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Harrowing Hats (2011)

by Joyce Lavene(Favorite Author)

4 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0425242773 (ISBN13: 9780425242773)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley

series

A Renaissance Faire Mystery

review 1: I liked this book well enough and I will try another of the series, but I like the authors' other series better, especially The Missing Pieces Mystery series. I'm not sure if it's the setting of an entire Renaissance village or the cutesy names of each shop and eatery that irritated me. Or it might have been the insecurity of the main character, Jessie, with her boyfriend, the Village Bailiff, Chase Manhattan...(really)....apparently every woman just waits for Jessie to no longer hold interest for Chase and he will move on to one of the comely lasses in the village. She wavers between being just fine with the relationship and following him everywhere he goes. The mystery was okay, enough to keep me reading to see if I was right on the whodunit (I wasn't). I think I will lo... morecate the first in the series, WICKED WEAVES, and see if this helps my enjoyment.
review 2: "Harrowing Hats" is a cozy mystery set in a permanent Renaissance Faire attraction. The vivid setting details take you into daily life as a worker/actor at a Renaissance Faire. The varied, memorable characters were engaging. Jessie and her boyfriend dealt with realistic relationship uncertainties and problems, especially considering the general bed-hopping behavior of the other characters and in their own past.Suspense was created by physical danger to Jessie and by wondering how her relationship troubles with her boyfriend (the Bailiff) were going to work out. One of the mysteries could be solved through clues before the "reveal." Jessie solved the main mystery as quickly as the clues were uncovered, and it was a well-developed mystery.My only problem was with the "prank" done near the end. I've been to several Renaissance Faires and had friends who worked at them. I've never seen a sharpened sword allowed on a worker/demonstrator. It's not something I think could have gone unnoticed in those circumstances, either. It makes for a great scene, but it's not realistic. Not to mention that knowledge of how to use a sword doesn't make a heavy sword any lighter for a woman to use.There was a minor amount of explicit bad language. (Unmarried) sex was implied and was mentioned in a "she's sleeping with him" fashion, but there were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, engaging mystery.I received this book as a review copy from the publisher. less

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