The Body in the Boudoir - A Book Review

That's my Juliana Mod Wrap under the book!

The Body in the Boudoir by Katherine Hall Page
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: William Morrow (May 1, 2012)

In the twentieth installment of the Faith Fairchild Mystery series we find out how the heroine met and married her husband, Tom Fairchild. It’s 1990 and Faith Sibley is the owner of an up and coming catering company, Have Faith,  in New York City. The daughter (and grand-daughter) of a preacher, she has sworn to leave parish life behind for good.  While catering a wedding, Faith unexpectedly meets Tom (the Reverend!) and it’s love at first sight for both of them.

A whirl wind romance leads to wedding plans for the happy couple. However it’s not all flowers and gift registries. As the planning progresses, the mysteries unfold. Faith’s new employee Francesca has a secret. Her sister Hope is experiencing strange phone calls and trouble with clients at her high powered job on Wall Street. When Faith visits her Uncle’s Long Island estate where the wedding will take place a pile of falling bricks narrowly misses her.  And then there is the body in the boudoir.

All of these pieces should work together to tell a love story speckled with mystery and intrigue. But for me it never comes together.  I enjoyed learning about Faith, Tom and their families. They’re funny and quirky and I remember them from other books. Faith is spunky and smart and I can see how the 1990’s version has grown into the character who I like traveling and solving mysteries with. And I could feel the chemistry between Faith and Tom that is evident in the other books in the series that I’ve read. The love story worked for me. The mystery did not. There are sub plots (Francesca and Hope) that have little relevance to the rest of the story, and I don’t think they add anything entertaining or important. If I’m honest, it feels like the body in the boudoir was only included because we expect Faith to solve a murder.

Overall I’m disappointed with this offering. I haven’t read all of the other 19 in the series, but the few that I have were woven together in a more interesting fashion that formed a more entertaining story. If you’re a fan I say to go ahead and give it a read for the love story and family history.  If you’re new to Faith Fairchild Mysteries, I recommend choosing another title. The Body in the Ivy and The Body in the Gazebo are two that hit the mark.

Join me next time when I review Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins – The second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy.

Until next time friends,
Be blessed and stitch & read with love!

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