Take a Number (A Jeri Howard Mystery)

Rating:
Summary: Commendable private eye series
Review: I tend to agree with the previous reviewer, both on the number of stars and the developed characters. I enjoyed "Don't Turn Your Back on the Ocean" more; possibly because it was set around Monterey, CA where I spent some years. "Take a Number" fleshes out some of the characters so that you admire or sympathize with them or have disdain and contempt for them. Jeri Howard starts out with a case of hunting for missing money (hidden assets in a divorce case) and ends up investigating a murder. Her client, Ruth Franklin Raynor, is suspected of murdering her estranged husband but there are lots of other suspects with plenty of motive and less than ironclad alibis. Janet Dawson's strengths seem to be in developing her settings and her characters. The plots are okay too but not extraordinary. (I was going to say "earthshaking" but seeing as how the mysteries are set in California that might induce the author to bring in an earthquake in her next book!) I enjoy the series and still have a number of them to look forward to reading.

Rating:
Summary: Local flavor adds to the enjoyment
Review: Jeri Howard is one of those "believable" characters - she has to work pretty hard to find her answers, and she doesn't often get the thrill and glamour of "traditional" PI's. The book's pace was moderate, most of the characters were well developed, their personalities grew as Jeri learned more about them. I think what I enjoyed most about the book, though, was the setting. I liked reading about the characters bobbing about in my neighborhood, and actually visualizing the areas they visit and drive through. I get the same pleasure from reading the Kat Colorado books, though I think Dawson is generally a better read.