, her wannabe love interest was such a pathetic loser. Every scene with him was cringeworthy. He became obnoxious with how sad and desperate he was. This is exactly how not to conduct yourself if you're trying to win someone over. Being whiny and clingy will get you friend zoned for life. But that doesn't reflect on the rating; that was a realistic touch. The slow plot, undeveloped characters, and ridiculous ending is why it's 2 stars.

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book, the first of the "Jenny Cain" mysteries, to see if I would enjoy the series expecting a story about an amateur gumshoe. Jenny Cain is not Nancy Drew by any stretch and I was shocked at who the killer turned out to be, not because I hadn't suspected the person but because the person was an undeveloped character and hadn't been introduced anywhere near the beginning of the book. The story was slow to the point, little action until the end, and the make shift love scenes and family squalls were suffocating. However Nancy Pickard is a celebrated mystery writer so what do I know?

[Babette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided this year I would investigate more thoroughly authors who have been nominated for book awards. I started with the Agathas, and Nancy Pickard was on the list. She was already on my to-read list, but I had neglected her. So I checked this book out of the library. Start at the beginning.

This is easy, light reading, but not lacking intelligence. The characters are fun and the setting is snug. I enjoyed the glimpse into the world of philanthropy and art, which has its cut-throat side.

I liked it enough to put the sequel on my reading list.

P.S. Pickard is a member of Sisters In Crime, whose website lists lots of authors worth investigating.
sistersincrime.org

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

As director of the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, Jenny Cain is privy to the charitable intentions of the town's wealthiest citizens. There's eccentric old Arnie Culverson, who's promised millions to the local art museum. Who's found there one bright winter morning, neatly tucked into a priceless antique Chinese bed. With pillow and blanket. Dead.

Then another dearly beloved donor dies in the night. And the killer leaves behind a nasty rhyme suggesting rich and beautiful Jenny will be next!

[George · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 in the Jenny Cain, head of a charitable foundation in fictional Port Frederick, Mass., mystery series. Some one is murdering the major donors to Cain's foundation and she is a target as well since she is also a major donor.

A lot personal information about Jenny as she becomes involved in helping solve the murders. A good read and mystery.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Cain, director of the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, watches as her biggest donors are murdered one by one. There are five names on the list and three are already dead; to make it even worse her name is on the list. An old acquaintance who is now on the police force tries to keep her alive, which is no easy matter.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was very well-written and kept me guessing until all was revealed. My only problem was with the absurd number of typos, which a previous library borrower thoughtfully corrected. I don't understand why so many books I've read lately seem like they were never edited.

[G Hodges · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Sections were even very interesting. I think the red herring was over done, and the actual culprit (to say more would be a spoiler) underdone in a specific way. But, the main characters were good and though sketchily drawn, had room to grow.