Along Came Mary: A Bad Girl Creek Novel

Bad Girl Creek #2

by Jo-Ann Mapson

After leaving her no-good rodeo boyfriend, Mary Madigan ends up in Oklahoma Creek where she meets an unforgettable cast of characters, including journalist Rick, pregnant Phoebe, and HIV-positive Ness - all of whom join forces to help, comfort, and love each other, in a wonderful novel of friendship, sex, sisterhood, family, and salvation. 40,000 first printing.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Womens

368 pages, Hardcover

First published December 24, 2002

About the author

Jo-Ann Mapson, a third generation Californian, grew up in Fullerton as a middle child with four siblings. She dropped out of college to marry, but later finished a creative writing degree at California State University, Long Beach. Following her son's birth in 1978, Mapson worked an assortment of odd jobs teaching horseback riding, cleaning houses, typing resumes, and working retail. After earning a graduate degree from Vermont College's low residency program, she taught at Orange Coast College for six years before turning to full-time writing in 1996. Mapson is the author of the acclaimed novels Shadow Ranch, Blue Rodeo, Hank Chloe, and Loving Chloe."The land is as much a character as the people," Mapson has said. Whether writing about the stark beauty of a California canyon or the poverty of an Arizona reservation, Mapson's landscapes are imbued with life. Setting her fiction in the Southwest, Mapson writes about a region that she knows well; after growing up in California and living for a time in Arizona and NewMexico, Mapson lives today in Costa Mesa, California. She attributes her focus on setting to the influence of Wallace Stegner.Like many of her characters, Mapson has ridden horses since she was a child. She owns a 35-year-old Appaloosa and has said that she learned about writing from learning to jump her horse, Tonto. "I realized," she said, "that the same thing that had been wrong with my riding was the same thing that had been wrong with my writing. In riding there is a term called `the moment of suspension,' when you're over the fence, just hanging in the air. I had to give myself up to it, let go, trust the motion. Once I got that right, everything fell into place."

Reviews

[Marleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second novel in the Bad Girl Creek series and this one focuses slightly more on new characters that are being introduced, mainly Mary (Maddy) and Rick (the Rotten Rick).
I have to admit that I wasn’t too fond of this second book. Individually, all the characters are compelling and their situation understandable, but it’s the putting together in one story of too many confused, immature and irritating characters that bothers me mostly. At times, I just wanted to quit reading because all this immaturity and bad behavior from grown-ups felt so immensely annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I think every one of those characters was well developed and endearing (except Nance) and every one of them was entitled to their grief, struggle, growth, self-discovery, recovery, you name it, but there were just too many of them! Notwithstanding Jo-Ann Mapson’s wonderful writing style, and witty insights to the heart and mind, I felt a bit dissatisfied with this one.
I would’ve loved more balance. I would have loved more of Beryl, or more of Ness and David for instance because they would have leveled out the immaturity factor – and what an interesting pair of friends they make. Also I was curious to what drove Nance’s eating disorder and I feel I didn’t get any explanation. Let me just say - I don't get that Nancy woman at all. She's so enormously self-centered.
As for Phoebe, I was very moved by her loss and although I understood her grief, I wasn’t so sure I understood her motivation and decision with regard to her baby’s future. I do applaud the author for her immense talent and for giving the reader – giving me a satisfactory ending. That being said, overall, this read more often felt like a “MEAN GIRL” novel, and I’m truly hoping that the third book will be more evened out and satisfying.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this book until I liked it. Looking for the next title in the series!

[suzannarama · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, it's about that time of the month again, time for the Jo-Ann Mapson book. I hate to be the one to have to say it, but Along Came Mary, the second book of the Bad Girl Creek trilogy... well, this book's a hot mess. I'll give it two stars because it did coax a genuine guffaw out of me from time to time; it is written with most of Mapson's characteristic wit. The characters, the plot, really any attempts at relevance fall flat, though, and I found myself glancing up at the corner of the page more than usual to see how many pages I had left to endure.



Right away, Miz Mapson tried a different approach with this book. The happy ending from the first book, the one that made me feel all warm and fuzzy and less inclined to file down my teeth just in case a man should chance within striking distance sometime? Gone, ripped away heartlessly by an author who couldn't even be bothered to let me take my socks off first. I mean, I realize that a little bit of heartbreak is necessary, even a lot of it, or else there would have been a broken contract instead of a book, but did she have to be quite so brutal about it? Page three? Sheesh.



But that's not really the problem I had with this book. I mostly just couldn't see the point. Phoebe's story is explored a little more, and that's somewhat gratifying, but Ness and Beryl are all but ignored, and Nance's story is told from the strange and disorienting perspective of Rick, the rotten ex. A new character, Mary, is also introduced. Although in all honesty I probably found more to identify with in Mary than any of the other characters, I can't help thinking that's why I didn't particularly care about her. It's like she was a depository of character quirks that didn't fit into any of the main four women's personalities, so she became the afterthought character Mary the Ruby-Voiced Rodeo Singer Who Also Happens To Be Sleeping With Nance's Ex, Two to Four States Away (small world). Also coincidental is Beryl's tendency to show up at just the right time, in just the right places, like she's some kind of Obi-Wan Kenobi led by the force to where she's needed most. It's a bit much.



Still, I'm addicted to these books, so I went ahead and started the next one, Goodbye Earl. Really, only one significant event happened in Along Came Mary (two, if you count Nance's anticlimactic storyline), and it's all covered in the first few pages of the sequel. Now that I'm about halfway through the third book in the trilogy, I feel comfortable making a suggestion: you can probably go ahead and skip over the bastard second child of the Bad Girl Creek series, and just lavish your attention on the third. It's really much better behaved.

[Vicki Jaeger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just putting in a quote so I don't forget it:
"The plant Beryl brought me was an Easter cactus, Latin name, Rhipasalidopsis gaertneri. It was supposed to bloom in spring and, if conditions were good, fall. A native of Brazil, it's paddles were green, so we didn't know whether it would bloom red or pink. We had to wait. I unburdened my heart to that plant: I'm lost, I said. Mired. I loved him more than breath. Where are the maps that explain how to survive this hurt?
Hey, it answered. Try having had the rain forest yanked out from under you. I haven't seen a single goddamn parrot around here. Do you have any idea how hard it is to sit in this dry, lifeless place day after day, working on flowers?"

I didn't like this one as much as the first. A lot of sorrow, and things gone wrong. I was really mad at the author for the beginning, which started out joyful...until it wasn't. (No spoilers here, don't worry.) A good second book full of lost souls and the start of redemption or growth for them. Will have to see how the third book plays out.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Bad Girl Creek (the first book), and in this book, I did enjoy catching up with the characters, but there's something a bit off about the pacing. Mapson is a fine wordsmith, but sometimes there are too many of those fine words clustered around what I thought was a minor or side issue, when I wanted to see resolution of the story questions. For example, although I wasn't in love with the Rick character, I could put up with him, but to read pages of his attempts at writing a novel--that was too much. I admit I skimmed a bit. Still, I want to know what happens to Phoebe, Mimi, Sally, Beryl (a real hook there!), and esp. Ness and David, so I'm going to buy book three. I hope Mapson returns to the tighter writing style of book one. PS Why all the bad mothers?

[Jonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jo-Ann Mapson's books are the sort that make you want to curl up with a blanket in front of a fire, or lay in a hammock and just give the day over to reading her wonderful prose. Her characters are so interesting and the storytelling is so masterful. She is one of those authors who, if I see a new book in the bookstore, I don't even read the flap, I just buy it because I know it will be a wonderful reading experience.

[Morrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although on the surface one would say it was just one more chick book but I am here to tell you that this is not your average chick lit, this is the second book in the trilogy of Bad Girl Creek and I was immediately sucked in, like catching up with old friends and meeting some new ones. I was again sad when the book ended but it was a perfect place to stop. The characters in these books actually become like distant friends that pop into your mind every so often.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't ennjoy this book as much as I did Bad Girl Creek. I found that I couldn't warm to Rick or Maddy, so the parts of the book told from their perspective were a bit tiresome for me, and I was always wanting to know what was happening back at the farm. I'm now looking forward to reading Goodbye Earl to round out the trilogy.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second time reading...I love these books!

[a · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had problems with this one. Didn't want to read about Rick or Maddy for that matter

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. Things have turned on their heads at the farm, with Phoebe having a devastating loss and a high risk pregnancy, Nance is on a starvation diet and is engaged, Ness is struggling with her HIV status, and Beryl is often away, traveling with Earl. A new character is introduced, Mary, who along with her dogs leaves her rodeo sideshow life and hits the road, meeting Rick, Nance’s ex along the way. Mary and Rick each have their struggles as he is no longer employed as a music journalist and is trying to write a book, while Mary has an incredible voice, but is an emotional wreck. The story alternates between the two groups, and we see a greater downward spiral before there is some light and hope. I didn’t like this one as much as the first book, but it did have its moments.

[Ann Boytim · Rating 3 out of 5]

2nd book in the series and Phoebe the owner of the flower farm is pregnant with Juan's child but unfortunately Juan and his mother were killed in a cad accident on what would have been his and Phoebe's wedding day. Phoebe sinks into deep depression over this and her brother James and the gals who help run the flower farm are helpless to raise her spirits. New people on the horizon as Beryl is off to Alaska with her boyfriend. Phoebe is determined to give away the bay to her brother James and Nance the gal her is going to marry but who knows if circumstances will change.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

"...We all start out thinking we're so damn unique, bucking the trends, making our imprint, our ideals so fresh and new that any moment we're sure we'll make the cover of a magazine...It's living your boring old life that gives a person wisdom. Believe it or not, that so-called ordinary life is all we get."

[Polly John · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book. Very entertaining characters, and their individual story lines were fascinating. Can't wait to read more from Ms. Mapson!

[BeParticular · Rating 2 out of 5]

I expected this book to be not quite as good as the first based on reviews and the fact that it is the 2nd book of a trilogy. Even so, it had little to keep me interested and plenty that annoyed. Most annoying was the repeated use of two nasty nicknames. Stinky was bad enough in the first book, but at least there it wasn't used repeatedly. But using Maggot for a beloved and loving character drove me insane. I don't care if it was a teasing nickname from childhood. Using it every single time in reference to that character was such a bad choice. Pulled me out of the narrative each time I read it. Also, Rick got far too much page time. He was such a despicable character. So what if he's gorgeous and great in bed? The rest of the time he is a complete ass (and even worse, knows it, but doesn't care). What would one woman, much less two, see in a passive/aggressive jerk like that? Blech. I like Beryl, but her story stalled and covered the same territory throughout the entire book. Maddy was very one-note, too. Ness pretty much disappeared. Nance was dealing with serious issues, but telling the story through all points of view but her own siphoned off all emotional attachment for me. Phoebe's story was sad and maddening at the same time, but at least it progressed throughout the book. I did like the new character introduced at the end and am curious to see where that leads.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Along Came Mary : A Bad Girl Creek Novel
Along Came Mary : A Bad Girl Creek Novel
This is the second book in the Bad Girl Creek trilogy. They're pretty enjoyable, but it's a guilty pleasure for me, because I really don't think they're very well written at all. I think there was a rewrite concerning the circumstances of one character losing his job, but the first chapter where the incident actually happens doesn't get changed, or she changed it as she was writing and forgot to go back to fix that first chapter. An editor should have caught that.

With this book, I didn't like that a lot of the action took place away from the flower farm, and some of the main characters from the first book didn't get chapters.

Regardless, I will read and probably enjoy the third book. There are a lot of things to like; the main characters and their relationships with each other, the house they live in, which sounds really cool, all their pets, etc. I just wish Mapson and her editor took a little more care with the books.

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

About fifteen years ago, I fell in love with Jo-Ann Mapson's writing. Blue Rodeo and Hank and Chloe were both excellent novels. Since then, most of her books have been part of the Bad Girl Creek series, and while they are largely enjoyable, they haven't met the high standard of her two earliest. Along Came Mary continues the theme of interchanging story tellers all dealing with their various tragedies and all healed by the great energy of female togetherness. While I like the novels, it sometimes feels like Mapson is stringing one fortune-cookie epigram after another into a novel, and that gets old. Perhaps choosing and sticking to one narrative voice and one point of view would make her books deeper and less of an avalanche of details, issues, epiphanies, and advice on how to live. Anyway: Along Came Mary provided good reading for Thanksgiving night and Black Friday/PJ Friday morning; I'm reading a second one of hers next, so we'll see how that one strikes me.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book more than I did- I loved the first one in the Bad Girl Creek series, after all. Unfortunately, this book fell flat. Ms. Mapson tried to make this a stand-alone novel, but sadly failed in the attempt. The characters go through a number of hardships and the stories definitely progress, but she didn't tie up what I wanted her to tie up- and some things that she spent the whole book developing went absolutely nowhere. I was most disappointed.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Along Came Mary" by Jo-Ann Mapson, is a very interesting tale of a group of women interacting and interwoven in each other's lives on a flower farm. Loved the characters and how they were real. This was book #2 of a series of 3 books. I didn't know that when I bought this book at the used library in town. Even so, not having read book #1, I figured out most of the details anyway. Not sure if I will run across book 3 or not.

[Patsy Tindell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another of the Bad Girls Creek novels. In this one Rotten Rick meets Mary Madigan at the Oklahoma Memorial where she lost her twin sister. They travel together and end up in California just in time for the wedding of his old girlfriend Nance who finally decided to marry Phoebe's brother, James. At the end Rick and Mary take off for Nashville where she may begin a country western singer.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was MUCH better than I thought it would be. Although the language felt...well, I don't have a good way to describe it. A little hokey? Trite? Something like that. Anyhow, it was much more compelling than I thought it would be.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would describe this has high-end chick lit. I have read other of her books and they are good for downtime between heavier stuff. All sorts of problems and everything comes out alright in the end. This is the second in the Bad Girl Creek series. I think I read the first one quite a few years ago.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute, but not as good as the first in the series. The author seemed confused as whether to introduce new characters or focus on the old ones. Personally, I would have preferred she had just focused on the characters from the first book.

[Mary Newcomb]

While the POV style is a bit confusing, the narrative is very interesting. The women of Bad Girl Creek are well drawn and unique. This is definitely a novel and there are some parts I question but the premise is well done.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great follow-up to "Bad Girl Creek." I love the characters! I have to say that I can't believe what she did to Phoebe...It took me a while to read this, only because the Olympics distracted me. :) But it was very good!

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I wanted to read this book, but now I think it is the best of the Mapson books I've read so far. The closeness of the Bad Creek girls makes me feel warm and fuzzy. It was hard to put the book down.

[Liz McGlinchey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, although not as much as the first one.

Mapson's character development is fantastic, you really empathize with these characters and feel involved in their lives for the duration of the story.

Looking forward to reading the third Bad Girl Creek installment!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. I can relate to the girlfriends. Their problems and solutions are moving and touching. I can't wait to read the last book in this series. I gave it 4 stars because it was slow moving in some places.

[Pamela Trawick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of California series, but this one happens more in Oklahoma and Arizona (?).