Love for Sale (Grace & Favor Mystery Series, No. 4)

Book Description

Award-winning author Jill Churchill once again brings a bit of dazzle to the Great Depression, in her fourth captivating and colorful trip up New York's Hudson River for some high living -- and dying -- in hard times.

Sister and brother Lily and Robert Brewster, raised in the lap of luxury, may no longer have a penny to their names, but at least they have a roof over their heads -- which is more than many can say in this bleak November of 1932. This is thanks to their eccentric great-uncle, whose will allows them to live in his mansion on a sprawling estate in Voorburg-on-Hudson. And now there's even some cash rolling in, since the Brewsters have taken part-time teaching duties at the local grade school.

But their luck turns sour when a mysterious and badly disguised stranger comes to Grace and Favor willing to pay generously to have a secret meeting there shortly before the presidential election. Are they gangsters? Pretty Boy Floyd is rumored to be somewhere near. Or worse, are they a rabid pro-Hoover political group trying to stop Roosevelt from being elected at the last minute by making up some nasty gossip about him?

When one of the mystery guests is murdered in his bath, a little boy is kidnapped, and Chief Howard Walker can't find anywhere to house all his suspects except the local Hospital for the Criminally Insane, the pace becomes hectic. In the end a local woman, a secretary from upriver whom Lily has befriended, and one of the children at the school provide the vital clues that allow Lily to put two and two together. But only after a wild car chase with three women drivers.

Jill Churchill is the winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards and was nominated for an Anthony Award for her bestselling Jane Jeffry series. She is the author of three previous Grace & Favor mystery novels, Anything Goes, In the Still of the Night, and Someone to Watch Over Me, and lives in the Midwest.

Customer Reviews:

Work of NO!.......2005-09-12

This book was no where touchy-feely like i thought it would be. I thought it would be really cute and sweet and make me smily at night, but NO! It had to be hard, and evil. The people in this book made me very angery, and its no good when Nenis is Mad! NO NO NO! ask anyone in Kens, China. Someone should rip this book of the shelfs to DISTROY it! Never let another innocent person's virgen eyes be hurt by these boring pages. DO SOMEONE A FAVOR!! DONT READ!!!

-NO! (startrackn00t@aol.com) Contact me ;) (Nenis)

A Grace and Favor Mystery anyone?.......2005-05-27

In order to support themselves, Lily and Robert Brewster have turned the Grace and Favor mansion that they live in (which, according to their uncle's will, they may do until they die themselves) into a bed and breakfast.
They also find themselves in the position to do a little part-time teaching after Millicent Langston, a local teacher, mysteriously disappears following a visit home due to medical reasons. In the Depression, every little bit counts, and so Robert and Lily both consider themselves fortunate to have each opportunity.

But, when a stranger requests to rent a room at the bed and breakfast for the outrageous amount of $500, Lily and Robert are reluctant to accept. The stranger obviously has a few secrets that he intends to keep to himself, and Lily suspects that it might not be such a good idea to allow him, and his mysterious cohorts, access to their home. There is no specific reason to turn down the offer, though, especially since they are lacking any solid proof of foul play.

Both Lily and Robert are shocked to discover that one of their secret guests is none other than the Brother Mark Luke Goodheart. Even more shocking is the fact that Brother Goodheart has been found murdered, in one of the bed and breakfast's bathtubs.

Brother Goodheart was a notoriously lecherous radio preacher, much hated by a variety of people, so the list of suspects is quite long. Police Chief Walker fears that he might never find out what really happen. At his request, Lily joins in the investigation. What follows is a delightful tale of twists and turns and mysterious coincidences.

Set in 1932, LOVE FOR SALE had a very authentic historical setting. One could almost feel the ambience of the great mansion and sense the strength of the lively characters residing there in the Depression. Reminiscent of the stories told by the "old timers" about this era, LOVE FOR SALE imparts a certain homey charm. Readers will get a glimpse of "the good old days" through the imagination of author Jill Churchill.

In LOVE FOR SALE, Jill Churchill has written an imaginative novel that will keep most readers guessing until the final culmination. Churchill's style of writing was refreshingly pure and sweet, her characters having morals and values that are seldom found in contemporary novels. The only disappointment that readers may find on the pages of this mystery are a few dry passages, other than that, LOVE FOR SALE delivers a mysteriously enjoyable read.

(...)

Radio Static Backdrops Tinny voice, "This Is The Operator.".......2005-04-06

Oh my. Another one of those yummy covers which makes me want to leap into its picture and soak up the art.

The luxurious color-combo is literally healing in its delicious hue-intensity with primal-contrast; the design paints an addictive, nouveau-uplift on historic mysteries; the tangy texture of raised print nudges fingers to slide over the face; the extra flap-under-cover is welcoming, exposing the publisher's commitment to the book's value. Love the way the crescent moon leads the eye to the yellow light in an upstairs window on the brick mansion, then to the flapping pink curtain. Love how these image icons are repeated from the external scenes into the upstairs bathroom as itchy fingers open the flap. Drool. Slurp.

Churchill's confidence gracefully shows itself as the plot rhythm and character development eases off to a tattoo of Lilly, John, and support cast unhurriedly discussing life and politics. The story doesn't need to surge into a mystery mode until around page 37 of the paperback, when the murder is up. The event is staged with panache, and the characters hop to; shifting effortlessly into a hot-step jazz. I didn't quite notice I had been taken for a ride; but, of course, that's what I was there for.

The mystery kicks in, a la Agatha Christie; it's easy to see why Churchill's been compared to Miss Christie, even said to have surpassed the Master.

The story hums along smoothly in a snappy beat; so much so that, once the story ends, the reader is left with the stillness of true silence. The feeling is like that of a refrigerator compressor, humming as un-noticed "white noise" in the background. Once the motor stops, however, a warm body having been resting in the soothing, active presence is abruptly transported from what he had adjusted to as an ongoing reality in a cozily buzzing cocoon, into the empty exaggeration of the chill of motionless existence.

Sometimes that cessation of refrigerator-type-buzz is felt as relief.

Other times it is felt as a loss carrying a nearly overwhelming sense of grief.

When the hum of the mystery-in-process in LOVE FOR SALE culminates at the final period on the last page, there's a feeling of "Oh no, don't end, not yet."

This is the call of the cozy mystery sub-genre, a call which is heard and answered, in this novel especially.

Maybe it's the live-in quality of this sub-genre which somehow gives it the right (or the necessity) to continue, in ongoing, addictive series. Though the act of murder is as far from cozy as a warm body can get, maybe the desire for it's resolution and ultimate cessation is nurtured within that culture of comfort.

If that desire grows strong enough, might triumph and redemption win in our species?

See what type of contemplation Churchill's "simple" cozy, LOVE FOR SALE, can elicit from the soul of a reader who loves a good mystery resolved well?

Not wanting to conclude before mentioning some of the unique pulls of this story, I'll note that Chief Walker, the investigator, does not typically fade into the background as the amateur sleuth does the real work of exposing the dirt. Walker is an unusually warm, hired servant of justice, who methodically, yet compassionately walks determinedly, unwaveringly through his job. He's like a Columbo without the build up of bungle. In a typical Churchill character draw, Chief Walker is easy to be with, non-assuming, not a tough guy, just endearingly responsible in a step-by-step sort of way. He serves people simultaneously to serving justice.

I was intrigued by the hits here and there of the historic setting, when radio knobs are tuned for updates on "what's going on," instead of Remote Controls aimed and fired; when rarely made, heavily assisted by the Operator, long-distance phone calls are required, instead of flip-open cell phones lifted from humongous purses. Then there's the political pull of presidents elected, with the plot opening and closing as characters discuss and deal with Roosevelt in process of taking the gantlet from Truman.

Jill Churchill must have a worm hole or time machine somewhere in her closet, to be able to successfully work two mystery series, which are ages and universes apart in culture and style. I hope she never allows any discouragement lurking "In The Still of The Night" to break down the reality between her creativity and its deserved manifestation.

Well done, lady!
Linda G. Shelnutt

GRACE & FAVOR.......2004-11-13

I read this book and it was okay at first but I was bored with it rather quickly. I put it down after the first two chapters. I would rate it between 1.25 and 2 stars.

Genteel fun that's a trip back in time.......2004-10-24

Ready for an escapist mystery that will take you back to a time when life was a bit more genteel? Travel back to the Depression, where in Love for Sale people actually seem to live richer lives than in the modern prosperous era. Without glamorizing the hard times of the past, this cozy mystery, starring a brother and sister team, makes us long for the days of white gloves, croquet, and milk delivered to the door.

But milk isn't all Lily and Robert Brewster find on the doorstep of the manor their late great-uncle left them. In true cozy mystery form, the unsuspecting amateur detectives discover a missing grade school teacher, uncover Road to Perdition-style mob activity as well as political conspiracy aimed at President Roosevelt's election (and you thought the President Bush-Senator Kerry grudge match was nasty), and figure out who killed Charles Pottinger (a.k.a. the radio preacher Brother Goodheart) in their very house. Seems there was more than Bible-thumping going on among the Reverend and his friends, who include the bizarre Nobby Hazard (reminiscent of Renfrew in Dracula, minus the vermin eating). Who would want to kill Brother Goodheart? How about his illegitimate son, who is tossed out as an interesting, if predictable, red herring that never goes anywhere and remains a loose end? Why do we detect the hint of a lesbian quarrel in the disappearance of the schoolteacher?

And why question any of these things? Thanks to Jill Churchill's vivid tale of a bygone era, we can enjoy genteel times again without the Depression and with the whodunit. Much grace and favor to Jill Churchill.

Anything Goes (Grace and Favor Mystery Series, No. 1)

Average customer rating:

Depression Era Mysteries
Just what fans of American "cozies" are looking for
Fun, Fun, Fun
Rave review from Valley kid
A charming cozy

Anything Goes (Grace and Favor Mystery Series, No. 1)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Women Sleuths | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0380802449
Release Date: 1999-06-08

Book Description

They Have Inherited a Lovely Upstate Mansion. . .

The crash of 1929 has ended the party for high-living New Yorkers Lily Brewster and her brother Robert and takes them from the upper echelons of the idle rich and deposits them to the lowly depths of the disillusioned poor. However, rescue arrives in the form of their recently deceased great-uncle Horation who bequeaths to them Grace and Favor "Cottage" which is really a great sprawling mansion. And there's a fortune to go with it, but only if they reside there for ten years.

And an Inconvenient Corpse

With no other alternative, the spirited Manhattanites move to a quiet and quaint Hudson River community and try to fit in. But they soon find out that great-uncle Horatio didn't die peacefully. He was murdered while on an elaborate sailing party on the Hudson River aboard his yacht -- and Lily and Robert are suspects. But when another corpse appears in the kitchen of the mansion, the siblings are determined to clear themselves. Without a clue how to begin, Lily and Robert start snooping, unaware that their savvy sleuthing could make them the killer's next targets.

Customer Reviews:

Depression Era Mysteries.......2004-03-20

Jill Churchill's, "Anything Goes," is the first of the "Grace and Favor" series. It is light, but it is MAGNIFICENT. Charmingly, the books in the series are named after various hit songs from the period. The series chronicles the adventures of Lily Brewster and her brother Robert as they make the transition from high-living lifestyle of the idle rich to the depths of the stockmarket ruin and father's subsequent suicide to their miraculous inheritance of the Grace and Favor mansion from a distant relative.

"Grace and Favor" refers to the house that they have renamed. Although, rather than a true "Grace and Favor Trust" - which allows tenants the use of an estate during their lifetime only -Lily and Robert will inherit the mansion and the estate if they adhere to the stipulations in their Uncle Horatio's will and reside in the small town for 10 years.

Although, on the surface this may sound hokey - "down and out kids inherit from long-lost relative" - it truly works and is believable.

It opens with Lily Brewster, hot and miserable from her bank teller's job, looking back at the lifestyle that she used to live. It is upbeat, but rather than glibbly glossing over their depression-era life, Churchill lets the reader know how Lily has nothing in common with the other tellers; how Robert's job is akin to socializing with the gang rather than confronting the reality that he now has to work as a waiter and escort to make a living; how the apartment is small with no bath tub and thin walls; and how all their family's possessions have been sold.

Churchill also doesn't tritely make life wonderful when the characters go to the Grace and Favor mansion. She depicts the sacrifices for social butterfly Robert in leaving the excitement of New York behind. It also reveals his thrill in discovering the Dusenberg Model J car that with his attention will soon be in excellent condition.

Churchill not only makes this a spiffy little mystery - she makes her characters believable in the 1930's setting.

Just what fans of American "cozies" are looking for.......2001-09-27

Lily and Robert Brewster (sister and brother) are formerly upper-middle-class young adults who have been thrown into poverty by the Depression. Suddenly they find themselves the owners of an upstate New York mansion, bequeathed to them by an almost-forgotten, rich, great uncle. The bequest comes along with the requirement that they live in the mansion for 10 years.

When they arrive at the mansion, they find the area populated by the usual "cast of strange characters" that comes along with most whodunits: people with various reasons for hostility toward each other - or, more importantly, hostility toward the recently deceased great uncle. It soon becomes clear that there was something not quite convincing about the official explanation of the great uncle's death (surprise, surprise) and Lily and Robert begin to investigate.

So, the plot outline is standard stuff for mysteries of this kind. Therefore the quality of the book depends on the characterizations, the atmosphere, and the plausibility of the plot. I'm happy to report that Churchill handles all three of those things wonderfully. Lily is the no-nonsense, responsible member of the pair of sleuths, and Robert is the carefree, slightly irresponsible, fun-loving one (and he's delightful). The atmosphere of the depression is vivid and rings true, but on the other hand it doesn't weigh the book down with gloom. The plot is completely believable, and I wasn't able to guess the guilty party until almost at the very end. (Not that I tried very hard; I read these books for the atmosphere and the satisfaction of a conclusive ending, rather than as a puzzle to be figured out before the end of the book.)

At any rate, if you're a fan of the cozy Agatha Christie type of mystery, then this should be on your list. This is the first Jill Churchill book I have read, and I look forward to the others.

Fun, Fun, Fun.......2001-07-22

What a wonderful addition to Jill Churchill's Jeffrey books. And a rather different situtation--sister and brother set in the early part of the 20th century. Reminds me of Tommy and Tuppence that Agatha Christie wrote. Can't wait for more in this fabulous new series. Lots of fun to read and they take you away from everyday life for a few minutes. Good clues and plot.

Rave review from Valley kid.......2001-03-18

As a native of the Hudson Valley and a longtime fan of Jill Churchill, I was delighted to see the new Grace and Favor series. Lily and Robert Brewster, formerly the upper crust of New York City society and now indirect victims of the Crash of '29, are surviving as best they can on their limited marketable skills. A barely-remembered great-uncle dies suddenly and leaves them a fortune--with strings . . .

Jill Churchill has small-town life along the Hudson in the early days of the Depression down cold; her research is so evident in the book that I could find "Voorburg-on-Hudson" on a map. The second book in the series, In the Still of the Night, is stronger in plot and has more red herrings, but Anything Goes has more character background and development. Together they are a very intriguing beginning to a series that I hope will be expanded drastically.

A charming cozy.......2000-10-22

It is the summer of 1931 and New York socialite Lily Brewster has resorted to a miserable job as a bank clerk while her brother Robert earns money as a bartender/escort/dancing partner in the elegant clubs he formerly frequented as a paying customer. Lily and Robert are barely scraping by in their stuffy, two-room apartment, so a mysterious bequest from their great-uncle Horatio leaves them little alternative but to accept the ten-year grace and favor arrangement in rural Voorburg-on-Hudson.

The Brewster siblings are just settling into their new home, a neglected mansion with a spectacular view of the Hudson River, when they learn that Uncle Horatio died under suspicious circumstances-and that their scheming cousin Claude is trying to implicate them so that he can gain control of Uncle Horatio's estate. What else can Lily and Robert do but solve the mystery of their uncle's death?

The premise is intriguing, the period atmosphere well-done, and the characters charming. But the mystery proves to be, well, a little on the boring side. Just a few well-put questions would have cleared the matter up right away, so it's frustrating to watch the pair follow up on obvious red herrings while you know perfectly well who the villain is. Taken as a whole, however, Anything Goes is a pleasant cozy, and I am willing to read further in the series on the strength of just the characters and Churchill's style.

Book Description

Comfortably ensconced in their late great-uncle's "Grace and Favor" mansion, brother and sister Robert and Lily Brewster are riding out the Depression, penniless but in high style. Now a new day is heralded by Franklin Roosevelt's inauguration. Barely recovered from his trip to Washington to witness the historic event, Robert is rushed by Lily to a nearby nursing home, where the Brewsters have agreed to lend a helping hand to the staff.

But when an elderly resident is murdered in his bed, Robert and Lily realize the local police will need their able assistance as well -- especially since the slaying isn't the only big trouble in tiny Voorburg. The spring thaw has revealed another body, and the Brewster siblings must expose a cold-blooded criminal before he -- or she -- kills again.

Customer Reviews:

Cozy Historical Mystery.......2005-12-03

Robert and Lily Brewster are siblings trying to make ends meet during the Depression. They have inherited their great uncle's mansion, but still must take in boarders and do odd jobs to earn money. In this installment in the "Grace and Favor" series, they take temporary jobs in a nursing home. Before long they are involved in another mystery when one of the patients is smothered in his bed. There are plenty of suspects, including the patient's wife and family, many of whom haven't seen or talked to him in years. But then another body turns up and the Brewsters, along with Chief of Police Howard Walker, work to find out if the two cases are related and catch the murderer.

"It Had to Be You" is an amusing, if light mystery. The historical details, Franklin Roosevelt has just been elected President, are the most interesting parts of the book. Lily and Robert and strong characters, maturing with each book in the series. While there have been hints in the descriptions of the various books that Lily is attracted to Howard Walker, it doesn't come across that way in the book, there's no sense of any attraction between the two of them. I hope that's developed in future books.

The mystery itself is pretty light. Jill Churchill throws in plenty of suspects, but it's pretty obvious from the beginning who the murderer is. I read the book hoping that Churchill would throw in a plot twist and have someone else commit the murder, but I was disappointed. And she never explains why the murder took place when the victim was very ill and hours away from dying.

This is a good but unchallenging mystery.

puts the 'cozy' in cozy mystery!.......2005-05-13

My first in this series to read and it stood on its own very well. The characters were welldefined and the only part I didn't like would be how I felt when it ended and I read the title again. I felt silly for not figuring it out more!

Lily and Robert fill in at a nursing home and quick as you please, a patient dies mysteriously. Typical plan follows to question everyone and it leads them to the killer.

Reprint!.......2005-04-01

Our story begins on Friday, March 3, 1933. Robert and Lily Brewster are siblings trying to make it through the Depression. They live in their great-uncle's "Grace and Favor" mansion, penniless but doing well. Franklin Roosevelt's inauguration is under way. Robert even makes a very uncomfortable trip to Washington to witness the historic even.

The day after Robert returns home (he needed a day to recover), he goes with Lily to their new temporary job. Miss Twibell has turned her huge house into a nursing home and one of her employees is out sick for awhile.

Trouble follows the Brewsters, as it normally does, One of the elderly residents, Mr. Sean Connor, is murdered in his bed. The bizarre thing is that everyone knew Mr. Connor only had a few more hours to live anyway. Why would someone bother to kill him? Since he was such an ill tempered man, he had no close friends. No one seems to have liked the man; not even his wife or kids. His children has had no contact with Mr. or Mrs. Connor in years.

Chief of Police Howard Walker is on the case, but he cannot seem to make much head way. Not for lack of trying though. Howard is an excellent cop. The Connor case is not the only one on Howard's mind. Spring thaw has turned up another body that had spent the cold months under an iced over pond.

***** Be warned that this is a reprint! Now that you know, let me inform you about his good mystery. The author did an outstanding job with this tale. The characters are all believable and the era description is true to form. Historical data has been inserted as well, which gives it all a realistic glow. Author Jill Churchill's fan base is about to grow. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Trying hard, but falling short.......2005-03-05

After reading the last entry in the Jane Jeffry mystery series and being less than impressed, I was hoping for more from the latest in the Grace & Favor series. Unfortunately, I was disappointed again. While the book does do a wonderful job of transporting the reader to a small town in New York during the Depression, it does a less than masterful job of solving the mystery in the book.

If you have not read the book, you may wish to skip the rest of my review as it will not tell you whodunnit, but will give away some of the plot.

The story opens with Lily and Robert having gotten yet another part-time job - this one at the nursing home up the road. The first day that both of them are working there, a crochety patient is suffocated to death in his bed. The odd thing is that the patient had slipped into a coma and according to Miss Twibell, the proprietor of the home, would have probably passed away that day regardless. While this detail is constantly mentioned throughout the book, the resolution does not explain the need for the patient to be murdered when he would have died anyway. There are many unresolved details in the book that are probably there as red herrings, however instead of being neatly explained later, they are just left hanging at the end of the book. I don't know if Ms. Churchill originally intended for another character to be the murderer or not, but I feel the book could have been much more entertaining from a mystery perspective had she chosen another character for the villain.

If you are looking for a entertaining and diverting read with a secondary mystery, this book would be fine. However, if you are expecting a rollicking mystery with a twist, skip it. Not Ms. Churchill's best - not even close.

Lily and Robert help solve who killed Sean Conner.......2004-12-16

It's 1933. Lily and her brother Robert not only take in boarders at Grace and Favor, but they also take on jobs now and then. Miss Twibell who runs a local nursing home has hired them while her assistant nurse is out sick.

There are many colorful characters in the home. One old man, Sean Connor, is the only seriously ill patient. He is also very hard to deal with. He slips into a coma and passes away. No one was surprised by his death as he was very ill. That is, until it is discovered he was murdered. Why would anyone murder him when he only had hours left? He wasn't well liked, even by his family. So, there are lots of suspects. He had several visits the morning he was killed.

Then a body surfaces when the spring arrives and melts the ice. Could this be the young mad who had disappeared last winter? Or has a third crime been committed?

Lily and Robert become involved in helping to solve these crimes. Plus Robert makes some great suggested to Miss Twibell to upgrade her home and assists with those upgrades.

Motives for Mr. Connor's death are not as abundant as suspects, so it takes a lot of detecting and interviewing for it to be discovered and the guilty party caught.

I love this series. Lily and Robert are terrific. This is one of the few series set back in time that I enjoy so thoroughly. Jill Churchill has done a wonderful job creating these characters and the setting. The other people in town are also great characters in this series. They are all so well crafted. I feel like I'm there when I read a book in this series. Her books are so easy to read, and you don't want to put them down.

I highly recommend this book. The Grace and Favor series is not to be missed.

In the Still of the Night (Grace & Favor Mystery Series, No. 2)

Average customer rating:

Murder is an Uninvited Guest at Grace and Favor Cottage
A Complete Bore
Fresh and Innovative Series Set in Depression - Era
I'd give it a six if I could
The party should have gone off without a hitch

In the Still of the Night (Grace & Favor Mystery Series, No. 2)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0380802457

Book Description

Lily Brewster and her brother Robert have all the appearances of being filthy rich, even though the family fortune went out the window with the crash of 1929. But thanks to great-uncle Horatio, who left them Grace and Favor Cottage, a huge mansion on the Hudson not far from Franklin Roosevelt's Hyde Park, the Brewsters live in the style to which they had become accustomed--with a few troublesome limitations.

To make sure Lily and Robert didn't go back to being society bums, crafty old Horatio attached some strings to his bequest--and a penny-pinching attorney to manage the funds. Now the poor Brewsters have to actually work for money to survive, and Lily comes up with a brilliant scheme. They can turn a profit while they hobnob with their society friends, luring them to Grace and Favor for a paying weekend with the promise of big-name celebrities as guests.

If Sinclair Lewis hadn't been working on a new book, he might have joined the party; if Amelia Earhart hadn't been busy planning her cross-Atlantic flight, history might not have its own unsolved mystery. And if the Brewsters' celebrity/society bash hadn't been short on luminaries and long on snide barbs and open hostility among the guests, the glittering, glamorous affair might not have turned into a whodunit with one guest dead, one missing, and Lily and Robert chasing a murderer who is ready to strike again.

Customer Reviews:

Murder is an Uninvited Guest at Grace and Favor Cottage.......2006-07-30

As the Great Depression drags into 1933, siblings Robert and Lily Brewster are looking for ways to make money in their new home of Voorburg-on-Hudson. Robert and Lily decide to use the mansion they inherited from their Great Uncle Horatio to host a paying weekend where their society friends (who still have plenty of money) can mingle with celebrity writer Julian West. The glamorous weekend gets off to a bumpy start, though, when there are veiled hostilities between some of the guests. The party weekend is completely spoiled when Lorna Ethridge, one of the geusts, is found strangled in her bedroom after the first evening at Grace and Favor. In an effort to clear the mansion of scandal, Lily and Robert set out to find out the killer's identity.

"In the Still of the Night" is the second novel in the Grace and Favor series, set in upper New York State during the Great Depression. The story is filled with everyday details about life in the Depression and is full of 1930's ambience. Author Churchill continues to do a great job of developing the main characters in the story, as well as fleshing out other characters who were only briefly introduced in the series premiere "Anything Goes." I look forward to enjoying the next installment in this fun period mystery series.

A Complete Bore.......2005-06-20

As a lover of a good mystery, I picked up this book because it listed Ms. Churchill as being the "Winner of the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers Awards." She obviously did not win with this piece of work.
It almost reads more as a romance novel for women too ashamed to buy the books with Fabio on the cover.
The outcome is predictable and the subplot is mundane at best. Not for sincere fans of mysteries.

Fresh and Innovative Series Set in Depression - Era.......2004-03-21

Jill Churchill only gets better with the second book of her "Grace and Favor" mystery series. "In the Still of the Night" adds a little more mystery to the plot and a few additional characters as well.

"In the Still of the Night" continues the saga where Lily and her brother, Robert Brewster are contemplating various ways to add to their income. Their relative's will stipulates that they must earn their living expenses (minus the upkeep of the house, etc.) for 10 years - before inheriting the estate.

Hesitantly, they embark on the venture to invite a famous novelist for the weekend and invite various wealthy friends as paying guests. They know many who will pay for the priviledge of spending the weekend at the manor in his company. A murder takes place and in order to earn any type of profit at all - they must solve the mystery. (As well as knowing that one amongst them is a murderer.)

I especially enjoyed how the plot and characters were so believable. Also, Churchill does a wonderful job of incorporating various historical facts of the time into the story. It is interesting to read that Phoebe makes hats for Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt whose husband is the governor in a nearby city! When Lily invites Phoebe as a boarder to their mansion, Churchill gives a very sound reasoning for Phoebe's decision. This type of detail makes the characters very multi-faceted with a great deal of depth.

Excellent book; wonderful series!

I'd give it a six if I could.......2002-06-17

As a fan of Jill Churchill, I have read all of her Jane Jeffry titles. When I saw a new series, I doubted it could live up to my expectations based in the other series. I found the Grace and Favor series, if which this is the first, to be a totally fresh kind of mystery for me. The era of the Depression in a fascinating time of contrasts between the haves and have-nots. Lily and Robert are both. They seem to have inherited a line back to the good life, but making ends meet continues to be a challenge for them.
The idea of a house party with paying guests was certainly a new one to me. It was written with a lot of character development necessary to the future of the series, but with here-and-now action. A great read, as well as a great send-off for a new series.

The party should have gone off without a hitch.......2000-11-29

For Robert and Lily Brewster, the planned gathering at Grace and Favor Cottage held the possibility of a living. For the guests, both honored and paying, it turned into something gelse entirely. Lily's hopes for the literary gathering featuring author, Julian West, are thwarted when one of their guests turns up dead and the much-valued manuscript of another disappears. When it appeals the two incidents might be linked, the brother and sister duo find themselves on the hunt for another killer in order to preserve their aspirations for their inherited cottage.

Jill Churchill displays a stunning ability to integrate the history of the 1930's with the fiction she writes. This is perhaps the story's greatest recommendation. The mystery itself is thin and while suspenseful, it also becomes somewhat predictable. What the mystery has to recommend itself are the strongly drawn characters with interesting quirks of credible motives. I did enjoy Lily's guests, but perhaps the most entertaining of them all was Robert's "idiot", Mad Henry, whose skill, or lack thereof, as an inventor, proves to be a constant source of irritation and bafflement for Lily though it ends up paying off in the end.

Average customer rating:

Well-intentioned, but terrible

Terrible "mystery", unedited, looks unfinished

A children's book?

Another good book in this series

What Was The Point?

Who's Sorry Now? (Grace & Favor Mystery Series #6)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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It Had to Be You (Grace & Favor Mystery Series, No. 5)

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Someone to Watch Over Me (Grace & Favor Mystery Series #3)

Fall of a Philanderer (Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries)

ASIN: 0060734604
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Sister and brother Lily and Robert Brewster may not have a penny to their names, but at least they're in good company––times couldn't be tougher in the Hudson River Valley during the Great Depression, and even the much–revered Chief of Police has lost his home. Their poor town has been stripped of its Post Office, too; now mail gets dumped off the trains steaming up the Hudson River, and people have to rummage through the bags to find their letters and packages. When Robert helps a young widow and her newly–arrived German grandfather haul the old man's trunks to his granddaughter's shop, he thinks he may have found a new set of friends––especially the kind train porter who helps them out. But when a red swastika is found painted on the widow's shop window, and the train porter is found dead, Robert knows that something much deeper, and much darker, is happening in his sleepy little town. Even back at Grace & Favor Mansion, where Lily and Robert live, things are falling apart. The Chief of Police has just unearthed a very, very old skeleton––right on the grounds! Could the two murders be related? It's up to Lily and Robert to find out the truth, before their quiet community is town apart by hatred, secrets, and a killer who may have set his sights on Grace & Favor...

Customer Reviews:

Well-intentioned, but terrible.......2007-07-04

I just read the Booklist review (at the top of this Amazon page) and saw the description of Churchill's "spare and eloquent" writing. To me, it sounded like it was written by a 12-year-old, for an audience of 8-year-olds. Based on the other reader reviews, it sounds like maybe the earlier entries in this series are better, but I didn't make it past the first chapter in this one.

Terrible "mystery", unedited, looks unfinished.......2007-03-18

This looks like a draft. None of the characters you follow in the first few chapters appear in the last few chapters. Every sentence is noun, verb with no variation, no clauses. The first mystery, a teen girl's body in the garden, is completely ignored halfway through and never looked into! The second mystery, lots of cash in the bookcase is clearly a case of a manipulative lawyer scamming them, but never looked into again. The third crime seems to hinge on their only clue, it was done with a jeweler's wire. But this is never found nor attributed to the person arrested. And the running gag of trying to build a homemade post office at the station is not only pointless but also left hanging at the end.
None of the characters do anything natural. None of the dialog is worth hearing once, but it is repeated at least three times each (and once five times), apparently to fill the pages. Don't waste your time on this hack.

A children's book?.......2007-02-09

I've read one other Churchill book, but was willing to give this one a go. It was light, and charming, but, I just don't get it. The style of the writing, with the repitition of main plot themes over and over; it just seemed either the author thought we needed to be retold a story over and over, or she just ran out of things to write.

Let me give an example. Early in the book we learn that 3 "biddies" were going through the mail, and they wanted to prevent certain letters from being delivered. As the plot progressed, the protagonist felt it was important to tell others about what happened. Follow me so far? Now, in most books, the author would have written "...and he told them about the incident he saw with the mail," but this author has him repeat the same story with the same details to each person he sees. And WE, poor readers, have to hear it all over again. Likewise for other important "clues," they are repeated in detail over and over again as if the reader is a child, and needs to be reminded of these not-very-complicated plot developments.

The mystery itself was mundane, and there is a whole "subplot" of burying up some bones that is not at all relevent to the book.

Nice sense of life during the depression era, though. And charming (although 1 dimentional) characters

Another good book in this series.......2006-12-27

This is the fifth in the A Grace and Favor Mystery series, and just as charming and fun as the previous titles.

Robert and Lily Brewster have been left the Grace and Favor mansion in rural New York by their Great Uncle Horatio. It is just after the stock market crash, and their privileged childhood has not prepared them for a life of searching for work and poverty.

Uncle Horatio had some odd conditions in his will; so they must live in the mansion with a number of other odd lodgers and their Great Uncle's property manager, Mr. Prinney. Police Chief Howard Walker moves into the mansion in this story, and he must deal a number of problems: a murdered railway clerk, an old skeleton found when some dead bushes are dug up on the mansion's grounds, hate crimes against the new tailor in the town of Voorberg, and some stolen library books. His new assistant, Deputy Ron Parker, proves to be a gem, with unusual talents.

Armchair Interviews says: The characters in this series are the story here--the relationships, and the way the community solves problems and people pull together.

What Was The Point?.......2006-12-12

I normally enjoy this series more than the Jane Jeffry series, which has gotten silly and boring...but this installment gave it a run for its money.

What was the point of this book? The murder seemed to be secondary to endless babbling about Robert and his postal center idea, or who was getting a dress hemmed at the tailor. The ending kind of came out of nowhere with no real reason. And the other mystery just seemed to be completely dropped without any explanation or resolution.

Though this series has two main characters, Lily has always seemed to come across as the star...but she was barely present in this one. And Robert has gotten exceptionally annoying. Does he have any purpose other than to drive around town showing off his car and bothering people while they're trying to make a living?

I hope the next installment is better or I'm done with this series.

Someone to Watch Over Me (Grace & Favor Mystery Series #3)

Average customer rating:

Someone to Watch Over Me
A disappointing read this time
Is this a mystery?
You Are There....
Another good title in the Grace and Favor series!

Someone to Watch Over Me (Grace & Favor Mystery Series #3)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0061031232

Book Description

Lily Brewster and her brother Robert were living high on the hog in Manhattan until the Crash of '29 took the family fortune south. Abruptly penniless, they have taken up residence in their late great-uncle Horatio's upstate estate on the banks of the Hudson and are slowly getting used to small-town life. But while tearing down a dilapidated ice house on the property, Robert inadvertently stumbles upon a well-dressed, mummified human corpse, the obvious victim of foul play. And as Lily works hand-in-hand with the disarmingly attractive Chief of Police howard Walker on the local front and Robert pursues the Manhattan connection in search of their well-heeled John Doe's identity, a second dead body turns up to complicate an already complexly murderous matter -- tying the Brewsters up in a knotty mess of deception and betrayal ... and leaving them dangerously exposed to the watchful eyes of a killer.

Customer Reviews:

Someone to Watch Over Me.......2004-12-08

After the stock market crash in 1929, the wealthy teenagers Robert and Lily Brewster had no where to go. Both of their parents had died, and they were living off their parents' fortune. Robert and Lily were luckily taken in by their relatives, who are also wealthy and living in the Grace and Favor Mansion.
One day Robert was in his backyard when he discovers a dead body in the ice house. Robert wants to find out who this dead man is and traces all clues. Lily's new friend she met through a Lady's Group, Roxanne, is accused of killing her husband. The body of her husband has not been found, and Roxanne is the only suspect. Lily knows Roxanne would never do such a thing, but she has to prove it to the chief of police.
This book has a shocking ending, which no one will be able to predict. You don't really know the truth as no one is there to witness the event. Even if someone is a witness you don't always know if they are telling the truth. You never know the truth unless you are there, and you see a fact. The truth is the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The characters in this novel are challenged to find the whole truth, because some forget to tell everything they know existed during the murders. This book is a fabulous mystery, and it will amaze you how everything is answered in the end.

A disappointing read this time.......2004-08-07

The editorial reviews sum up the plot well, but don't say that most of the book has nothing to do with solving the murders. The whole bit about the editor's visit to Washington, the despressing discriptions of the government's treatment of the bonus marchers (some of them children) may appeal to history buffs, but had little to do with the crimes in upstate NY. Also the editor's involvement with one of the marchers,a young mother with two children had nothing at all to do with the murders. She was there in a wagon with a mule. I vaguely wondered about the historical accuracy of that. Would there be a mule pulled wagon on the highways between DC and NY in the 30's? But no matter - it was filler. I read another in this series earlier, In the Still of the Night, and enjoyed it, but will not seek out any more of them.

Is this a mystery?.......2004-08-07

This book definitely lacks a substantial plot;it's not even a mystery at all.They solved the murder without any real clue.The murder was not an ingenious one;it looked as if it was done by a 3 year old kid.I almost laughed when they solved the "mystery".The dialouge falls flat,the characters are unreal and the murder was absolutely dumb.I am only 14 and i don't understand how adults can read this book.Jill Churchill cannot be compared to Agatha Christie,she still has a very long way to go.

You Are There...........2004-03-22

In Jill Churchill's third book in the "Grace and Favor" Mystery series, you get a glimpse into the lives of those living through the depression. Yes, the series is meant to be a somewhat light mystery set during the depression-era, but it truly is so much more. You start to see how the depression caused a very wide gap in the social mores of the day when there were very strict adherences to the class structure. Approximately a third of the country was in dire poverty during the height of the depression. In "Someone to Watch Over Me," you start to see how so many of these social snobberies start to be abandoned by Lily and her brother, Robert Brewster. They let the town know that they are not rich, but have suffered complete financial ruin as most of the town has and that it has only been through the miraculous good fortune of being named in their Uncle's will that has enabled them to live in a mansion. Luckily, after a period of 10 years - they will inherit the estate as long as they meet the provisions of the will and earn their living.

Readers are in the midst of the Bonus Army March as they camp out in Washington, D.C. in 1932. Churchill recounts the historic adventure through the eyes of their newspaper editor, Jack Summer who travels to D.C. to get a first-hand glimpse of the protestors.

The papers proclaim that Henry Ford has cut wages and increased hours and hosed down disgruntled employees who are seeking better conditions. ( I was a little confused about this as I knew that in 1914, Ford was the first to establish a "minimum wage" law as he raised the pay from $2.50 to $5.00 - which was a fortune in those days for doing assembly work. Naturally, it helped him retain employees - but I doubt that in 1932 many people were buying automobiles and Ford was trying to keep the company afloat.) It would have been nice if this had been explained.

In between all the historical events, there are two murders and plenty of dialogue. You grow to like these characters more and more with each new book. This Churchill series is as good as it gets!

Another good title in the Grace and Favor series!.......2002-09-13

Someone to Watch Over Me by Jill Churchill is the third book in her Grace and Favor series. The previous two titles, Anything Goes and In the Still of the Night were delightful mysteries and Someone to Watch Over Me is a welcome addition to this series.

Set during the Depression, the once wealthy Brother and sister Lily and Robert inherit their uncle's mansion on the Hudson River. But the inheritance is predicated on the English law of Grace and Favor where they must live in the house for a period of time before they can rightfully own it. And their uncle added one more element to this inheritance in that both Lily and Robert must have jobs in the area and live only in the house before they inherit anything. The house comes with an array of interesting people who work for them in addition to some of the townspeople who quickly become part of their lives.

Unfortunately, times are tough for all including Lily and Robert who few in the village know that their family was a casualty of the Depression early on and their fortune no longer exists. With both their parents now gone, they must figure out a way to make ends meet. They come up with one idea after another to bring in some much needed income while they also somehow become amateur detectives. As she did in her two previous books, Ms. Churchill presents first one murder victim and then another as Lily and Robert become entangled in solving the murder And not content to have only one main plot at work, Churchill fully explores the plight of the average person as they deal with the Depression. A most interesting part of the book is when the author describes the workers march on Washington, DC for wages as well as their living conditions in tent cities erected around this area.

While I enjoyed the mystery angle of this book, which is enough to satisfy most mystery readers, it is the description of the area around the Hudson and the characters that really interest me in these books. Now once again I am waiting for the next title in this series to find out what everyone is doing and how life has been treating all of them.

Average customer rating:

God's grace even in predestination

Grace: Gods Unmerited Favor
C. H. Spurgeon
Manufacturer: Whitaker House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0883689561

Customer Reviews:

God's grace even in predestination.......2005-07-04

I really enjoyed this collection of Spurgeon's writings. For those who think calvinism is man being "forced" into God's grace or man as a puppet really needs to read this. Salvation is God's work....start to finish. God's love, grace, and mercy are talked about here. Eternal security of the believer is so plainly explained that you would wonder why you could ever have believed otherwise. Highly recommended.

The Phoenix Approach: A Contrarian Investor's Guide to Profiting from Out-Of-Favor, Distressed, and Bankrupt Companies

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The Phoenix Approach: A Contrarian Investor's Guide to Profiting from Out-Of-Favor, Distressed, and Bankrupt Companies
William J. Grace
Manufacturer: Bantam Dell Pub Group (Trd)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 055305046X

Average customer rating:

A sensitive reflective novel that rewards the careful reade

Grace and Favor
Thomas Caplan
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312194595

Book Description

Thomas Caplan's luminous spell-casting novel tells a tale of bi-national loyalties, family secrets, banking scandals, and murder set in the surprisingly still-enchanted world of England's landed gentry.

Customer Reviews:

A sensitive reflective novel that rewards the careful reade.......1997-12-17

Grace and Favor is an intriguing novel and well worth the read. Mr Caplan captures well the sense of anxiety that besets those of us who attempt to wend our way through the thicket of English society. It is, as Mr Caplan's character John Brook might have admitted, something of an emotional roller-coaster as one is alternately assured of one's place and then reminded that one is at best a tolerated temporary visitor. The popular usage of `grace and favour' refers to large country estates, the use of which is granted to high government officials during their time in office. Chequers, for example, is the `grace and favour' estate of the Prime Minister; and a snap election could displace the occupant from a `grace and favour' estate less than four weeks after the dissolution of parliament. The title seems meant to evoke the sense in which John Brook feels he is only present at Castlemorland by the grace and favour of his wife and her family. The book is a sensitive and reflective exploration of Brook's search for a sense of belonging more permanent than a 'grace and favour' situation can allow.

Anything Goes (Grace and Favor Mystery Series #1)

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Anything Goes (Grace and Favor Mystery Series #1)
Jill Churchill
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JKJVK6

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