The Trash Harem

Deputy Tempe Crabtree #20

by Marilyn Meredith

Deputy Tempe Crabtree has retired from her job in Bear Creek when friends, who once lived in Bear Creek and attended Pastor Hutch’s church, ask her to visit them in Temecula. The husband, Jonathan, is a suspect in what might be a murder case. The retirement community includes many interesting characters, any of whom might have had a better motive than Jonathan. There is also a connection to Earle Stanley Gardner as well as the Pechanga Old Oak. What is a trash harem? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

252 pages, Paperback

Published June 3, 2021

About the author

aka F.M. Meredith.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series and the under the name F. M. Meredith, the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation.

For the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, she uses a lot she remembers from her time living on the coast, in a place much like Rocky Bluff.

She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America
Series:
* Deputy Tempe Crabtree

Reviews

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Trash Harem" by Marilyn Meredith is a great addition to the author's Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. Tempe has just retired and she and her husband, Hutch, are looking forward to some peace and quiet for a change. But, when an old friend asks for her help, Tempe's passion for solving crimes once again places her in the middle of a murder.
I highly recommend this book.

[Jeanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot was good, some interesting characters. There was too much telling instead of showing for my taste, and things I would have enjoyed learning about didn't get enough attention. That's just me. One reason I picked this book up was that it said Erle Stanley Gardner played a role, and he did: but I expected a deeper dive into Gardner's life and instead it was pretty cursory. Other readers may have a very different opinion! I was also a little squeamish about the Native American mysticism. For all I know, the author is an enrolled member of a tribe but I didn't see that anywhere in her bio and it made me wonder about any sort of authenticity.

So I liked it, just didn't love it. To each her own.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthusiastic about reading this latest Tempe Crabtree novel as I was curious about her post retirement life. Then, to my delight, there was a weaving in of glimpses of Erle Stanley Gardner’s life. I wish he had been a bit more involved sooner, but I really enjoyed this book.

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another Tempe Crabtree mystery that's a delight to read. Wonderful characters, and an interesting storyline had me turning the pages.

[Steve Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine finale

In this book, the last of the series (so far), Tempe uses her questioning and deductive skills to discover and eliminate suspects. She, of course, gets wounded and gets help in her dreams.

[Michealia VanScoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read.