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Book reviews for "Page,_Katherine_Hall" sorted by average review score:
The Body in the Vestibule
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (1992)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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Disappointing
I find the characters of Faith and her husband Tom Fairchild to be very enjoyable. They are not what you would think of as the typical minister and his wife. However, I did not think this particular mystery was as good a work as the others in the series. I kept getting certain characters in the book confused and most of the "suspects" were forgetable. I also thought the plot was a bit vague or complicated.

If you haven't read any of the Faith Fairchild books I would say start with a different one than the Body in the Vestibule but if you are a die hard fan, than the book is probably worth reading just for the delight of spending some time with the Fairchilds.

An enjoyable read
I enjoyed this book, and didn't figure it out until the end. Unfortunately I don't speak French, so at places I felt a little lost. She didn't always translate what was said in French (maybe it was meant to be obvious, but I couldn't keep up) so I was left feeling like I missed something. But despite that, I still enjoyed seeing what kind of problems Faith could get herself in to, and thankfully out of as well. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Good Light Read
This is a good light read that I read on vacation in about a day and a half. If you want something rich and edifying, look elsewhere. But if you want a fun romp, this series is it. This is the fourth adventure and I just bought number 5. I thought the characters were very interesting, and the south of France an interesting change of scenery. Faith gets herself into more jams than anyone I've ever known, but it's half the fun it. Relax and enjoy!

The Body in the Cast
Published in Hardcover by St. Martin's Press (1993)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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"and all the world's a stage...."
The fine upstanding folk of Alesford, Massachusetts suddenly find themselves very busy. Their intense but usually very polite town politics turns nasty with the entry of one Alden Spaulding into the race. Concerned townsfolk convince Alden's half-sister to run in opposition and now it appears that dirty tricks will sully Aleford's most interesting spectator sport.

While these goings on might be enough for most people, not for Alesford. Directing legend, Max Reed has picked the village for a re-make of Nathanial Hawthorne's "The Scarlett Letter" as adapted by himself, and Faith Fairchild; minister's wife, mother of two, gourmet cook, and owner/operator of the catering service Have Faith finds herself feeding cast and crew. Intrigue, both internal and external, make life interesting until someone decides to toss in a bit of bad food... and then... poison.

Faith has to contend with a double dose of death, as first a member of the movie crew is poisoned from a cup she prepared, and then when she trips over Aleford's obnoxious candidate, face-down on the floor with bashed-in head. Certainly a string of bad luck -- two murders in one week, and Faith up close and personal with both!

Two deaths, two killers -- or one? Faith and the police have work to do. Political innuendos, missing suspects, freaked out movie stars, jealous former classmates, all swirl together to make it obvious that life and the silver screen are not so different as we might wish.

A movie set, black bean soup, and a local election
A movie-making crew arrives in Aleford and suddenly the little town is caught up in show business. Added to this, a hotly-contested 3-way local election is being held. Faith Fairchild is asked to cater for the movie crew and to work on one of the candidate's campaigns. This puts her right in the middle of a murder of one of the actresses and one of the candidates. Her long-suffering minister husband urges her to let the police solve the murders, but as usual Faith decides to help the lawmen along with her own investigation. This is pretty standard stuff for this series and makes for entertaining reading.

The Body in the Bookcase
Published in Hardcover by William Morrow (1998)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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Annoying and unrealistic
In the latest Faith Fairchild adventure, her home is robbed along with several others in the area, including one where an old woman died. Faith spends the entire story obsessing over her lost treasures and trying to get them back. Her job and family take a back seat. While having a home robbed is not pleasant, at least no one was hurt. I felt like telling her to get over it already. This book lacks the cozy feeling the others in the series have, and the ending is not satisfying because no motive is presented. This was a disappointment.

A mixed bag
This book has a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. One of the plusses is that it features Faith Fairchild instead of her less interesting neighbor, Pix Miller. However, Pix is totally banished except for one or two brief appearances and this does not seem like a good thing to do to Faith's favorite sidekick. Another plus is the interesting mix of characters, especially Stephanie Bullock, the spoiled young girl whose mother has hired Faith to cater her rehearsal dinner and wedding reception. However, Faith does seem to obsess over the items which are stolen from her house and they seem to hold a more important place in her affections than do her own children who breeze in and out of her life and into the arms of their father, their babysitters and nursery schools. Most young mothers are way too busy with their offspring to spend hours skulking about the countryside investigating murders and robberies. Also the ending is not well conceived and seems too trite. Not the best of the series, but not a bad read for "cozy" fans.

One of the best female amateur sleuth novels of the year

Being married to a minister in a small Massachusetts town means visiting members of the congregation. Transplanted New Yorker Faith Fairchild understands that all too well as she puts her catering business on hold until she completes her current obligation.

However, the nuisance of the trips take a back seat when Faith arrives at the home of the elderly librarian, Sarah Winslow. Apparently, someone broke in to Sarah's home, killed her, and stole selected items. When Faith becomes a victim of a break-in, she decides to investigate by making the rounds of the pawn shops and antique stores in search of stolen valuables. Everyone, including loyal friends and workers, are suspect as a paranoid Faith continues her inquiries even though she may be placing her own life on the line.

The ninth Fairchild amateur sleuth tale is one of the best entries in a wonderful series. The plot is crisp and the who-done-it is well designed. However, what makes THE BODY IN THE BOOKCASE a superb book is that the story line rings so true because of the reactions of the townsfolk, especially Faith feeling violated, to the robberies. Using her own experience, Katherine Hall has scribed one of the sub-genre's best novels of the year.

Harriet Klausner

The Body in the Moonlight : A Faith Fairchild Mystery
Published in Mass Market Paperback by Avon (05 February, 2002)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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Extremely dissapointing
This is the first Faith Fairchild mystery I picked up. It will probably be the last. While the premise seemed interesting, the book is overdrawn and one of the subplots is highly unecessary. There is absolutely no suspense whatsoever. The author seemed as distracted writing the plot as Faith is in the book. Also, To agree with a previous reviewer, the solution is absolutely ludicrous. It seems as if the author was writing this just to fulfill her contract with the publisher.

UNFAIR!!!
I usually like this author and have read almost all of her books; however, after reading this book I definitely felt cheated. The book is well written, and the characters were pleasing, although I thought Faith was not being true to her character as presented in earlier books in the series. Agatha Christie used to say that a mystery writer must play fair with his or her readers. All of the evidence and the clues must be laid out for the reader to try to solve the mystery before the author resolves it. To do otherwise is to cheat the reader who has invested time in reading the book. No reader had a chance to solve this mystery unless by sheer guessing. Once the murderer is revealed, the reader realizes that it really could have been anyone, and all the clues have meant nothing. I was very disappointed, so I will think twice about getting any of her new books.

Another Fine Outing in a Splendid Cozy Series
Murder comes to Aleford again, this time at a Have Faith catered dinner. Faith Fairchild must solve the puzzling murder as well as the mystery surrounding husband Tom's involvement with the deceased woman. With both her catering business and her marriage in question, Faith doggedly pursues an investigation that climaxs with her life in jeopardy. Another fine installment in this long-running mystery series.

The Body in the Fjord
Published in Hardcover by William Morrow (1997)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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Not the best of this series
Let's face it--Faith Fairchild is a much more interesting heroine than her friend Pix Miller. In this installment of "The Body....." books, Pix accompanies her mother on a trip to Norway. She has been summoned by her childhood friend, Marit Hansen whose daughter has disappeared after the death of her fiance. The theory is that since the two young people were tour guides, the group of women can join the tour and discover the culprits to the apparent murder/kidnapping. The best part of the book is the background of Norway with frequent references to the geography, climate, customs, and food of the country. Somehow this book doesn't come across as well as others of the series and it's hard to care about characters who are never fully developed.

This book met all my expectations and more.
I was browing in the bookstore for a mystery novel. This book caught my eye with its bright yellow cover, interesting plot, and the fact it took place in Norway - that really whetted my appetite. My great-grandparents emigrated from Norway and settled in Newburyport, MA. I was amazed at all the history and cultural aspects of the Norwegians incorporated into this story. What a superb job! I had never read this author before but now all her books are on my "must get" list (along with my "must get to Norway list."

Mystery and Travelog combined
Warning -- this could be an expensive book -- you may find yourself longing to tour Norway yourself! All the standard elements of the genre are present, leavened with Norwegian humor (What does Sweden have that Norway doesn't? Good neighbors.), recipes (lutefisk is fish steeped in lye, so I'll aim for the ginger cookies), and such original similes as "Her voice was as bitter as an unripe lingonberry". Highly recommended.

Christie & Company Down East
Published in Library Binding by Bt Bound (1999)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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Christie & Company in the Year of the Dragon
Published in Hardcover by Avon Books (Trd) (1997)
Author: Katherine Hall Page
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The Story of My Face
Published in Hardcover by Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd (2003)
Authors: Kathy Page and Katherine Hall Page
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