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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody by Barbara Ross is the debut of A Jane Darrowfield Mystery series. Jane Darrowfield is retired from the telephone company and her only son lives on the west coast. After organizing her house and traveling, Jane is at loose ends. Playing bridge with her three friends does not take up all her time. Jane has discovered that she is good at solving problems and word has spread within the town. Now Jane has a paid assignment. She needs to uncover why the various cliques at an over 55 community are at odds with one another. Things go well until one of the ring leaders turns up dead. Jane Darrowfield is a spirited main character. She is smart, notices details, and likes to be active. I like that she is an older protagonist. Jane has her three friends (Helen, Phyllis, and Irma) with whom she plays bridge regularly. Phyllis enlists Jane’s help in weeding through the men interested in dating her since her own judgement is not to be trusted. Phyllis has created profiles for the two of them on a dating site and arranged coffee dates for Jane with the top matches. I found the dates to be entertaining. I just loved the baristas reactions. I thought Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody contained good writing, it was just the right length, and it had a steady pace. The mystery was interesting with a variety of suspects. Jane questioned people, followed leads, and searched for clues. It was fun solving this clever whodunit. I look forward to the next A Jane Darrowfield Mystery. Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody is charming cozy mystery with a gone golfer, suspicious suspects, surprising secrets, a crafty killer, and a smart senior sleuth.
madisonhsmith's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
booklover1974's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.
It's a cozy mystery in the best way. Retired busybody Jane gets hired by a manager for a retirement village to try to sort out difficulties among the residents. She moves in, disguised as a potential buyer, and on her second day a person gets murdered. From there on she's very busy indeed.
I liked that Jane wasn't perfect and she had relationships that were broken, like the one to her son.
Also, I enjoyed the whole story. You know what you get when you buy a cozy mystery, great entertainment and a good time.
It's a cozy mystery in the best way. Retired busybody Jane gets hired by a manager for a retirement village to try to sort out difficulties among the residents. She moves in, disguised as a potential buyer, and on her second day a person gets murdered. From there on she's very busy indeed.
I liked that Jane wasn't perfect and she had relationships that were broken, like the one to her son.
Also, I enjoyed the whole story. You know what you get when you buy a cozy mystery, great entertainment and a good time.
katreader's review against another edition
4.0
JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY by Barbara Ross
The First Jane Darrowfield Mystery
After taking early retirement Jane Darrowfield traveled, worked on her garden, and organized her photos; enjoying all the things she didn't have time for previously. Then she started helping friends with little problems. Working in the corporate word prepared her dealing with life's little conflicts and annoyances and Jane discovered she was good at it. Yet she hesitated when asked to solve a problem at a 55 plus community, especially when the director was so vague about what the actual problem was. But when he didn't balk at the fee she requested, Jane decided to look into the matter. What she found was not so much an active community for older residents, but high school revisited, with its cliques and mean-spiritedness in residents closer to 70 than 17! Will Jane be able to sort out the root cause of the problem before things at Walden Spring get even more out of hand?
As a woman of mature years myself (although I couldn't live in Walden Spring just yet) I enjoy seeing seniors treated as real people. There are rivalries, jealousy, insecurities, and romance whether one is 20 or 60. While the majority of the seniors here live in a 55 plus community, they are not exiled or put out to pasture. Rather they're living intense, active lives. The fact that several of these people are acting more like juvenile delinquents in just icing on the cake. I especially like Jane and find her an immensely likeable protagonist. She's smart, capable, and knows when to ask for help.
JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY reminds us that life doesn't end after 50...unless there's murder! The first book in this new series has an ingenious plot, interesting characters, and equal parts fun and danger!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The First Jane Darrowfield Mystery
After taking early retirement Jane Darrowfield traveled, worked on her garden, and organized her photos; enjoying all the things she didn't have time for previously. Then she started helping friends with little problems. Working in the corporate word prepared her dealing with life's little conflicts and annoyances and Jane discovered she was good at it. Yet she hesitated when asked to solve a problem at a 55 plus community, especially when the director was so vague about what the actual problem was. But when he didn't balk at the fee she requested, Jane decided to look into the matter. What she found was not so much an active community for older residents, but high school revisited, with its cliques and mean-spiritedness in residents closer to 70 than 17! Will Jane be able to sort out the root cause of the problem before things at Walden Spring get even more out of hand?
As a woman of mature years myself (although I couldn't live in Walden Spring just yet) I enjoy seeing seniors treated as real people. There are rivalries, jealousy, insecurities, and romance whether one is 20 or 60. While the majority of the seniors here live in a 55 plus community, they are not exiled or put out to pasture. Rather they're living intense, active lives. The fact that several of these people are acting more like juvenile delinquents in just icing on the cake. I especially like Jane and find her an immensely likeable protagonist. She's smart, capable, and knows when to ask for help.
JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY reminds us that life doesn't end after 50...unless there's murder! The first book in this new series has an ingenious plot, interesting characters, and equal parts fun and danger!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
princessbilbo's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 out of 5
I had so much fun with this book! I LOVED the characters and loved the mystery! It isn't this ground-breaking book, but gosh, it was fun to read! This is what I wanted Thursday Murder Club to be!
I had so much fun with this book! I LOVED the characters and loved the mystery! It isn't this ground-breaking book, but gosh, it was fun to read! This is what I wanted Thursday Murder Club to be!
itzcooper's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
alireadsandknits's review against another edition
3.0
I have come to realize I really enjoy older sleuthers! I enjoyed this book and all the characters. Look forward to reading book 2.
a_ab's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
This book was surprisingly entertaining. It helped that the premise gave the main character a solid reason to go around poking her nose into other people's affairs (pun intended). I also enjoyed the opportunity to discover everything as the heroine discovered it, since she also was new to the setting and the people.
A very promising beginning to a series.
A very promising beginning to a series.