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    State Fair
    State Fair
    State Fair
    Audiobook9 hours

    State Fair

    Written by Earlene Fowler

    Narrated by Johanna Parker

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    National best-selling author Earlene Fowler delivers the 14th installment in her popular Benni Harper series. Following the tradition she began in Fool's Puzzle and has continued through Tumbling Blocks, Fowler crafts a tale as enthralling as the quilting pattern she selected for the title. As Benni becomes embroiled in a new mystery, listeners can be sure she won't rest until she corrals the truth and hog-ties the culprits.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 14, 2010
    ISBN9781449808631
    State Fair

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    Reviews for State Fair

    3.5/5

    67 ratings9 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      I can't believe there are many people who can take a break from life and go to the fair everyday! Light reading!
    • 3/5
      Another solid entry in a great series! Benni's nutty family is at it's best, and the murder mystery is a good one with an ending I found satisfying for not being the predictable heroine-does-something-stupid-to-solve-the-mystery type of ending. The state fair wasn't my favourite setting, but really that's just me being picky. I'm looking forward to reading the next one, while also being disappointed about being caught up and no longer having a backlog of Benni books to look forward to.
    • 2/5
      Surprise ending I didn't see coming...
    • 4/5
      Very fun mysteries and well written.
    • 2/5
      Nice "cozy" mystery. No bad language, no detailed sex scenes, and the murder wasn't described in explicit detail. I have no problem with books that have all that stuff, this was just a refreshing little change.
    • 4/5
      First Line: My day didn't start with a deep-fried Twinkie, although the thought crossed my mind.It's time for the San Celina County Mid-State Fair, and folk art museum curator Benni Harper is busier than a one-armed paperhanger with the hives. What she doesn't need is her grandmother, Dove, being all riled up at having her sister Garnet visiting the ranch. You see, it's well known in the family that those two sisters, Garnet and Dove, "get along like two bobcats trapped in a burning outhouse."Set in 1997, racial tensions are running a bit high due to the fair's first black general manager, Levi Clark; Levi's half-white daughter, Jazz; and a long line of Jazz's various suitors. When the replica of the famous Harriet Powers quilt disappears from the museum's exhibit at the fair and is later found wrapped around the body of a dead fairgoer in another exhibit, Benni investigates-- with the help of her great-aunt Garnet (who seems very well-versed in cop shows and mystery novels).Benni and I have come a long way. I almost didn't continue reading the series past the second book because Benni's second husband, police chief Gabe Ortiz, was such a stiff-necked macho man. I persevered, however, and I'm glad I did. Fowler's characters aren't one-dimensional; they evolve through time.The characters and the mysteries aren't the only reasons to read the books in this series. Fowler knows how to mix those two ingredients as well as humor, quilting, folklore (like the history of black cloth dolls in this book), and a strong Christian faith into a very entertaining journey with feisty Benni Harper.If you're new to this series, it's safe to read State Fair without having read any of the others first. Fowler fills in enough details to keep you headed in the right direction.For any of you who may worry a bit about my mentioning "strong Christian faith", these books are the furthest thing from being preachy, and the characters' religious beliefs are not force fed to the reader. More than anything, the characters' faith is shown as doing the right thing and treating others with respect. On the other side of the coin, if you're in the mood for a mystery series with faith and morals, I would suggest you sit down with Benni Harper and her family.
    • 3/5
      Pretty good book in the series. There were a lot of loose ends those that were never tied up or explained, for example, what the Burnsides had to do with anything or who bumped into Benni's truck. The book was more about the characters and the family and friend relationships than about the mystery.
    • 5/5
      Series about woman (Benni Harper) who is a museum curator in a smallish town in the Southwest. She is married to a police officer and cannot stop investigating on her own. Description of a "southern family" that moved to the Southwest. Characters are interesting.This story had a twist that was a surprise (maybe?)
    • 5/5
      State Fair ranks as the best Benni Harper book in a long time, or perhaps ever, on my list. The action revolves around an annual mid-state California agricultural fair that features all of the usual food, exhibits, and programs endemic to fairs. An extra feature, in the form of a corpse, is added to an exhibit one evening, and Benni cannot resist getting involved. This time, however, she has a helper in guise of her great-aunt Garnet. And Garnet is a hoot! Formerly known as a crank, she has morphed into a self-trained detective, and she's not half-bad. There is the usual close call at the end of the book along with numerous chidings from husband Gabe. This one is a winner!