Bundle of Trouble by Diana Orgain
Kate Connelly just had a baby girl. All she wants to do enjoy her maternity leave with her little girl and sort out what it means to be a mom. Unfortunately, shortly before Kate delivers baby Laurie, she and her husband get a call from the medical examiners office, asking about her brother-in-law, George. A body has been discovered in the bay. Although it turns out not to be George, it does seem that he’s involved in whatever is going on. When the P.I. investigating the case is unable to continue his investigation, Kate decides to take over. After all, this IS her brother-in-law. Plus, maybe, if she starts a P.I. business, she won’t have to go back to work.
Okay, first let me set out a couple things that bothered me:
- Kate had like, one contraction, then her water broke and she was rushing to the hospital. Classic TV-labor syndrome. Come on, when does labor happen like that? Especially the first time.
- Kate kept leaving Laurie with her mother as a babysitter and going out for a couple of hours, always getting back in time for the next feeding. I know they had some formula as a backup, but it didn’t seem it was ever used while her mom was babysitting. My baby sure didn’t (and still doesn’t) eat like clockwork. Yes, it is about every 3 hours on average, but sometimes he eats and wants to eat again in 40 minutes!
- Kate’s to-do lists. They were waaaaay too cutesy for my taste.
However, this is a cozy mystery, not gritty realistic fiction. The point is to get the dazed feel of being a new mom, and that did get across. This was a light, fun book. Come on, how many books are written about new moms with their new babies? If you want to recollect the feelings from those first, crazy days or you have a new baby and want someone to commiserate with, this is good brain candy, a great ‘diaper bag book’. It isn’t “War and Peace,” but you will be entertained. And, really, who could read “War and Peace” with a new baby in the house?
This is the first book in the “Maternal Mysteries” series.
Buy this book from:
Powells.
A local independent bookstore via Indiebound.
Amazon.
Thank you to Diana for having this book sent to me.
I’ve read a few cozy mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse, knitting mysteries and a coffeehouse mystery series), but I can never get past book 3. They are really formulaic and well, cutsey is a good way to describe it.
One thing about cozy mysteries is that there is at least one series for every taste and personality (Crossword cozies even come with a special crossword puzzle at the end of the book!).
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Since I’m an old mom, I’d probably overlook the little details. This sounds like a fun book!
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Great review. I thought it was a cute, light read!
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I also thought it was a light, fun read. I enjoyed the lists, but agree with your other points
.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Review and Giveaway: The Gift of an Ordinary Day by Katrina Kenison =-.
Yah, I can definitely see people liking the lists, they were sort of funny, but just too cutesy for my taste.
The feedings always bother me in books like those, along with the lists–what new mother is so much in control? The labor, though–I’m here to tell you that there are quick first births. I almost didn’t make it five minutes away to the local hospital before my first baby was born because I waited until the contractions were five minutes apart. So I’ll take your recommendation that this can remind me of those first heady days of motherhood, and try not to dwell on the details.
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Mine was pretty quick too in active labor, but we actually had to wait to go to the hospital, as it sounds like you did. In the book she has one thing she thinks might be a contraction then her water breaks and they rush off. Sure, it could happen, but how often does it?
Good points! I like the line “Classic TV-labor syndrome.”
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I read just one other review and she was gushing about this one! I cannot remember where I read. I like the sound of this.
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I love a cozy mystery, but sometimes they do stray to the cutesy. I’m not sure this series is for me. I love your description of the labor!
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