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Aurora Teagarden #1-4
The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Omnibus 1
THE AURORA TEAGARDEN An omnibus edition of Roe Teagarden's adventures!Aurora Teagarden loves reading about famous murderers - until she finds herself investigating a real-life killing spree!The first four novels in the Aurora Teagarden mysteries series. Lawrenceton, Georgia, may be a growing suburb of Atlanta, but it's still a small town at heart. Librarian Aurora Teagarden - Roe - grew up there, and she reckons she knows everything about her fellow townsfolk, including which ones share her interest in the darker side of human nature.This is omnibus edition contains four Real Murders (book 1); A Bone to Pick (book 2); Three Bedrooms, One Corpse (book 3 ); The Julius House (book 4)
684 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
27 people are currently reading
1178 people want to read
About the author
Charlaine Harris
203 books37k followersCharlaine Harris has been a published writer for over forty years. Her first two books were standalones, followed by a long sabbatical when she was having children. Then she began the Aurora Teagarden book, mysteries featuring a short librarian (eventually adapted for Hallmark movies). The darker Lily Bard books came next, about a house cleaner with a dark past and considerable fighting skills.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
Tired of abiding by the mystery rules, Harris wrote a novel about a telepathic barmaid that took at least two years to sell. When the book was published, it turned into a best seller, and DEAD UNTIL DARK and the subsequent Sookie books were adapted in Alan Ball's "True Blood" series. At the same time, Harris began the Harper Connelly books. Harper can find the bones of the dead and see their last minute.
When those two series wound to a close, the next three books were about a mysterious town in Texas, called Midnight.
A change in publisher and editor led to Harris's novels about a female gunslinger in an alternate America, Lizbeth Rose. The Gunnie Rose books concluded with the sixth novel.
She's thinking about what to write next.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 17, 2015
I love having these books bound up into 2 volumes, but my God, they're bricks!
Since there are four books in this edition, I won't review each of them, but will say that overall I did like the stories. Aurora is an interesting character. She's not the typical heroine. She's not drop dead gorgeous, or tall... or blonde. Instead, she is small and petite, with bushy hair and glasses. An intelligent Southern Lady with a good dash of common sense. Roe is a woman you can identify with and I appreciate that.
The world building for her small hometown brings back memories of the small town I grew up in. Everybody knows everyone, and key people seem to have ALL the gossip!
As to the murders/mystery aspect, I found them to be quite entertaining, well planned and with red herrings all over the place which often led Roe way down the garden path, so to speak.
Short, fun and interesting, the Aurora Teagarden books are a great way to pass a couple of hours.
Since there are four books in this edition, I won't review each of them, but will say that overall I did like the stories. Aurora is an interesting character. She's not the typical heroine. She's not drop dead gorgeous, or tall... or blonde. Instead, she is small and petite, with bushy hair and glasses. An intelligent Southern Lady with a good dash of common sense. Roe is a woman you can identify with and I appreciate that.
The world building for her small hometown brings back memories of the small town I grew up in. Everybody knows everyone, and key people seem to have ALL the gossip!
As to the murders/mystery aspect, I found them to be quite entertaining, well planned and with red herrings all over the place which often led Roe way down the garden path, so to speak.
Short, fun and interesting, the Aurora Teagarden books are a great way to pass a couple of hours.
June 20, 2016
1. Real Murders
Read from September 12 to 14, 2015
Mild-mannered librarian and live-in property manager, Aurora Teagarden has a not-so-secret hobby -- studying famous murders. She belongs to a group of fellow buffs called Real Murders, and it's all lighthearted until one of their group is killed just before a meeting. Horrors!
The reality is definitely not as much fun as reading about them, then more acquaintances are being killed and the killings appear to be patterned on murders the group is studying. But things are not so bad since she has two possible beaus -- Arthur a police detective who is also a group member and Robin a new-in-town mystery writer who also happens to be her next door neighbor.
Cute!
-----------------------------
2. A Bone to Pick
Read from April 15 to 16, 2016
ebook
Wow, for a small town like Lawrenceton, there seems to be a lot of murdering going on.
On the heels of her mom's wedding, Aurora (Roe) inherits the estate of a fellow Real Murders Club member. In addition to the house and money, she also acquires a skull and a mystery, as well as a new beau and some interesting new neighbors.
A very quick read!
-----------------------------
3. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
Read from May 06 to 08, 2016
Roe is house hunting as she decides what to with her windfall inheritance from the previous story. She also feels she is at a crossroads in her relationship with Aubrey.As she bides her time, she is helping out in her mother's real estate office but she does not know if she has a feel for the business. It is at her first attempt to help out her mother during a house showing, that she is immediately attracted to the potential buyer -- and has the impression that the attraction is mutual. Any hopes of selling this mansion are abruptly cut short as they discover the body of a rival realtor in the master bedroom.
This is more of a slice-of-life story punctuated by a couple of murders in smallish Lawrenceton. Roe is not actively searching for the killer, but she might find something more interesting instead.
Fun, quick read!
-----------------------------
4. The Julius House
Read June 15 - 16, 2016
Roe learns that her new husband might have a secret life. Along with receiving her much-coveted Julius House as a wedding present from Martin, she acquires tenants/bodyguards.
So with a new husband, a new house and major redecorating, Roe decides to investigate and solve the mystery of her new home.
And then things start to happen!
Has she ruffled feathers with her investigation, or has Martin's secret surfaced?
Another fun, quick read!
Read from September 12 to 14, 2015
Mild-mannered librarian and live-in property manager, Aurora Teagarden has a not-so-secret hobby -- studying famous murders. She belongs to a group of fellow buffs called Real Murders, and it's all lighthearted until one of their group is killed just before a meeting. Horrors!
The reality is definitely not as much fun as reading about them, then more acquaintances are being killed and the killings appear to be patterned on murders the group is studying. But things are not so bad since she has two possible beaus -- Arthur a police detective who is also a group member and Robin a new-in-town mystery writer who also happens to be her next door neighbor.
Cute!
-----------------------------
2. A Bone to Pick
Read from April 15 to 16, 2016
ebook
Wow, for a small town like Lawrenceton, there seems to be a lot of murdering going on.
On the heels of her mom's wedding, Aurora (Roe) inherits the estate of a fellow Real Murders Club member. In addition to the house and money, she also acquires a skull and a mystery, as well as a new beau and some interesting new neighbors.
A very quick read!
-----------------------------
3. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse
Read from May 06 to 08, 2016
Roe is house hunting as she decides what to with her windfall inheritance from the previous story. She also feels she is at a crossroads in her relationship with Aubrey.As she bides her time, she is helping out in her mother's real estate office but she does not know if she has a feel for the business. It is at her first attempt to help out her mother during a house showing, that she is immediately attracted to the potential buyer -- and has the impression that the attraction is mutual. Any hopes of selling this mansion are abruptly cut short as they discover the body of a rival realtor in the master bedroom.
This is more of a slice-of-life story punctuated by a couple of murders in smallish Lawrenceton. Roe is not actively searching for the killer, but she might find something more interesting instead.
Fun, quick read!
-----------------------------
4. The Julius House
Read June 15 - 16, 2016
Roe learns that her new husband might have a secret life. Along with receiving her much-coveted Julius House as a wedding present from Martin, she acquires tenants/bodyguards.
So with a new husband, a new house and major redecorating, Roe decides to investigate and solve the mystery of her new home.
And then things start to happen!
Has she ruffled feathers with her investigation, or has Martin's secret surfaced?
Another fun, quick read!
July 31, 2011
I loved it, but I do love all Charlaine Harris' books. Aurora is funny, smart, scary, weird, a librarian but definitely not boring. She gets herself with or without wanting it in the weirdest situations. I do not agree with all the decisions she makes (like marring Martin..., I've been rooting for Robin Crusoe), but it's a good read. It's exiting, love the suspend and the surprising endings.
April 9, 2011
Once again Charlaine has a thoroughly ordinary female protagonist repeatedly thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Aurora is perhaps the most outwardly hum-drum of all of Charlaine’s protagonists; she is a librarian, complete with modest cardigans and horn-rimmed glasses. But don’t let appearances (or occupation) fool you. Aurora is just as interesting and lovable as Charlaine’s other leading ladies, maybe even more so because she is aware and makes fun of her outwardly plain-Jane appearances. Like Lily, Sookie and Harper, Aurora is an appealing protagonist because despite self-doubt, when push-comes-to-shove Aurora becomes a brave and ballsy heroine.
There is a lot of suspended belief in the Aurora series – throughout 8 books we are expected to believe that Aurora just keeps stumbling and unwittingly becoming involved in all the murders around town. But because Charlaine beautifully incorporates the bizarre with the mundane of Aurora’s everyday life, and because she constantly makes a joke of the coincidences, you really don’t mind the improbability inherent in the series.
“Two murders,” he repeated. He took his turn at head shaking. I would have to find someone at whom I could shake my head incredulously. “She just confessed two murders to you. How do you do it?”
‘Aurora’ is a fascinating series if you’re coming to them after reading Harris’s ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ books. Aurora is surprisingly similar to Sookie; both are women whom, at the start of their respective series, are really unaware of their femininity and have lived fairly sheltered lives. Sookie has been a loner because of her telepathic ‘handy-cap’, and Aurora because of low self-confidence and a focus on her work. Throughout their series both Aurora and Sookie are put through trials and tribulations that force them to come out of their shells and measure their mettle. But perhaps the ladies biggest connection lies in their romantic lives. As you compare both series you can pinpoint certain consistencies between the romantic entanglements. In both series Charlaine prefers multiple possible partners for her leading ladies, and enjoys keeping readers guessing as to whom they will ultimately end up with. In the ‘Aurora’ and ‘Sookie’ books Charlaine also puts her heroines through the romantic ringer – be warned, there are up’s and down’s that will tug at your heartstrings as you live vicariously through Aurora.
Unlike Sookie, Aurora has a tight family unit. This is really Charlaine’s only series that explores family dynamics and it is refreshing to read Charlaine’s funny take on family matters.
Once again, the ‘Aurora’ books are definitely murder-mystery. Charlaine has a very devious mind when it comes to writing crime, and it is a tricky pleasure to try and figure out the ‘whodunnit’ along with Aurora. But ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ fans should once again be warned that there is no element of urban fantasy in Charlaine’s debut series.
With a whopping 8 books in the series, Charlaine Harris has said in interviews that she has more ideas for Aurora Teagarden, but can’t see herself finding the time between Sookie books to pen a 9th novel. This is a shame. The eighth ‘Aurora’ book (‘Poppy done to Death’) did have a certain open-endedness to it – not so that it frustrates and leaves readers hanging, but just enough that you’ll wish Charlaine would continue with the series.
I don’t love the ‘Aurora Teagarden’ books as much as Harris’s ‘Lily Bard’, ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ or ‘Harper Connelly’ series’. But I do love them. I love Aurora, I love her leading men and I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Charlaine’s writing and a good murder-mystery.
There is a lot of suspended belief in the Aurora series – throughout 8 books we are expected to believe that Aurora just keeps stumbling and unwittingly becoming involved in all the murders around town. But because Charlaine beautifully incorporates the bizarre with the mundane of Aurora’s everyday life, and because she constantly makes a joke of the coincidences, you really don’t mind the improbability inherent in the series.
“Two murders,” he repeated. He took his turn at head shaking. I would have to find someone at whom I could shake my head incredulously. “She just confessed two murders to you. How do you do it?”
‘Aurora’ is a fascinating series if you’re coming to them after reading Harris’s ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ books. Aurora is surprisingly similar to Sookie; both are women whom, at the start of their respective series, are really unaware of their femininity and have lived fairly sheltered lives. Sookie has been a loner because of her telepathic ‘handy-cap’, and Aurora because of low self-confidence and a focus on her work. Throughout their series both Aurora and Sookie are put through trials and tribulations that force them to come out of their shells and measure their mettle. But perhaps the ladies biggest connection lies in their romantic lives. As you compare both series you can pinpoint certain consistencies between the romantic entanglements. In both series Charlaine prefers multiple possible partners for her leading ladies, and enjoys keeping readers guessing as to whom they will ultimately end up with. In the ‘Aurora’ and ‘Sookie’ books Charlaine also puts her heroines through the romantic ringer – be warned, there are up’s and down’s that will tug at your heartstrings as you live vicariously through Aurora.
Unlike Sookie, Aurora has a tight family unit. This is really Charlaine’s only series that explores family dynamics and it is refreshing to read Charlaine’s funny take on family matters.
Once again, the ‘Aurora’ books are definitely murder-mystery. Charlaine has a very devious mind when it comes to writing crime, and it is a tricky pleasure to try and figure out the ‘whodunnit’ along with Aurora. But ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ fans should once again be warned that there is no element of urban fantasy in Charlaine’s debut series.
With a whopping 8 books in the series, Charlaine Harris has said in interviews that she has more ideas for Aurora Teagarden, but can’t see herself finding the time between Sookie books to pen a 9th novel. This is a shame. The eighth ‘Aurora’ book (‘Poppy done to Death’) did have a certain open-endedness to it – not so that it frustrates and leaves readers hanging, but just enough that you’ll wish Charlaine would continue with the series.
I don’t love the ‘Aurora Teagarden’ books as much as Harris’s ‘Lily Bard’, ‘Sookie Stackhouse’ or ‘Harper Connelly’ series’. But I do love them. I love Aurora, I love her leading men and I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves Charlaine’s writing and a good murder-mystery.
May 22, 2012
This book was reviewed for Musings of a bookworm
Well now what can I say.... I love Aurora and to be able to read the first 4 stories in one go was a real treat, watching her go from a slightly desperate librarian to a slightly more confidant woman of leisure was fascinating and a pleasure. The way the characters are painted makes you feel part of the scenery and part of the tapestry of their lives. There is just something very comforting about the way Charlaine Harris writes that draws you right into the peoples lives by allowing you to share all the little things that make up every day life. It makes you feel like this could be your life and that is a very addictive feeling and keeps me reading these books and in fairness reading book period!!
Well now what can I say.... I love Aurora and to be able to read the first 4 stories in one go was a real treat, watching her go from a slightly desperate librarian to a slightly more confidant woman of leisure was fascinating and a pleasure. The way the characters are painted makes you feel part of the scenery and part of the tapestry of their lives. There is just something very comforting about the way Charlaine Harris writes that draws you right into the peoples lives by allowing you to share all the little things that make up every day life. It makes you feel like this could be your life and that is a very addictive feeling and keeps me reading these books and in fairness reading book period!!
August 8, 2022
3.5 estrellas
Lo reconozco, estoy muy a gusto en este universo. Quizás porque me resulta bastante conocido por tener algunas cosas en común con otras sagas de la escritora.
Y es, precisamente por eso, por lo que le he quitado media estrella. Este libro tiene muchos detalles en común con otra de sus sagas (Sookie Stackhouse). Me ha sacado un poco de la lectura el notar estas similitudes. Imagino que es resultado de la cantidad de relecturas que acumulo de la obra de Harris. También me ha impacientado que todo el asunto que tiene que ver con Martin, la pareja de Aurora, todavía no se haya aclarado del todo.
Y pese a todo esto, el ambiente de misterio que empapa esta historia, sus personajes y la casa Julius me han encantado.
Como siempre, es un plus el estilo mordaz de Charlaine Harris. Esta mujer no se corta. Y creo, sinceramente, que puede confundir bastante a sus lectores. Sobre todo cuando interpretan la lectura al pie de la letra o, también, cuando las críticas sibilinas de la autora pasan por todo lo contrario. Y más teniendo en cuenta que la propia Harris ha reconocido que son críticas...
En fin.
El humor de esta escritora es lo mejor. Un ejemplo:
He leído los libros 2 al 4 (este) en la edición antológica de Gollancz, publicada el año 2010. En formato de tapa blanda. Es un tocho, normal, pero no tan incómodo como podría parecer. La letra es de tamaño perfecto, muy cómoda y la edición en sí está muy bien. Tiene un diseño retro, con la ilustración de cubierta muy acorde al género.
Lo reconozco, estoy muy a gusto en este universo. Quizás porque me resulta bastante conocido por tener algunas cosas en común con otras sagas de la escritora.
Y es, precisamente por eso, por lo que le he quitado media estrella. Este libro tiene muchos detalles en común con otra de sus sagas (Sookie Stackhouse). Me ha sacado un poco de la lectura el notar estas similitudes. Imagino que es resultado de la cantidad de relecturas que acumulo de la obra de Harris. También me ha impacientado que todo el asunto que tiene que ver con Martin, la pareja de Aurora, todavía no se haya aclarado del todo.
Y pese a todo esto, el ambiente de misterio que empapa esta historia, sus personajes y la casa Julius me han encantado.
Como siempre, es un plus el estilo mordaz de Charlaine Harris. Esta mujer no se corta. Y creo, sinceramente, que puede confundir bastante a sus lectores. Sobre todo cuando interpretan la lectura al pie de la letra o, también, cuando las críticas sibilinas de la autora pasan por todo lo contrario. Y más teniendo en cuenta que la propia Harris ha reconocido que son críticas...
En fin.
El humor de esta escritora es lo mejor. Un ejemplo:
‘I get long pretty good, Aurora. As long as the Lord lets me, I want to to get around on my own,’ Neecy told me solemnly.
In Lawrenceton, we were a little worried about the Lord letting Miss Neecy get around, since she was still driving and tended to take the middle of the road and ignore little things like stop signs.(pág.559)
He leído los libros 2 al 4 (este) en la edición antológica de Gollancz, publicada el año 2010. En formato de tapa blanda. Es un tocho, normal, pero no tan incómodo como podría parecer. La letra es de tamaño perfecto, muy cómoda y la edición en sí está muy bien. Tiene un diseño retro, con la ilustración de cubierta muy acorde al género.
September 13, 2018
2.5 stars but I rounded up because I really did enjoy these stories... almost despite themselves. This is Murder Lite. It's not complex or dark, there's nothing very complicated or even sinister. Some things are slightly, gently bizarre or absurd. But there's nothing here to get your heart racing or your palms sweating or your hair standing up on end.
The way our main gal, Aurora Teagarden (whom everybody, upon hearing her name for the first time, "sniggers" at) finds herself amidst some gently grisly murders, and she always solves them, often without the assistance of clues that we, the readers, are privy to along the way... she suddenly just knows who has done it, and moves swiftly to bring matters to a conclusion.
There's not a lot of tense build-up. It's all very neatly described, it's all quite neat and orderly. There's a calmness to these murders. We don't want to get a hair out of place. There is absolutely nothing in these stories that grabs you by the collar and haul you into the action.
That all said, I did keep reading, through all 4 stories in this omnibus, and the stories got better as we went along, although they all left something to be desired. Story number two (A Bone To Pick) was almost sleepy, a drowsy kind of mystery.
I purchased Omnibus 1 and 2 at the same time, in a charity store book section... and I'll pick up omnibus 2 and read it at some future point... they are bricks of compilations, so it's kind of like settling into watch a television mini-series with B, C and D actors doing a valiant job with a pedestrian script.
The way our main gal, Aurora Teagarden (whom everybody, upon hearing her name for the first time, "sniggers" at) finds herself amidst some gently grisly murders, and she always solves them, often without the assistance of clues that we, the readers, are privy to along the way... she suddenly just knows who has done it, and moves swiftly to bring matters to a conclusion.
There's not a lot of tense build-up. It's all very neatly described, it's all quite neat and orderly. There's a calmness to these murders. We don't want to get a hair out of place. There is absolutely nothing in these stories that grabs you by the collar and haul you into the action.
That all said, I did keep reading, through all 4 stories in this omnibus, and the stories got better as we went along, although they all left something to be desired. Story number two (A Bone To Pick) was almost sleepy, a drowsy kind of mystery.
I purchased Omnibus 1 and 2 at the same time, in a charity store book section... and I'll pick up omnibus 2 and read it at some future point... they are bricks of compilations, so it's kind of like settling into watch a television mini-series with B, C and D actors doing a valiant job with a pedestrian script.
February 27, 2020
This is an omnibus, so I’ll read and review each book separately.
1. Real Murders - finished reading on 27 February 2019
Really enjoyed this. Having watched the Hallmark TV movie, it was interesting to meet the different characters, and to see which had been conflated to streamline the drama onscreen.
Worth reading even if you have seen the show, because the ending is missing t quite the same - and, in fact, is quite chilling. I guess It wasn’t deemed appropriate for the Hallmark brand so was toned down somewhat.
Aurora Teagarden remains a firm favourite with me, and definitely my favourite of the American librarian-sleuths whose adventures I’ve read so far. 4/5 would recommend.
1. Real Murders - finished reading on 27 February 2019
Really enjoyed this. Having watched the Hallmark TV movie, it was interesting to meet the different characters, and to see which had been conflated to streamline the drama onscreen.
Worth reading even if you have seen the show, because the ending is missing t quite the same - and, in fact, is quite chilling. I guess It wasn’t deemed appropriate for the Hallmark brand so was toned down somewhat.
Aurora Teagarden remains a firm favourite with me, and definitely my favourite of the American librarian-sleuths whose adventures I’ve read so far. 4/5 would recommend.
June 6, 2017
Quick reads but I didn't enjoy them at all. I like cosy, undemanding books but there has to be something of interest. If the book doesn't have a decent plot it should at least have entertaining characters. The main character Aurora is dull and treats all the women in the book as competitors. If there is a bitchy comment to make about a supposed good friend she will make it. She spends most of the books talking about her relationships with alpha male suitors. I gave zero f...s.
September 12, 2019
These stories make for an fun, entertaining read. The plots are wrapped up in a tidy, enjoyable, if unrealistic way and we see happy endings our protagonist Aurora. I would describe these Murder Mysteries as emotionally-satisfying rather than ‘intellectual’ so perfect for when you’re in the mood for something more light-hearted (which may be the strangest description of a murder mystery series but here we are).
April 24, 2018
What got me interested in this series was seeing an afternoon film. So I found this on Amazon and truly enjoyed getting to know Aurora, her mother, and best friends. I enjoyed discovering all the twists along the way. This Omnibus is also wonderful if you are a reader who likes to read an author's books in the order they were written.
March 26, 2020
So, this is four stories in one book. Its very heavy 😂. These are what I’d consider to be fun, light mysteries with some romance thrown in. The third story is my least favorite, but the fourth makes up for it.
December 31, 2018
An enjoyable mystery series that is pretty light reading. Not too predictable.
January 26, 2019
Giving it one star because I can't give it negative five.
October 22, 2019
I thought these were fun reads. Have to admit, I liked having a short protagonist. Who needs another tall, willowy woman anyway?!!
September 7, 2020
Hard to find but oh so worth it! I have it displayed in my house for all to see! I LOVE this series and I really hope I can find #2 one day!!!
October 29, 2020
Loved all the Aurora books. Watched all the movies too.
March 18, 2021
Loved it! I thought the stories were very interesting and full of crimes!
June 29, 2024
I really enjoyed the first two books, and warm on the third and did not like the fourth.
Mysterious are great - Roes lack of confidence and sense of self without a man starts to wear.
Mysterious are great - Roes lack of confidence and sense of self without a man starts to wear.
October 5, 2012
REAL MURDERS
Aurora Teagarden – Roe to her friends – is a librarian in Lawrenceton. She enjoys her job and is a member of the Real Murders Club which meets once a month to discuss famous murders. When Aurora gets to a meeting of the club and finds one of its members battered to death in the kitchen she recognises the circumstances as being similar to the Wallace case which she was going to talk about at the meeting. Further murders soon follow and all are patterned on famous cases.
All the club members are suspects as are several other people in the town and Aurora – who is all for a quiet life – finds her calm and peaceful routines completely disrupted. Then there’s the good looking mystery novelist who has moved into the house next door and Arthur – her fellow club member who seems to be sending out the right signals.
I enjoyed this small town mystery with its background of real murder cases and found it an interesting read. The characters are well drawn and I liked Aurora herself and her friends. If you enjoy Jill Churchill’s Jane Jeffry mystery series then you may like Aurora Teagarden.
A BONE TO PICK
Aurora Teagarden finds she has been left an unexpected legacy. Jane Engle – a fellow member of the now disbanded Real Murders Club – has died and left Aurora her house and all her money but her solicitor implies that there may be a mystery she has to solve as well. Aurora is pleased with her legacy and it cheers her up after her former boyfriend, Arthur Smith the police detective has suddenly married a colleague. She is less than pleased when she goes to her new house and finds someone has broken into it.
This is an intriguing mystery with Aurora trying to work out exactly what the problem is that she has to deal with. The appearance of part of a skeleton at the end of the road adds to the mystery which Aurora feels she needs to unravel after a note written by Jane saying ‘I didn’t do it’ falls out of one of her books. I really enjoyed reading this story and found myself turning the pages even though I had intended to read something else.
THREE BEDROOMS, ONE CORPSE
Aurora Teagarden, having given up her part time job in the library on a whim, is trying to decide whether to become a realtor (estate agent for UK readers). Unfortunately the first house she visits with clients contains the carefully arranged corpse of a fellow realtor which is enough to put anyone off the job before they’ve even started. The client however is another matter and Aurora falls in love on sight with Martin Bartell.
I enjoyed this fast paced mystery story with its frightening ending. Aurora is an entertaining narrator and is far from perfect which makes her all the more human. I was not wholly convinced by the romance but I thought the characters were well drawn and the murderer definitely creepy.
If you want light reading in the crime and mystery genre then try the Aurora Teagarden series.
THE JULIUS HOUSE
Aurora Teagarden’s fiancé buys her a wedding present which he knows she will love – the Julius House – the scene of an infamous disappearance. What did happen to the Julius family? As Aurora’s main interested is mysteries this seems like an ideal house for her to live in. But is the disappearance of the previous owners the only mystery on Roe’s life? Does she know enough about Martin to marry him or are their secrets in his past which might threaten her safety?
I enjoyed this mystery and I especially liked the way Roe’s relationship with her husband Martin is developing. I also like Angel and Shelby who are living in the apartment above the garage. The author really brings small town America to life for me and I like the mysteries Rose gets herself involved in. This is the fourth book in the series and I shall be interested to read the next one – Dead over Heels. The series started with Real Murders.
Aurora Teagarden – Roe to her friends – is a librarian in Lawrenceton. She enjoys her job and is a member of the Real Murders Club which meets once a month to discuss famous murders. When Aurora gets to a meeting of the club and finds one of its members battered to death in the kitchen she recognises the circumstances as being similar to the Wallace case which she was going to talk about at the meeting. Further murders soon follow and all are patterned on famous cases.
All the club members are suspects as are several other people in the town and Aurora – who is all for a quiet life – finds her calm and peaceful routines completely disrupted. Then there’s the good looking mystery novelist who has moved into the house next door and Arthur – her fellow club member who seems to be sending out the right signals.
I enjoyed this small town mystery with its background of real murder cases and found it an interesting read. The characters are well drawn and I liked Aurora herself and her friends. If you enjoy Jill Churchill’s Jane Jeffry mystery series then you may like Aurora Teagarden.
A BONE TO PICK
Aurora Teagarden finds she has been left an unexpected legacy. Jane Engle – a fellow member of the now disbanded Real Murders Club – has died and left Aurora her house and all her money but her solicitor implies that there may be a mystery she has to solve as well. Aurora is pleased with her legacy and it cheers her up after her former boyfriend, Arthur Smith the police detective has suddenly married a colleague. She is less than pleased when she goes to her new house and finds someone has broken into it.
This is an intriguing mystery with Aurora trying to work out exactly what the problem is that she has to deal with. The appearance of part of a skeleton at the end of the road adds to the mystery which Aurora feels she needs to unravel after a note written by Jane saying ‘I didn’t do it’ falls out of one of her books. I really enjoyed reading this story and found myself turning the pages even though I had intended to read something else.
THREE BEDROOMS, ONE CORPSE
Aurora Teagarden, having given up her part time job in the library on a whim, is trying to decide whether to become a realtor (estate agent for UK readers). Unfortunately the first house she visits with clients contains the carefully arranged corpse of a fellow realtor which is enough to put anyone off the job before they’ve even started. The client however is another matter and Aurora falls in love on sight with Martin Bartell.
I enjoyed this fast paced mystery story with its frightening ending. Aurora is an entertaining narrator and is far from perfect which makes her all the more human. I was not wholly convinced by the romance but I thought the characters were well drawn and the murderer definitely creepy.
If you want light reading in the crime and mystery genre then try the Aurora Teagarden series.
THE JULIUS HOUSE
Aurora Teagarden’s fiancé buys her a wedding present which he knows she will love – the Julius House – the scene of an infamous disappearance. What did happen to the Julius family? As Aurora’s main interested is mysteries this seems like an ideal house for her to live in. But is the disappearance of the previous owners the only mystery on Roe’s life? Does she know enough about Martin to marry him or are their secrets in his past which might threaten her safety?
I enjoyed this mystery and I especially liked the way Roe’s relationship with her husband Martin is developing. I also like Angel and Shelby who are living in the apartment above the garage. The author really brings small town America to life for me and I like the mysteries Rose gets herself involved in. This is the fourth book in the series and I shall be interested to read the next one – Dead over Heels. The series started with Real Murders.
March 14, 2012
Real Murders.
The real murderers met once a month to discuss real murders. It's a group made up of people with an interest in murders from the past. It's a place to discuss, investigate and ponder the motives and means behind true crimes. But things begin to take a turn for the worst when Aurora, or Roe as she is known, discovers the victim of a very new real murder and comes to realizes that one of their own really is a real murderer. If she can survive this encounter she may have another situation on her hands with not one but two potential love interests.
A Bone To Pick.
Getting over a broken heart is never easy, especially when having to attend the wedding of the one who broke it. But Roe has other matters to attend too such as dealing with three weddings, a funeral, a break-in, a birth and a very unwanted mystery involving a murder and a headless corpse. The one good thing in Roe's life, a newly gained inheritance that should have been cause for celebration, was beginning to be more trouble then it was worth, and considering the sum of that inheritance that was really saying something.
Three Bedrooms One Corpse.
After giving up her job as a librarian, Roe decides to try her hand as a real estate salesperson; after all it was a business she was expected to inherit from her mother, so she may as well give it a go while she had the time. However after her first experience Roe just knew it wasn't for her. It had nothing to do with strikingly handsome man she was dangerously attracted to, nor had it anything to do with the dead body they discovered within the house. The job just wasn't for her. But in the middle of house hunting, falling in love and fighting for her life she may just manage to solve a murder or two.
The Julius House.
The Julius house was an old mystery, six years old in fact. In one day the Julius family had disappeared from that house, no warning, no clues and no reason behind the disappearance. Now the house was Roe's as was the mystery. Just how had one family disappeared into thin air? It is a mystery she cannot resist, unfortunately there is another mystery Roe must solve, one much more frightening and extremely more important to her personally, that of her fiancés past. But while solving one mystery may be a matter of pure curiosity, the answers from the second mystery will change her life.
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries Omnibus 1 is an intriguing collection of the first four books in this murder mystery series. Aurora, or Roe as she is known, is a shy librarian, a failed real estate salesperson, an extremely curious woman and an intelligent but stubborn lady. With a little too much time on her hands and an interest in real murders, all this equates to a woman who will and has found herself in more then one dangerous and troubling situation. Despite her drawbacks, following Roe through a series of mysterious murders has been as fun and entertaining as it has been thrilling and clever.
The real murderers met once a month to discuss real murders. It's a group made up of people with an interest in murders from the past. It's a place to discuss, investigate and ponder the motives and means behind true crimes. But things begin to take a turn for the worst when Aurora, or Roe as she is known, discovers the victim of a very new real murder and comes to realizes that one of their own really is a real murderer. If she can survive this encounter she may have another situation on her hands with not one but two potential love interests.
A Bone To Pick.
Getting over a broken heart is never easy, especially when having to attend the wedding of the one who broke it. But Roe has other matters to attend too such as dealing with three weddings, a funeral, a break-in, a birth and a very unwanted mystery involving a murder and a headless corpse. The one good thing in Roe's life, a newly gained inheritance that should have been cause for celebration, was beginning to be more trouble then it was worth, and considering the sum of that inheritance that was really saying something.
Three Bedrooms One Corpse.
After giving up her job as a librarian, Roe decides to try her hand as a real estate salesperson; after all it was a business she was expected to inherit from her mother, so she may as well give it a go while she had the time. However after her first experience Roe just knew it wasn't for her. It had nothing to do with strikingly handsome man she was dangerously attracted to, nor had it anything to do with the dead body they discovered within the house. The job just wasn't for her. But in the middle of house hunting, falling in love and fighting for her life she may just manage to solve a murder or two.
The Julius House.
The Julius house was an old mystery, six years old in fact. In one day the Julius family had disappeared from that house, no warning, no clues and no reason behind the disappearance. Now the house was Roe's as was the mystery. Just how had one family disappeared into thin air? It is a mystery she cannot resist, unfortunately there is another mystery Roe must solve, one much more frightening and extremely more important to her personally, that of her fiancés past. But while solving one mystery may be a matter of pure curiosity, the answers from the second mystery will change her life.
Aurora Teagarden Mysteries Omnibus 1 is an intriguing collection of the first four books in this murder mystery series. Aurora, or Roe as she is known, is a shy librarian, a failed real estate salesperson, an extremely curious woman and an intelligent but stubborn lady. With a little too much time on her hands and an interest in real murders, all this equates to a woman who will and has found herself in more then one dangerous and troubling situation. Despite her drawbacks, following Roe through a series of mysterious murders has been as fun and entertaining as it has been thrilling and clever.
August 17, 2011
That's a 2.5, really, for the simple fact that I thought the second half of this 4-book compilation was better than the first, so we're talking half 'meh', half ok. Aurora Teagarden is a strong character - she looks very distinctive, she has that name, and she's very big on what she does and doesn't like, will and won't do, accept, where she will and won't go, etc.. She's also surrounded by a fairly big cast of characters, some of whom recur throughout all four stories, some who only get one shot. I kept going with this series because, having started the second story, I realised they were going to be follow-ons from each other. Not in terms of the mysteries, but in terms of Aurora's personal life. For some reason, not known even to myself, I found myself highly interested in what was going to happen to her from one story to the next. As that's the main reason I finished all four, I guess you could say the mysteries themselves weren't brilliant, so if you're looking for great detective or mystery stories here, then keep on walkin, buddy. I suppose Miss Teagarden is a kind of modern-day, younger, southern States dwelling, version of Miss Marple. So you'll probably guess that we're not talking particularly gritty or hard-hitting stuff. And finally, the ending of the last story was spoiled for me by the most ridiculously lame set up of a denouement I've ever read. We all knew what had happened, but how Charlaine Harris chose to reveal it was not as imaginative, or believable, as it might have been, - to say the least. So, if you're after a gentle meander through a few mysteries, with a sprinkling of small-town Georgia life on the top, this is for you.
August 31, 2012
‘The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries Omnibus 1’ by Charlaine Harris
Published by Gollancz August 2010. ISBN: 978-0-575-09646-2
When a thick heavy book arrived and I saw that it was by Charlaine Harris my initial thought was what a pity, for it is a beautiful book, and I love handling and reading beautiful books. But my knowledge of Charlaine Harris is that she writes Vampire mysteries and I have an aversion to people that want to suck my blood and so I have always given the books a wide berth. However, it is such a lovely produced book that I just wanted to handle it, and so I decided to give it ago, and discovered that it featured amateur sleuth Aurora Teagarden, a five foot nothing thirty year-old. I won’t deny that she took a little getting used to, but I am now hooked.
Aurora Teagarden lives in the Southern town of Lawrenceton, Georgia and works part time in a library, she has several times been a bridesmaid and is looking for a husband. Her mother is a realtor of considerable success, owning her own business, dressing like a model in vogue, and Aurora (Roe) feels that she falls short on several accounts, but she is a likeable heroine, kind, honest and looking for love. But what she keeps finding is corpses.
There are four volumes in this omnibus and it’s been a wonderful journey to finish one book in the series and immediately start on the next. The mysteries have some delightful twists and ‘A Bone to Pick’ the second in the series, is certainly bizarre. I do highly recommend this book.
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Lizzie Hayes
Published by Gollancz August 2010. ISBN: 978-0-575-09646-2
When a thick heavy book arrived and I saw that it was by Charlaine Harris my initial thought was what a pity, for it is a beautiful book, and I love handling and reading beautiful books. But my knowledge of Charlaine Harris is that she writes Vampire mysteries and I have an aversion to people that want to suck my blood and so I have always given the books a wide berth. However, it is such a lovely produced book that I just wanted to handle it, and so I decided to give it ago, and discovered that it featured amateur sleuth Aurora Teagarden, a five foot nothing thirty year-old. I won’t deny that she took a little getting used to, but I am now hooked.
Aurora Teagarden lives in the Southern town of Lawrenceton, Georgia and works part time in a library, she has several times been a bridesmaid and is looking for a husband. Her mother is a realtor of considerable success, owning her own business, dressing like a model in vogue, and Aurora (Roe) feels that she falls short on several accounts, but she is a likeable heroine, kind, honest and looking for love. But what she keeps finding is corpses.
There are four volumes in this omnibus and it’s been a wonderful journey to finish one book in the series and immediately start on the next. The mysteries have some delightful twists and ‘A Bone to Pick’ the second in the series, is certainly bizarre. I do highly recommend this book.
------
Lizzie Hayes
September 4, 2011
Anyone picking up a Charlaine Harris book knows that they are likely to be about a woman in her twenties, living a quiet life in a small Southern town who suddenly I. gets a love life, and II. gets involved in some sort of mystery/murder case. I like a background story to my books and to be honest, I don't usually care if the back story overshadows the actual murder plot. Otherwise I would stick to reading Agatha Christie. In fact one of the things I like most about Charlaine Harris's novels is the world she creates. I like the recurring characters and the changes which happen to those characters and the town they live in.
On the other hand the Aurora Teagarden books fall below the Lily Bard and Sookie Stackhouse books in my estimation but are on a par with the Harper Connelly ones. It doesn't help that the first story in this omnibus bears quite a few similarites to a Lily Bard one (which I had already read although I suspect this one predates it). The second story verges on the bizarre and never quite goes anywhere. The last two books are better and I am quite intrigued by how the series is going to end. Bring on the second volume!
On the other hand the Aurora Teagarden books fall below the Lily Bard and Sookie Stackhouse books in my estimation but are on a par with the Harper Connelly ones. It doesn't help that the first story in this omnibus bears quite a few similarites to a Lily Bard one (which I had already read although I suspect this one predates it). The second story verges on the bizarre and never quite goes anywhere. The last two books are better and I am quite intrigued by how the series is going to end. Bring on the second volume!
January 26, 2013
I'm a sucker for Harris' books. Not because she's a particularly great writer, but I'm familiar with her plot structure. After reading a few of her books, you become accustomed to her style of writing and it becomes enjoyable.
Aurora is a librarian in a small town. Similar to Sookie Stackhouse,you don't understand what all the fuss is about. That being said, Aurora is a lot more likable than Sookie. A lot more rational. As with other reviewers, I find the supporting characters a bit inconsistent and for the most part, unlikable. That or a lot of them continue to die/leave so it is nearly impossible to become attached to them. Some stories are better than others ( I enjoyed Omnibus 2 more). But on the whole a good series.
Aurora is a librarian in a small town. Similar to Sookie Stackhouse,you don't understand what all the fuss is about. That being said, Aurora is a lot more likable than Sookie. A lot more rational. As with other reviewers, I find the supporting characters a bit inconsistent and for the most part, unlikable. That or a lot of them continue to die/leave so it is nearly impossible to become attached to them. Some stories are better than others ( I enjoyed Omnibus 2 more). But on the whole a good series.
January 29, 2012
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Unlike the current crime genre, it was not hugely dramatised, or had a plot that lost its lineage halfway. Aurora was a semi likeable character that had an unusual spark. However, the plot line followed so many other paranormal novels that it was a little bit of a let down. Why is it that every female character has to get married? Why not allow the heroine to stay single? But otherwise this first edition of the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries was well worth the purchase and the read. Would reccommend it to people who enjoy programmes such as CSI Miami or enjoy the Sookie Stackhouse series.
May 19, 2013
Roe Teagarden is one memorable detective-not only because of her name which is perhaps cause enough- but with those glasses and that intuitive, meddling mind. Although the crime plots are basically well-worn out, the strength of these series is brought of by the complex and honest relationship dynamics between Roe and other major characters-most importantly her mom and Martin. Don't quite know what went wrong with the True Blood series. I guess Harris is more suited to realism than paranormal fantasy. She certainly has the profound art of capturing the ordinary and then not so ordinary monologues running through people's minds on the streets.
July 25, 2011
This is a collection of the first four Aurora Teagarden stories. Like the Sookie and Lily Bard books, the heroine is a single female in her 20s living in a small Southern town, yearning for love but living independently and seen as a bit odd by her friends and neighbours. In each case they get involved in some kind of murder mystery, but the hows and whys are different. Aurora is an engaging character, and the mysteries aren't too predictable, and I will definitely read the rest of the series, but probably need a bit of a break from this author for a while as they do get a bit samey
September 26, 2011
These are entertaining cozy crime stories. I thought the first two were pleasant enough, but the plots really seemed to get going with the last two. The characters were well described, especially Aurora Teagarden and there were nice touches of humour throughout the different stories. These are good, light, entertaining books to read. I could see myself re-reading them because the characters are so strong I don't think it would matter that I know guilty parties. However, there's another 4 books to get my mitts on before I have to think about re-reading!
October 17, 2013
Short, entertaining novels about Aurora Teagarden who just stumble over dead bodies and mysteries around her small Georgia town. They're light stories despite death, injuries and imminent danger.
Roe is a somewhat underdeveloped character, she changes a lot during these for novels, but tat the same time not at all. I don't know, her logic is so very different from mine, also the romantic stuff? Not into it. But hey, the mysteries were fun! Very fun sometimes (I really liked A Bone to Pick, even though the ending came on too fast) and a little predictable, but what isn't?
OK+ I guess.
Roe is a somewhat underdeveloped character, she changes a lot during these for novels, but tat the same time not at all. I don't know, her logic is so very different from mine, also the romantic stuff? Not into it. But hey, the mysteries were fun! Very fun sometimes (I really liked A Bone to Pick, even though the ending came on too fast) and a little predictable, but what isn't?
OK+ I guess.
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