Synopses & Reviews
In this heartfelt and poignant follow-up to Earlene Fowler’s national bestseller, The Saddlemaker’s Wife, Ruby McGavin returns to the small town of Cardinal, California, where a year ago she brought her husband’s ashes back to his family’s ranch, and discovered safety, peace, and a love... Ruby never thought she’d return to Cardinal, but she’s hoping the place and people who gave her so much can give her brother Nash—who’s been drowning in drink in Nashville—the fresh start he so desperately needs. Saddlemaker Lucas McGavin is thrilled that Ruby has come back. He hasn’t given up on his love for her, despite the awkward fact that she is his brother’s widow, and he’s well aware that this may be his last chance to win Ruby’s heart.
When Nash starts drinking again and ends up in a devastating accident, Ruby decides she must find her estranged mother to help with an intervention. Two states away, Etta Walker harbors a horrible secret that keeps her from reconnecting with the children she deserted so many years ago. As they struggle with the present and confront the past, Ruby, Lucas, and Etta learn the power of forgiveness…and reach for a new future filled with hope, grace, and love.
Review
“Benni’s warmhearted openness and her deep faith make her an engaging companion, indeed.”
Review
“No wonder Benni Harper fans are so faithful."
Review
Praise for Earlene Fowler’s National Bestseller, The Saddlemaker’s Wife “[A] sweetly told narrative… [Fowler’s] well-observed cowboys and cattle farmers have colorful quirks and stiff backbones.”—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review “A heartfelt story steeped in the beauty and mystery of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains.”—Lisa Wingate, author of Blue Moon Bay “[A] poignant tale of a family fractured by the secrets of the past…Fowler, with her gift for drawing painfully real and credible characters, takes the reader along on an emotionally powerful ride.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“This is a nice story that catches us up with characters from Fowlers previous book,
The Saddlemakers Wife. It is easy to get attached to all of these characters, especially Ruby, who has been through so much but still fights to make sure she has happiness in her life…The conclusion is satisfying and you will welcome a chance to be a part of this small town and its eccentricities once again.”—
RT Book Reviews
“A perfect follow-up to the earlier story…Fowler excels at creating realistic characters with all their flaws and fights and secret histories…[A] thoughtful, emotional story…And its a powerful story of redemption, the ability of people to change…Anyone who read The Saddlemakes Wife will welcome the lives that lead to The Road to Cardinal Valley.”—Lesas Book Critiques
“An appealing panorama of ordinary people trying to live up to their best potential.”—Publishers Weekly
“An enjoyable story about letting go, forgiveness, and second chances.”—The Season
Synopsis
Ruby McGavin has inherited part of a cattle ranch from her late husband, only to discover that his family is very much alive, in contrast to what he told her. Even as she is drawn to handsome saddlemaker Lucas McGavin, she learns more about her late husband's family-and wonders if she ever really knew him.
Piecing together the truth, Ruby uncovers a legacy of pain and denial that has pursued the McGavin family for too long.
Synopsis
Benni Harper is back in an unforgettable new mystery from national bestselling author Earlene Fowler. The Memory Festival is a celebration of recollections and loved ones through crafts. But when a local cop is wounded by a mysterious sharpshooter who seems to have a vendetta against the police, Benni fears for her loved ones, especially her police chief husband. Benni is determined to make her hometown safe-before their peaceful street fair becomes a day to remember in the worst way.
Synopsis
"Each Benni Harper mystery is better than the previous" (Midwest Book Review) Folk art museum curator, rancher, and sometime sleuth Benni Harper returns with a long-awaited new mystery that has her attending the San Celina Mid-State Fair-a place for caramel apples and 4-H calves, colorful quilts and homemade jams, and maybe just a little murder...
Synopsis
National bestselling author of the Benni Harper mysteries Widow Love Mercy Johnson still listens for her husband's comforting laugh, but with her friend's help, she's trying to move on. Then her 18-year-old estranged granddaughter shows up, forcing them both to confront old resentments. And when disaster strikes, they must discover if they can change their lives-and the lives of those they love-for the better.
Synopsis
For Benni, the annual State Fair is a much anticipated break in her routine of overseeing museum exhibits, temperamental artists, and stubborn cattle. This year they are showing traditional African- American quilts. But when one is stolen and it leads to a cold-blooded murder, Benni realizes there is more to this fair, and she'll have to see who is really a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Synopsis
Folk art museum curator, rancher and sometime sleuth Benni Harper is back in an unforgettable new mystery, organizing a Memory Festival. But a sniper threatens to make it a day to remember in the worst way…Benni and the ladies of her Coffin Star Quilt Guild are excited to display their Graveyard Quilt at the first ever San Celina, California, Memory Festival. The fair promises to be a moving event celebrating memories through quilts, crafts, scrapbooks, photographs, written word, oral histories, and tributes to loved ones.
But when a local cop is wounded by a mysterious sharp shooter with a vendetta against the police, Benni fears for her loved ones—especially her police chief husband, Gabe. Soon Benni is drawn into the search for the sniper, determined to make her hometown safe again…before their peaceful street fair becomes a shooter’s deadly target range.
About the Author
Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California, by a Southern mother and a Western father. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Allen, a large number of quilts, and twenty pairs of cowboy boots.