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Laura Fleming #7
Mad as the Dickens
As Christmas approaches, Laura plans to curl up in her Boston apartment with her English professor husband, Richard, to await the birth of their first child. But when her cousin asks Richard to direct A Christmas Carol, Laura heads back home to unpleasant surprises. First, running a play transforms mild-mannered Richard into a backstage tyrant. Next, Seth, the play's Scrooge, is a washout as an actor. And the worst surprise of all - grimmer than the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come - Seth is brutally murdered.
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First published January 1, 2001
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About the author
Toni L.P. Kelner
39 books72 followersToni L.P. Kelner is the author of the "Where are they now?" mysteries and the Laura Fleming mysteries. She was awarded the 2002 Mystery Series Award from Romantic Times Book Reviews Career Achievement Awards for Best Author for the Laura Fleming series and and her story "Sleeping with the Plush" won the Agatha for Best Short Story of 2006. Kelner has also been nominated for the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Derringer awards. You can find more out about her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Toni-LP...), Twitter (@ToniLPKelner) or her official website (http://www.tonilpkelner.com/).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 25, 2009
This is the first book I've read by Toni L.P. Kelner, and I can't believe I have waited so long to read this series. I found this book very enjoyable and humorous in parts.
Laura Fleming is five months pregnant, and she and her husband ,Richard, are summoned from Boston to Byerly, the thoroughly Southern town where Laura was raised by Laura's cousin Vasti. Vasti is in charge of a Christmas production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol and in desperate need of a director. Richard, a professor of Shakespeare, has long dreamed to direct a theatre production even if it is Dickens instead of his beloved Shakespeare. When Laura and Richard arrive in Byerly, they find a motley cast, and nothing short of a miracle will whip them into shape before opening night. As if that's not enough, a practical joker has been playing tricks during rehearsal, the worst of which is stealing all the toilet paper from the restrooms, beyond cruel to a pregnant lady.
Disaster strikes when furniture salesman Seth Murdstone, who plays Scrooge in the play, is discovered dead backstage, and it is soon apparent that Scrooge didn't die of natural causes. Laura's friend, Junior Norton, the chief of Byerly police, is on vacation for the holidays, and the investigation is handed to the second in command, Mark Pope.
Together, Laura and Junior soon feel Pope is making a mess of the investigation and start asking questions around Byerly. It is no secret that Seth was a moonshiner, and they wonder if that might be at the heart of the investigation. In addition, Seth's sons are in line to inherit as well as Seth's unclaimed illegitimate son. Motives abound. It appears that even innocent seeming Mrs. Gamp has a motive to kill Seth, and the practical jokes are beginning to turn nasty--and very dangerous.
With the help of Laura's quirky aunts, Laura and Junior launch into the investigation. The play, meanwhile, is thrown into chaos. The family has decided that Seth would have wanted the play to continue since the cause is to raise money for the burn hospital that tried to save the life of Seth's badly burned grandson, Barnaby, who eventually died of his wounds. But without a Scrooge, there need to be drastic shifts in the cast, and Richard has his hands full, so Laura and Junior are on their own.
This mystery was a delight to read, from the Southern charm to Laura's quirky family and the antics at the play. Definitely a thumbs up!
Laura Fleming is five months pregnant, and she and her husband ,Richard, are summoned from Boston to Byerly, the thoroughly Southern town where Laura was raised by Laura's cousin Vasti. Vasti is in charge of a Christmas production of Dickens' A Christmas Carol and in desperate need of a director. Richard, a professor of Shakespeare, has long dreamed to direct a theatre production even if it is Dickens instead of his beloved Shakespeare. When Laura and Richard arrive in Byerly, they find a motley cast, and nothing short of a miracle will whip them into shape before opening night. As if that's not enough, a practical joker has been playing tricks during rehearsal, the worst of which is stealing all the toilet paper from the restrooms, beyond cruel to a pregnant lady.
Disaster strikes when furniture salesman Seth Murdstone, who plays Scrooge in the play, is discovered dead backstage, and it is soon apparent that Scrooge didn't die of natural causes. Laura's friend, Junior Norton, the chief of Byerly police, is on vacation for the holidays, and the investigation is handed to the second in command, Mark Pope.
Together, Laura and Junior soon feel Pope is making a mess of the investigation and start asking questions around Byerly. It is no secret that Seth was a moonshiner, and they wonder if that might be at the heart of the investigation. In addition, Seth's sons are in line to inherit as well as Seth's unclaimed illegitimate son. Motives abound. It appears that even innocent seeming Mrs. Gamp has a motive to kill Seth, and the practical jokes are beginning to turn nasty--and very dangerous.
With the help of Laura's quirky aunts, Laura and Junior launch into the investigation. The play, meanwhile, is thrown into chaos. The family has decided that Seth would have wanted the play to continue since the cause is to raise money for the burn hospital that tried to save the life of Seth's badly burned grandson, Barnaby, who eventually died of his wounds. But without a Scrooge, there need to be drastic shifts in the cast, and Richard has his hands full, so Laura and Junior are on their own.
This mystery was a delight to read, from the Southern charm to Laura's quirky family and the antics at the play. Definitely a thumbs up!
October 25, 2012
A new cozy for me, October 25, 2012
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Mad as the Dickens (Superior Collection) (Paperback)
This was my first Laura fleming mystery but definitely not my last. In fact I've just ordered 4 more in this wonderful series. Thankfuly this author intends to continue writing which is just what the doctor ordered!
Laura Fleming, known to friends as Laurie Anne, is very pregnant and on a short(?) vacation with hubby Richard Fleming. Richard is the director of "A Christmas Carol" and currently stressing out over rehearsals. At home in Boston Richard is an English professor. They make their home in Boston but are spending time with family and friends in Byerly, North Carolina.
Richard knows that Seth Murdstone is not meeting the qualifications of the character of his role as Scrooge. Everyone else involved in the play seems to notice the same thing. Then, out of the blue, Seth is found off stage...dead and not from a heart attack. Seth has been murdered by someone, but who and why?
Laura and her long time friend, Junior Norton, are determined to get to the bottom of this murder...but where to start. Junior's Father, Andy, was formerly the chief of Police. Since his passing Junior took over his duties on the police force with Trey, her brother, as a p.t. deputy. That is until Mark Pope replaced Junior.
This down home mystery takes on twists and turns including many I didn't see coming. Tim Topper is an example of that and he brought a new dimension to the story. Seth's two sons', David and Jake, are shaken by their fathers' death, especially since Jake just lost his son Barnaby in a hideous fire.
There are many family members which the author does a good job at introducing and not overwhelming us with. We are never left on the sidelines in solving this crime. Well written and worth adding to your list of cozies.
By Ellen Rappaport (Florida)
This review is from: Mad as the Dickens (Superior Collection) (Paperback)
This was my first Laura fleming mystery but definitely not my last. In fact I've just ordered 4 more in this wonderful series. Thankfuly this author intends to continue writing which is just what the doctor ordered!
Laura Fleming, known to friends as Laurie Anne, is very pregnant and on a short(?) vacation with hubby Richard Fleming. Richard is the director of "A Christmas Carol" and currently stressing out over rehearsals. At home in Boston Richard is an English professor. They make their home in Boston but are spending time with family and friends in Byerly, North Carolina.
Richard knows that Seth Murdstone is not meeting the qualifications of the character of his role as Scrooge. Everyone else involved in the play seems to notice the same thing. Then, out of the blue, Seth is found off stage...dead and not from a heart attack. Seth has been murdered by someone, but who and why?
Laura and her long time friend, Junior Norton, are determined to get to the bottom of this murder...but where to start. Junior's Father, Andy, was formerly the chief of Police. Since his passing Junior took over his duties on the police force with Trey, her brother, as a p.t. deputy. That is until Mark Pope replaced Junior.
This down home mystery takes on twists and turns including many I didn't see coming. Tim Topper is an example of that and he brought a new dimension to the story. Seth's two sons', David and Jake, are shaken by their fathers' death, especially since Jake just lost his son Barnaby in a hideous fire.
There are many family members which the author does a good job at introducing and not overwhelming us with. We are never left on the sidelines in solving this crime. Well written and worth adding to your list of cozies.
September 17, 2024
Laura and her husband are again in her hometown to direct the Christmas play her annoying cousin's organized, when one of the actors is murdered. Through a confluence of events, Laura is asked to help the police chief investigate.
This's by far the funniest book in the series so far, switching between the sobriety of the investigation and the comic situations of the rehearsals. Plausibility feels stretched to get Laura into the investigation, but once that happens things proceed well - and I do like the ending.
This's by far the funniest book in the series so far, switching between the sobriety of the investigation and the comic situations of the rehearsals. Plausibility feels stretched to get Laura into the investigation, but once that happens things proceed well - and I do like the ending.
January 9, 2025
This is the first book that I read from this series and it was easy to read and understand the relationships between the characters. I like the footnotes that refer to the other books in the series. I look forward to reading other books from this series.
June 10, 2018
Mystery books are my THING. Upon finishing this book, my love for thrilling and mysterious books grew. And its all because of Toni L.P. Kelner!!!
December 10, 2011
I was browsing at the used book store a little while ago and thought I'd look for some Christmas fluff to pass the time during the holiday season. This looked like a silly little cozy mystery, so I got it. It was just awful! Here are some reasons why:
1-How old is this author? It seems to be a trend that either the author is advanced in age or is so out of touch with popular culture, but insist on making younger heroines of their books. I lost count of how many times Laurie made some comment that made her sound like she was 80.
2-Laurie's pregnant? Did you forget? If you did, Kelner will remind you approximately every 5th word.
3-This story was SO BORING. Nothing happened. Laurie talked and thought. She talked to Junior. She talked to Richard. She talked to her baby. (In case you forgot that she's pregnant.) There was no real action anywhere.
4-The writing was just bad. On one page alone, the author starts the first paragraph, "The first thing I thought to do was..." Then two paragraphs later, she says the exact same thing again. No, it's not the FIRST thing!
5-The cover art? First, the edition I have is a MMPB that's not available on Amazon. It's got two carolers in slightly old-fashioned coats and hats singing carols while a dead person lies face down in the snow. There are so many problems with this. A-There was no caroling in the book. B-The person that dies died inside and not in the snow. (Which they make a point of saying doesn't happen very often in Alabama, especially at Christmas time.) C-If they're going for "Dickensian carolers" they dressed them all wrong and there are ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON THE TREE ABOVE THEM.
So, yeah. Never reading this author again. Ever.
1-How old is this author? It seems to be a trend that either the author is advanced in age or is so out of touch with popular culture, but insist on making younger heroines of their books. I lost count of how many times Laurie made some comment that made her sound like she was 80.
2-Laurie's pregnant? Did you forget? If you did, Kelner will remind you approximately every 5th word.
3-This story was SO BORING. Nothing happened. Laurie talked and thought. She talked to Junior. She talked to Richard. She talked to her baby. (In case you forgot that she's pregnant.) There was no real action anywhere.
4-The writing was just bad. On one page alone, the author starts the first paragraph, "The first thing I thought to do was..." Then two paragraphs later, she says the exact same thing again. No, it's not the FIRST thing!
5-The cover art? First, the edition I have is a MMPB that's not available on Amazon. It's got two carolers in slightly old-fashioned coats and hats singing carols while a dead person lies face down in the snow. There are so many problems with this. A-There was no caroling in the book. B-The person that dies died inside and not in the snow. (Which they make a point of saying doesn't happen very often in Alabama, especially at Christmas time.) C-If they're going for "Dickensian carolers" they dressed them all wrong and there are ELECTRIC LIGHTS ON THE TREE ABOVE THEM.
So, yeah. Never reading this author again. Ever.
July 25, 2014
Laura and Richard Fleming should be getting ready for the Christmas holiday in their Boston home especially with Laura five months pregnant. However, her cousin Vasti from Byerly, North Carolina pleads with the Flemings to come visit her and neither one can say no. Vasti wants Richard, a Shakespearean professor at Boston College to direct the production of A Christmas Carol. Richard is eager to take up the challenge. During a rehearsal, Seth, the actor portraying Scrooge is found bludgeoned to death. Laura teams up with Junior, the town's chief of police, who is on forced vacation, to find the killer before he can do any more harm. MAD AS THE DICKENS is a down home regional mystery starring a cast of eccentric characters that add atmosphere to the story line. The trials and tribulations of a five month pregnant woman will bring smiles to the faces of those reader who were pregnant as well as their spouses. A great read well worth your time.
December 2, 2012
This one was a fun, quick read. Laura is pregnant and solving mysteries at Christmastime. What could go wrong? This mystery seemed a little more convoluted and dialogue-heavy than previous books. Also, while it was fun to see Laurie Anne pair up with Junior to investigate the murder, something about their teamwork just didn't have the same pizazz that Laura has with Richard or Thaddeus. Still, I was kept guessing, and despite a few should-have-been-obvious hints along the way, I didn't figure things out before the end.
May 31, 2009
Laura's cousin' Vashi has coerced Richard into directing Dicken's play, A CHristmas Carol, during their Christmas visit to Byerly. A local production being thrown together at the last minute is difficult enough but there is someone playing practical jokes that are increasingly scary and then Scrooge is murdered. Richard is tied up with the play so Laura is talked into helping Junior, the police chief, solve the crime.
I like the Fleming mysteries but they are not works of art.
I like the Fleming mysteries but they are not works of art.
August 29, 2012
This was a fun read I guess but I did start to get annoyed with how many times Laurie Anne talked about being pregnant. plus her husband picked the stupidest times to quote literature. Also...she wasn't a sleuth she basically bumbled about talking about how pregnant she was and kept eating every scrap of junk in sight until the killer happens to confess, yet have a heart of gold.
it was silly.
it was silly.
November 17, 2009
Boring and silly at the same time. I didn't like any of the characters, got sick of the main character talking about being pregnant, and the plot was ridiculous. It was also very slow, another big sin because there was so much repetition. I had to force myself to finish it and was glad it was over.
March 10, 2011
A murder mystery with lots of personality. If mysteries were my steak and potatoes this one would be near the top of my list. As it stands, it was an enjoyable read that did not let me get bored. I was also constantly entertained.
November 21, 2009
Cute little mystery book from a series of mystery books that involved Laura Fleming.
July 9, 2012
This was really an enjoyable, quick read! The characters were adorable, story entertaining! Off to find more of her books!
December 26, 2017
A cozy mystery set around a rehearsal of A Christmas Carol. It's late in her series but it looks like it'll be worth reading one of the earlier ones.
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August 28, 2016Funny. Love her humor.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews