Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments: Rose Gardner Mystery #7

Honestly, I'm pretty torn about this book. I'm a huge fan of the series and DGS is a wonderful storyteller. That being said, I have some issues with the story itself in this installment as well as what felt like a cheap shot "non ending" at the close. I don't want to include too much information (spoilers) but I'll say this. I loved the Rose books because they were a fun and slightly edgy/quirky cozy mystery series. Then things got a bit dark, but I felt like they made sense in the world of Rose. THEN things got REALLY dark with some further revelations about J.R. Simmons that made my skin crawl and changed the whole tone of the world (the last novella). I was a little put off but I trusted DGS to have her reasons. With this latest book, though, I sort of feel like that trust is gone. BIG dark confusing things happen, there are useless story threads that go nowhere, and the non-ending made me viscerally angry. This was the first time I've ever read a DGS book and thought to myself "ugh, what a cheap shot to make me buy the next one." I have pre-ordered every Rose book since I've been reading the series but this blatant hostage-taking of me as a reader makes me not want to do that for the next one. You should treat your readers well and trust them to want the next book because of your great writing, not a cheap shot cliffhanger. I also have to be honest and say that the tone might be getting away from what makes Rose so endearing. There is a quirky charm that I associate with her--a sweetness that helps temper things when they get too heavy. I worry that DGS is losing that quality and I sincerely hope she regains it in her next book. THERE ARE OTHER AUTHORS THAT I READ FOR HEAVY SUSPENSE who frankly do it much better. Nobody, though, does a quirky and fun cozy mystery better than DGS. PLEASE go back to that.

The book was mostly filler with a HUGELY dissatisfying ending. The other books can stand alone and while they have a little teaser at the end, this book just feels like an unfinished advertisement to lure you in to buy the next installment. I've invested a lot of time into these books, but I'm so disappointed right now i might just give it up.

I knew all along these were lightweight books--but at least they were entertaining. This one fails to entertain and feels like a cheap shot. Poor plot development, no resolution...bait and switch. For those saying "series always end like this" um, no, they don't. The other Rose books may have left room for another story but the story at hand was, at least, concluded. I won't buy another one...dissatisfying.

Although I love the series, I am becoming annoyed with the " cliff hanger" endings. Make me want to read the next book because you are a great author and story teller, not because you leave me in the middle of a story and force me to buy the next book if I want the rest of the story. This book felt as though it was rushed to be published. Who did the proof reading?

The ending of this book made me angry!! All of the other books in the series at least gave some sense of closure to them. I can't believe Joe is evil once again. To me, there was absolutely no closure. As one person said in his review, "This book just STOPPED. It did not END." I agree! I do not want to read the next book if it ends anything like this one did.

Great character development and writing - only complaint is the ending. Abrupt 'cliffhanger' style is probably intended to get us to come back for more, but it just feels unfinished and frustrating. I'm already a fan and I'll keep buying books - no need to use that tactic to get me to buy more.

As usual great addition to the series

I can not get enough Rose. Yet another great addition to the series. Swank does a great job providing you with just enough information to keep you guessing. the story picks up towards the end with lots of twists and reveals a slew of truths that will make your mouth drop. The ending literally has me on the edge of my seat trying to piece together what happened.

I have loved the Rose Gardner Mystery series before this, and there have always been twists and turns and scenes with lots of action, but there has never been anything like this before! You can see things are starting to get set in motion and it’s hard to trust anyone else in the series because you just don’t know who is on what side and what they are thinking or planning. Things are heating up and I don’t think they will settle down anytime soon! You are not going to want to miss this book, and I guarantee you’ll never see the ending coming!!

This is book 7 in the Rose Gardener series. In this book, Rose starts to do her own investigation on her birth mother's death. But is that really safe to do with how crooked Fenton county is? Not to mention J.R Simmons. But that doesn't stop her! As always, she is a woman on a mission.

This book is just as amazing as all the others in the series. It ends with an insane cliff hanger! This series has been entertaining, crazy, and suspenseful...but this book just amped it up even more!