Publisher: Clear Creek Publishing
Publication Date: August 11, 2015
Number of Pages: 318
Named Best Mystery Series 2018 Texas Association of Authors
Madison Reynolds is rebuilding her life, one obstacle at a time.
But the building blocks aren’t standard issue: widowed at thirty-nine…betrayed by her late husband…mother of teenaged twins…finances in shambles…living with her eighty-year-old grandmother…still attracted to her teenage crush Brash deCordova, who just happens to be the Chief of Police in The Sisters…embroiled in yet another murder mystery… How will she ever get all the blocks assembled and stacked one upon another, in order to build a future for herself and her children?
Madison’s newest client at In a Pinch Temp Service is a suspicious wife, up against a formidable foe—the lovely Caress Ellingsworth, former soap opera queen. When the star is murdered and Madison is eyewitness to the deed, she wonders if the shadowed person she saw commit the crime might really be her client. Now Madison is torn between uncovering the truth and keeping her customer’s name off the suspect list.
Caress is not the only star in town these days. With a little help from Granny Bert and Madison’s best friend Genesis, the popular television show Home Again arrives, with some crazy notion about remodeling the Big House for Maddy and her twins. The problem is, Madison can’t afford to buy the house, much less pay to have it renovated. No matter how tempting the offer—or how tempting the show’s star, Nick Vilardi—Madison sees it as just another block that will not fit.
Even if she manages to stack the blocks in a semblance of order, even if she climbs her way up and reaches for the sky, what happens when the stars fall?
Book Two of The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series. Homegrown characters, mystery and romance.
Clueless Gent’s Rating
Becki Willis did it again in When the Stars Fall. She wrote a story so enjoyable that I have a strong desire to continue reading this series. This is second book in The Sisters Texas Series.
Even though I read the preceding story, I was critical to note any instances where a reader might be confused if the first book wasn’t read. I came up empty. Thus, you don’t need to read the first book to enjoy this one. (But you’ll likely enjoy it even more if you do!)
The cast of characters is mostly the same, and the setting is exactly the same. However, why mess with perfection? These characters in this particular setting mesh into a fun read!
The “Formula” of When the Stars Fall
I’m thinking that Willis is using something similar to a template with the book in this series, but she does it in a way that makes each story original and enjoyable. (That statement may be a bit presumptuous, this being only the second book of the series, but I’m sticking with it.)
The author uses a very endearing character to tell her stories: Madison Reynolds. Maddy, as they call her, is put into another situation where she must use her amateur sleuthing skills. I think the way Willis gets Maddy into this situation is pretty clever. She presents Maddy with a new client for her temp business who begs her to follow her husband. Maddy is reluctant to accept, but when the woman turns on the water-works and offers a sizable amount of money for the work, Maddy has to accept. She still has two teenage twins to support, after all.
Into this mix, Willis throws in a retired Hollywood starlet and her best friend, a cantankerous local business owner. With each new character and each new stumbling block, Willis fans the flames of the building conflict. This story, however, seems to have more edge-of-your-seat moments than its predecessor.
Technically Speaking
As with Becki’s other books, this story is well edited. The few SPAG errors I noted did absolutely nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the story!
I think the pacing in this book was even better than the first book. As I neared the climax, I could not stop reading! I don’t have anything really critical to say about this story. It’s just good!
Will I continue this series? What do you think?
Becki Willis, best known for her popular The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series and Forgotten Boxes, always dreamed of being an author. In November of ’13, that dream became a reality.
Since that time, she has published numerous books, won first place honors for Best Mystery Series, Best Suspense Fiction, Best Women’s Detective Fiction, and Best Audio Book, won the 2018 RONE Award for Paranormal Fiction, and has introduced her imaginary friends to readers around the world.
An avid history buff, Becki likes to poke around in old places and learn about the past. Other addictions include reading, writing, junking, unraveling a good mystery, and coffee. She loves to travel but believes coming home to her family and her Texas ranch is the best part of any trip. Becki is a member of the Association of Texas Authors, Writer’s League of Texas, Sisters in Crime, the National Association of Professional Women, and the Brazos Writers organization. She attended Texas A&M University and majored in Journalism.
Connect with Becki below. She loves to hear from readers and encourages feedback!
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6/20/19
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Chicken Scratch, #1
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6/20/19
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When the Stars Fall, #2
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Stipulations & Complications, #3
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Home Again: Starting Over, #4
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One thought on “When the Stars Fall”
I have found several series over the years that are totally formulaic and I adore them for that. I don’t think it has to be a bad thing — it’s a comfort place!