A review by robinellen149
Maggie Dove by Susan Breen

4.0

I enjoyed this book. A number of reviewers disliked Maggie calling her things like judgmental, preachy, proper, righteous, annoying, prudish, etc. I enjoyed Maggie from the start because she seemed like a “real” human being. She was a woman of faith who struggled with her imperfections. She was trying hard to be caring and accepting and also struggling with the situations where that was a challenge. I identified with and admired that and found it refreshing in a character. (I am a person “of faith” but I don't attend church.) Yes, there is a lot of time spend on her losses, but that was part if the story - where she was in life at the time, how it impacted her relationships, etc. - and plays a role at changes that begin at the end. I didn't read this as a “Christian” mystery. Sure, the church is a big part of her life. But that is part of the definition of who she is just like any other prime character in a mystery could be described by their primary interests and motivations – whether art, bird watching etc. I did not have any sense that the role of the church in the story was to give the reader a morality message other than the importance of love and community and, even then, that didn't come across as a “message” as much as just the setting of this story.