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Diamonds in the Rough #2
A Case of Crooked Letters
Best-selling author Lori Copeland brings her special brand of quirky humor to this endearing series about three generations of women trying to build a harmonious life together under one roof. In this second book in the Morning Shade Mystery series, Maude, Stella, and Cee Cee must solve the mystery of the troublesome chain letters. Who is sending them and why? Copeland's readers will relish this delightfully humorous cozy mystery.
320 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2013
About the author
Lori Copeland
196 books545 followersLori Copeland was born on 12 June 1941. She had a relatively late start in writing, breaking into publishing in 1982 when she was already forty years old. Over the next dozen years, her romance novels achieved much success, as was evidenced by her winning the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books' Best Seller award. She has been inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.
Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.
Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.
Despite her success in more mainstream romantic fiction, in 1995, she decided to switch focus. Her subsequent books have been in the relatively new subgenre of Christian romance. She has also collaborated with authors Angela Elwell Hunt or Virginia Smith on a series of Christian romance novels.
Lori and her husband of over forty years, Lance, live in Springfield, Missouri, surrounded by the beautiful Ozarks. They have three grown sons, three daughter-in-laws, and six wonderful grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She and her husband are very involved in their church, and active in supporting mission work in Mali, West Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
June 6, 2012
I wanted to like these books, but there are too many inconsistencies and unnecessary events that have no relation to the plot.
November 30, 2013
.
It wasn't outstanding, but I liked it. This series is well worth reading.
It wasn't outstanding, but I liked it. This series is well worth reading.
September 5, 2015
I couldn't finish this book. by 3rd chapter I was too aggravated at the author. Maude complains if her lack of privacy, then takes off every chance she has to be alone. says her deadline is next day but hasn't even started. also cries at lack if money in house, but she just bought an exercise book she isn't even looking at. constant contradictions! Stella isn't the least bit funny, moaning about her age, reading obituaries. Cee Cee is at least a LITTLE colorful, trying to outrun a dog in her mail truck. But that's about as funny as this book gets. I'm from Arkansas & was pleased that a story took place here. But it's too boring for me!
November 21, 2007
Once you begin reading this series you don't want to stop! The characters are well defined, and start to seem like family!
May 1, 2015
Such a cute book! I wish there were more in this series. Looking forward to reading the third one soon. Stella is such a fun character. I hope I am that feisty at 87, if I live that long.
September 17, 2016
Delightful
September 6, 2023
I wasn't going to leave a review... until this morning.
I had come across this series not knowing how long they have been around. Listened to the first and enjoyed the quirky characters to a point. If I hadn't already downloaded the second book, I probably wouldn't have given it a shot.
As many have stated, (there's something to be said for reading the reviews BEFORE getting a book) I wanted to like it. I wanted the author to have helped characters grow past where they were in the first book. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more I was frustrated. Why let these situations continue? Are there any sensible adults who can step in and set things to rights? Why all the negativity from a Christian author? My questions were endless. I really tried to finish the book, but gave up.
I left a rating, and after seeing reviews from years ago, I didn't want to rehash the same discontent. Still, it bugged me. The characters irked me. Why would people see humor in this chaos?
Then this morning, while thinking of this book and its characters, yet again, God said, do you think I feel the same way? Do I get frustrated when my people are acting like adolescents instead of adult Christians? When they let situations run rampant instead of turning to me?
This talk went on awhile and I doubt that the author was aiming for this interspection, or maybe she was. I seen a little bit of myself and how I must frustrate God when the proper actions are obvious and I ignore them. I now have some reference, which I hope will come to mind so I ask myself, am I acting like ___ and need correction? So some good did come out of reading this book.
I had come across this series not knowing how long they have been around. Listened to the first and enjoyed the quirky characters to a point. If I hadn't already downloaded the second book, I probably wouldn't have given it a shot.
As many have stated, (there's something to be said for reading the reviews BEFORE getting a book) I wanted to like it. I wanted the author to have helped characters grow past where they were in the first book. Unfortunately, the more I read, the more I was frustrated. Why let these situations continue? Are there any sensible adults who can step in and set things to rights? Why all the negativity from a Christian author? My questions were endless. I really tried to finish the book, but gave up.
I left a rating, and after seeing reviews from years ago, I didn't want to rehash the same discontent. Still, it bugged me. The characters irked me. Why would people see humor in this chaos?
Then this morning, while thinking of this book and its characters, yet again, God said, do you think I feel the same way? Do I get frustrated when my people are acting like adolescents instead of adult Christians? When they let situations run rampant instead of turning to me?
This talk went on awhile and I doubt that the author was aiming for this interspection, or maybe she was. I seen a little bit of myself and how I must frustrate God when the proper actions are obvious and I ignore them. I now have some reference, which I hope will come to mind so I ask myself, am I acting like ___ and need correction? So some good did come out of reading this book.
October 22, 2026
I was hoping this installment would better than the first, but alas...I liked the characters in this book except for Gary. I mean seriously, a grown man throwing spitballs in church? Using a buzzer to give a handshake? How juvenile can you be?
I love cozy mysteries, but this one barely qualifies as a mystery. I respect that Lori Copeland is a Chirstian writer, and as such I realize she wouldn't want to write something that has violence or really morally wrong, but I have read plenty of Christian mysteries that manage to have suspense and tension in them. This did not have either.
Also, I couldn't believe that mumps was the disease in this book. If this story had been written in the 50s I could understand it, but this was published in 2011 and the mumps vaccine has been a thing since at least the late 60s. What I'm saying is, it's possible that Maude would have been too old to get it (I was and did get mumps) but her daughter at 31 should have been vaccinated against that as well as the child at church.
I do like that Maude is learning to depend on God more. We all need to remember to trust in God's timing more.
I will read the third installment because someone gave it to me, but I don't hold out much hope.
Lori Copeland is a good writer, but obviously, cozy mystery is not her forte.
I love cozy mysteries, but this one barely qualifies as a mystery. I respect that Lori Copeland is a Chirstian writer, and as such I realize she wouldn't want to write something that has violence or really morally wrong, but I have read plenty of Christian mysteries that manage to have suspense and tension in them. This did not have either.
Also, I couldn't believe that mumps was the disease in this book. If this story had been written in the 50s I could understand it, but this was published in 2011 and the mumps vaccine has been a thing since at least the late 60s. What I'm saying is, it's possible that Maude would have been too old to get it (I was and did get mumps) but her daughter at 31 should have been vaccinated against that as well as the child at church.
I do like that Maude is learning to depend on God more. We all need to remember to trust in God's timing more.
I will read the third installment because someone gave it to me, but I don't hold out much hope.
Lori Copeland is a good writer, but obviously, cozy mystery is not her forte.
March 7, 2017
The year is coming to its end, and writer Maude is at her wits end trying to keep everything together. With a new project needing her attention, her mother in law acting out of character, strange chain letters everywhere, and her daughter sick, she learns that she needs to truat and rely on something greater than herself.
As far as mysteries go, this is very tame. We know quickly who sends the first round of chain letters, and it isn't until right at the end that we discover the identity of the 'copycat'. More than anything else, this series feels like a chronicle of a writer's struggles living her life.
Stella, as before, is a firecracker. CeeCee redeems herself more, though she is sick through most of the book.
What I didn't like, is the change in narrative. In book one, it remains first person. However, in this second book, it shifts from Maude's POV in first person in one chapter, and the next chapter is in third person following Stella or CeeCee.
Not a bad read, but it didn't keep my attention.
As far as mysteries go, this is very tame. We know quickly who sends the first round of chain letters, and it isn't until right at the end that we discover the identity of the 'copycat'. More than anything else, this series feels like a chronicle of a writer's struggles living her life.
Stella, as before, is a firecracker. CeeCee redeems herself more, though she is sick through most of the book.
What I didn't like, is the change in narrative. In book one, it remains first person. However, in this second book, it shifts from Maude's POV in first person in one chapter, and the next chapter is in third person following Stella or CeeCee.
Not a bad read, but it didn't keep my attention.
April 21, 2021
Even after reading this series out of order, this was an enjoyable read. An old fashioned who done it without anyone getting hurt. This series is really sweet.
May 17, 2024
Love it! Hilarious
September 12, 2026
Fun and funny. I liked this one even better than the last, and look forward to reading book 3.
July 17, 2015
I wanted to like this book. The premise of the series and the novel itself seemed interesting, but the execution fell flat. The main mystery appears early on, but solving it gets short shrift as the characters spend their time coping with multiple side stories, NONE of which get resolved. I grasp that, as part of a series, this book may not be intended to answer all questions. However, if most of the book is going to be spent discussing subplots, there needs to be some resolution of those subplots.
The situations and comments became so repetitive that I skimmed the last third of the book: the house is crowded. The bills need paid and there's no money. Stella thinks she could die at any time. The animals make too much noise. Over. And over.
For Christian fiction, the book doesn't display many positive attributes of the Christian community. Churches aren't perfect, but none of the scenes Copeland sketched of the community church was in the least enticing.
This was on top of at least one continuity error and several typos/incorrect word choices. Overall, while there were points of interest and a few clever lines, this book was a huge disappointment.
The situations and comments became so repetitive that I skimmed the last third of the book: the house is crowded. The bills need paid and there's no money. Stella thinks she could die at any time. The animals make too much noise. Over. And over.
For Christian fiction, the book doesn't display many positive attributes of the Christian community. Churches aren't perfect, but none of the scenes Copeland sketched of the community church was in the least enticing.
This was on top of at least one continuity error and several typos/incorrect word choices. Overall, while there were points of interest and a few clever lines, this book was a huge disappointment.
August 6, 2009
CeeCee, Maude, Stella, and company are back. This one has to do with chain letters. The new guy in the neighborhood is trying to win CeeCee in a most juvenile way. This guy can't take a hint! He flings spitballs at people's heads in church and Stella has to stare him down like the juvenile that he is. He's big on gags, causing many gags.
Stella claims that she's "only hanging on by a thread" and still reading the obits. She wants to be able to help Maude financially.
Maude can't pay her bills as no advance checks are forthcoming.
While there was one animal less since starting the first book in the series, more have now been added to the zoo mix. None of them seem to be leaving any time soon.
You feel as though you get to know the characters personally after awhile. Good character-building.
Stella claims that she's "only hanging on by a thread" and still reading the obits. She wants to be able to help Maude financially.
Maude can't pay her bills as no advance checks are forthcoming.
While there was one animal less since starting the first book in the series, more have now been added to the zoo mix. None of them seem to be leaving any time soon.
You feel as though you get to know the characters personally after awhile. Good character-building.
February 25, 2015
This is part of a series set in Morning Shade. Stella Diamond lives with her mother-in-law who is "not long for this world" as she tells everybody, and her newly widowed daughter, along with two dogs and a stroppy cat. This story starts out with a chain letter from one person, then another starts a chain letter asking for more money and so on. Throw in mail fraud, a town prankster and a house full of animals and is it a wonder the Diamond women are a little frazzled. The so called lawman of Morning Shade leaves a lot to be desired. The best fun in this book is the mother-in-law.
July 10, 2011
too long....
August 15, 2011
Read this 2nd book in the series first and loved it!! Funny, touching...great read.
September 1, 2011
this series of books makes me constantly thankful and they're quick, happy little reads. very nice when you're going out of the ordinary. they're quirky characters are hilarious.
August 8, 2013
Very humorous mystery. I laughed out loud several times.
February 13, 2014
This was cute, light reading. Perfect when you want to be entertained, but don't want to think too hard. Engaging characters, a little mystery, a little humor.
July 13, 2015
Such a cute, feel good series. It made me smile.
November 28, 2014
This book was too repetitive and too similar to the first in the series. I give it 2 1/2 stars.
March 1, 2016
Really enjoyed.
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January 13, 2019I liked the book. It was a quick read for me and it held my interest all the way through. I could relate to what the characters were going through and how if we just have a little faith our God can get us through anything even when we screw up the most he is seeing us through if we will let Him.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews