Member Reviews
***NetGalley Review***
Aurora Teagarden has finally become a mother. She and Robin are the proud parents of a beautiful daughter named Sophie. After a couple months they are finally getting their life into a routine.
Robin has been nominated for an award for one of his books and he is going to the ceremony to see if he's won. Aurora stays home to be with their newborn. On the morning that he's set to leave Aurora wakes up feeling sick. She makes Robin go anyway but he calls in a woman that had helped them with Sophie when she was first born. It turns out Aurora has the flu. Virgina is doing a good job at first. With the help of Aurora's brother, Phillip they got her covered. Then one night Aurora wakes up to hear Sophie crying and Virgina is missing. When she goes to look outside for her she instead finds another woman dead in her backyard.
Aurora has another murder mystery to solve. But she has the flu and a newborn. Can she do it? You know she can. With a little help from Robin and Phillip.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery. I guess I like Whodunits on the lighter side most of the time. This is well written and the characters are interesting. I think since Charlaine Harris has come back to this series to continue it that she's done a great job. Although I do feel like it might be harder for Aurora to solve mysteries with a baby in tow. But we will see.
“Sleep Like a Baby” by Charlaine Harris is number ten in the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series. Now, let me say that regular readers will love this book. It is written as a first person narrative by Aurora Roe Teagarden, wife of award-winning mystery novelist Robin Crusoe, and mother to newborn baby Sophie Abigail Crusoe. She shares her thoughts and fears about everyone and everything.
I have not read any of the previous books, and I would recommend that new readers NOT start with this book. Read one or even several of the previous books first. The whole plot revolves around characters from previous books. At least the author did not spend pages and pages rehashing or summarizing the past, but as a new reader, I had a hard time figuring out who these people were and why they were important. It was almost like attending the reunion of a high school I did not attend. There were just too many ex-husbands, dead husbands, ex-friends, dead friends, ex-stalkers, and dead stalkers.
The problem for me was that I did not know Roe, and without any other background, she came across spoiled, self-centered, self-absorbed, and ineffectual. I could understand why someone would want to kill her; I wanted to kill her. She is suffering from mild post-partum depression, and her constant complaining about the baby was giving me depression.
But enough said. I know that regular readers are outraged now, but remember, this is my view from the outside looking in. You insiders will love the baby, be glad that Robin won an award, and wonder about the dead body in the back yard. For anyone who has not read all about Aurora Teagarden, start with another book, and then come back to this one.
I received a copy of “Sleep Like a Baby” from Minotaur Books, Charlaine Harris, and NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review.
Aurora Teagarden is back and in this installment in the series, she has just had a new baby, Sophie. At the same time as Robin is going out of town to a mystery conference, Aurora develops the flu. An assistant, Virginia, is called in to help Aurora take care of Sophie during the nights. One night a very sick Aurora is awakened by Sophie's cries. This prompts her to investigate Virginia's location. She does not find Virginia but does find the body of Robin's stalker dead in her back yard.
This book was well written. I did not determine the guilty party until almost the end and there was a real twist on who the guilty party was. I enjoy this series and look forward to seeing where Harris takes Aurora next.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this mystery.
Roe Teagarden has a new baby and the flu. Her husband Robin is off to Bouchercon where he is nominated for an award so she is left to care for little Sophia. As her strength saps, Roe finds a nurse her mother had hired in the past to help out. Things are going smoothly until one night Roe awakens to hear her baby crying and no one attending her. Roe searches the house, but does not find Virginia. What she does find is a female corpse in her back yard and it is not Virginia. The plot veers this way and that way without really settling on a clear direction.
Quite a bit of time has passed since I last read an Aurora Teagarden mystery. I am happy to see Harris return to this character.
The book was a little awkward at the beginning. I think I was looking for a connection and it just wasn't there. Some of the backstory got confused in my mind with her Lily Bard mysteries. But then the mystery started to get involved and I was hooked.
This story is a solid mystery and I don't think anyone will easily figure out "whodunnit". The interactions are written so that there is reasonable suspicion on the motivation and actions of several characters.
Kudos to Harris for this superb return to the Aurora Teagarden mysteries.
This was an intense thriller that was a more like a fun beach read. Charlene Harris keeps the tension going throughout the book.
A few months ago I came down with the worst summer cold right before I had to travel across the country and give a huge presentation. I relegated myself to the guest bedroom for bed rest and remembered I had gotten an alert earlier in the day notifying me that my hold for the first book in the Aurora Teagarden series was finally available at the library. I immediately downloaded it to my kindle, hoping it would suck me in and distract me from blowing my nose every 30 seconds. IT DID! I spent the next three days reading books 1-9 in succession and devouring each and every word! Perfect cozy mystery! So when I heard that the 10th book was coming out shortly thereafter, I was stoked! If you like this series, you will not be disappointed in this latest installment - Roe is Roe is Roe. I love her so much! And it was fun to see her step into her new role as a mother. I won't divulge more but this one was great!
Sleep Like a Baby comes out later this month on September 26, 2017 and you can purchase HERE. I definitely recommend this series - it was so fun to read them all in sequence!
For just one moment, I was the only adult in the room. In my arms was the most important person in the world, Sophie Abigail Crusoe, two hours old. She's perfect, I thought, marveling. I'm the luckiest woman in the world. My daughter had just been presented to me as a swaddled bundle. I'd barely caught a glimpse of her as she emerged from her nine-months residence. Yielding to an irresistible urge, I unwrapped her just to make sure every part of her was present and in order.
Roe and Robin are getting used to being parents to their baby Sophie. Roe is breast feeding and her life revolves around feeding and caring for her new baby. When Robin, who is up for an Anthony award, goes to Bouchercon, Roe doesn't want to tell him that she is coming down with the flu. She calls in Virginia Mitchell who helped when she and Sophie were just home from the hospital. Virginia will be there at night while Robin is gone.
Roe gets sicker and sicker but between Virginia and Roe's younger brother Philip they are surviving and Roe can be positive when Robin calls to check in. But one night, Roe wakes up to hear Sophie crying through the baby monitor. When she makes her way to Sophie there is no Virginia. She wakes Philip and their search of the house doesn't find Virginia anywhere. When they check the backyard, they see a body but it is not Virginia.
When the woman in the yard is identified as Tracy Beal. She had stalked Robin and attempted to kill Roe. Both Robin and Roe thought that she was still in police custody. When a neighbor says he thought he saw Robin in the yard at the time of Tracy's death, he comes under police suspicion until he can prove he was at the convention.
Besides wondering what happened to Virginia and wondering who killed Tracy, Roe's stepfather has a heart attack and is in the ICU. Her mother won't leave him and Roe has to fit in hospital visits to support her mother. Between a gift flower arrangement with no card, a missing sweater, missing keys, a stolen diaper bag, and a break-in, there are all sorts of clues for Roe to decipher.
This was an entertaining cozy mystery and just perfect for fans of the Aurora Teagarden series.
I have to admit that I am not reading this series in order. Sometimes I read a book, sometimes I catch the Hallmark version so when I picked up “Sleep Like a Baby”, I was somewhat taken aback by where Aurora’s life is but at the same time, I was grateful that Charlaine Harris did a little bit of catching the reader up with what had been happening.
Just as Robin is getting ready to jump on a plane for his big night at the awards ceremony, Aurora comes down with a horrible case of the flu. With a new baby to care for, and a stepbrother that is helpful but has his own life, Aurora cannot be left alone. Robin decides to call Virginia, a local caregiver that can come in nights to help with both Aurora and two-month-old Sofie.
Turns out that there is a whole mess brewing when Aurora wakes to find her daughter crying and the caregiver nowhere in sight and a dead body in the backyard. Thankfully, it is not Virginia but a woman that had been stalking Robin. This case just got a whole lot stranger for the local Lawrenceton police department and now Robin is in panic mode since he was not there to protect his family.
With her head swimming in germs and a crying infant that needs nursing every two hours, Aurora does her best to find answers but at the same time, she needs to be there for her mother when adversity strikes Aida’s life.
This book did get a bit silly from time to time, for instance, Aurora’s sentimentality to a diaper bag because a dear friend gave it to her, made me shake my head at her. I know that this series is kinder and gentler than others out there are, but sometimes Aurora’s gosh-golly-gee outlook irritates me.
I'm not much of a cozy mystery fan, but I've enjoyed this series, mostly because Harris manages to inject some darkness into the smallish town life of Aurora Teagarden.
Aurora is still her old judgy self, but motherhood has softened her attitude towards some of the people in her life. Her experiences with first time motherhood ring true, and she accepts help where in the past should would have gone it alone. As Aurora has grown as a person, Harris's evolution as an author is evident in the last two Aurora books. Harris still includes the little details that make her books so fun, but still focuses on plot and character development. Although there wasn't one description of Roe's terrible outfits, which I missed.
Although I enjoyed the book, I found the plot convoluted. The disappearance of Virginia and the mysterious murder were to disparate to ever appear connected. The book would have been more interesting if there was only one central mystery.
'Sleep Like a Baby' is my first Aurora Teagarden Mystery and it is perfect. The characters are realistic, their dialogue is believable and the mystery is sharp and completely engaging. I'm going to go get the other books and learn all the backstories as to what brought Aurora to where she is today. I'm anxious for more to come.
New parents, Roe and Robin are about to face a mystery that is going to test their relationship.
Robin goes away on business, leaving Roe at home with their newborn infant. Roe become ill, needing to rely on a nanny’s help, when someone from their past ends up dead in their yard.
This installment in the Aurora Teagarden series shows the melding of Roe’s and Robin’s relationship as well as the strength of the bonds with their friends and family.
Sleep Like A Baby is what we’ve come to expect from Charlaine Harris’s mysteries. It was thought provoking and heartfelt. The characters would be your friends, providing a connection to the storyline, providing a mystery read of substance.
I received this ARC copy of Sleep Like a Baby from St. Martin's Press - Minotaur Books. This is my honest and voluntary review. Sleep Like a Baby is set for publication September 26, 2017.
My Rating: 4 stars
Written by: Charlaine Harris
Series: Aurora Teagarden Mysteries
Sequence in Series: Book 10
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 26, 2017
ISBN-10: 1250090067
ISBN-13: 978-1250090065
Genre: Women Sleuth, Mystery
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/slee...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sleep-Like-Bab...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/slee...
Reviewed for: http://tometender.blogspot.com
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I began reading this book a few hours ago. I've read the Aurora Teagarden series a few years ago so I was excited to see what was new.
This turned out to be a great story!
Roe is a new mom, her husband is off to Boucheron, and to make it worse, Roe is really sick.
Calling in a part time nanny sounds perfect, but when the nanny disappears and Roe finds a dead body in her back yard, she can't think things could possibly get worse.
How wrong she is! This book will keep you on the edge of you seat. I was captivated with the story and was a bit sad when it ended.
I really hope that will be another book in this series.
I voluntarily read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.
Roe and Robin, new parents to a beautiful baby girl are adorable. Their love for each other and their child is written so wonderfully. Roe, is sick and Robin will be out of town so he calls in the woman who helped care for Roe and the baby before. Roe is relieved she can sleep and know that all is taken care of while she recuperates. Well things just can't be that easy, nope. Roe wakes to her baby wailing, her care taker missing and there is a dead body in the backyard that is not the caretaker. Things get weird, strained and sometimes ugly from there.
I loved this edition to the series we really got to see their relationship at work and it's a good one. I love a good solid relationship. Phillip her 1/2 brother was a stand up guy who held more than his own. I am always happy after I finish a Charlaine Harris book. Now I wait for more.
This new installment of the Aurora Teagarden series is delightful. I very much enjoyed it, as the Roe is a new mother and so am I, making it a very special time to read this book. Someone is murdered and nothing adds up, but Roe, a sleep-deprived and ill (flu) new mother, eventually figures it out-and it is a very interesting set of circumstances. A fast and good read.
I received an advanced, uncorrected copy through Netgalley for my honest review.
To be honest, I haven't read much about Roe in years so I was a little concerned about taking this one on. I did so because I figured a lot of readers are going to stumble across this book because of the name Charlaine Harris and it would be good to have a review from someone who isn't caught up. I openly admit to being a fan of the author since before Sookie ever came into HBO's radar. However, I read more of the other series' than I did Aurora Teagarden. I had heard about Hallmark picking it up but I don't have cable and there's no app for it. So, what Would it be like to jump into book 10? Would I feel lost? Would there be a lot of background references that would remind me I'm jumping in at book 10? Should this be one of those "read in order" books or is it okay to just jump in wherever? That's the mindset with which I approached it.
I don't know why I was worried. The jump to fame hasn't impacted Charlaine Harris' writing at all. The characters are real and relatable, even with chaotic and horrible luck. Character development remains a priority even for characters that aren't pivotal to this particular plotline. They remain a part of Roe's life and you simply experience it with her.
In this particular story, we begin with Roe's water breaking and from there, it's that quick jump straight into life with a newborn as a fairly newlywed. You can feel the new-mom-sleep-deprivation mixing with the legitimate newlywed honeymoon period happiness that makes a new mom think she's got it covered only to get hit by the flu. The illness is taxing, the recovery is taxing, the worry for the baby is taxing, the gotta seem fine attitude so hubby doesn't worry is taxing, the nursing is taxing, and before you know it, you've taxed yourself right into bed and are yelling down the hallway to anyone who let's themselves in. You feel awful and you just don't care.
Roe has all this going on and then it gets some extra fun perks added into the Roe's Rewards Card. Awoken by a screaming baby, she finds that the babysitter rehired from her birth recovery to help while Robin is away is suddenly missing in the middle of her night shift. Knowing she isn't up for much, she gets her younger half brother (another recent addition) to help look for said babysitter. They don't find the babysitter but they do find a dead body in back and the babysitter's car still parked in front.
From there, it's a series of exhaustion fueled police investigations, diaper bag snatches, shootings, and high schoolers. Random visits from friends and acquaintances alike just seem to blend in for poor Roe as she juggles it all along with a new perspective of life brought on by the hormone highs and lows of being a new mom. As if she needed just a little more, her step dad has a health crisis too.
Despite everything going on, you never get confused or lose sight of the plot. The layers resolve themselves as we move through the book and carry through all the way to the end without ever feeling forced or hurried. Humorous and thrilling, I absolutely loved every bit of this story and can't wait to go back and re-acquaint myself with this series. This is a must read for mystery lovers who enjoy adult books that are clean reads or any mystery lover.
I've enjoyed this series up until now. This mystery lacked what the others had a formula or some sense of a formula. I didn't need to know about breast feeding and the baby hair color and the baby this and the baby that. Her friends not being friends and etc. on ever other page. The murder was an afterthought in this book which was really sad because it was great series, if this is the end if was an awful way too end it
I started Sleep Like A Baby with high expectations. I loved the Sookie Stackhouse books, so that set the bar high for a different series. Charlaine Harris did not disappoint!
I enjoyed every page of the novel. This was my first time reading an Aurora Teagarden story, and I never once felt lost, which is a pretty amazing feat, with this being book 10 in the series.
I fell right into Aurora's world and into the mystery. I love that I was kept guessing who the killer was right to the reveal. I love how human and relatable Aurora, Robin, Phillip, and all the other characters were.
I will be making it a point to put the previous Aurora Teagarden books to the top of my TBR list.
Entertaining mystery story- Aurora is a delightful, strong character and manages to untangle the plot's twists. My first Teagarden mystery- looking forward to reading the previous books and seeing Aurora grow into her current character!
Sleep Like a Baby is the tenth book in the Aurora Teagarden Mysteries series written by Charlaine Harris. The storyline is well thought out and the characters are well developed. This book doesn’t contain any gratuitous sex or violence, but there is a little mild adult language. While a lot of the focus in this installment is on the new parents and the baby, it’s still fast-paced and full of action.
Aurora and Robin live in Lawrenceton, Georgia along with their newborn daughter, Sophie, and Aurora’s teenaged half-brother, Phillip. Aurora is a librarian, but is currently leaning towards being a full time, stay at home mommy. Robin is a successful mystery author and has been nominated for the Anthony award and scheduled to attend Bouchercon, the world mystery conference. Roe is coming down with a bad case of the flu, but insists Robin attend the conference. He calls Virginia Mitchell, the woman Roe’s mom hired to help when they first brought Sophie home. Virginia is available to help Roe throughout the night and Phillip will help her as much as possible during the day while Robin is out of town. One night, Roe wakes up to hear Sophie crying through the baby monitor, Virginia missing, and a dead woman in her backyard. The dead woman turns out to be Tracy Beal, the woman who stalked Robin and attempted to kill Roe and recently escaped police custody. Roe’s life revolves around feeding and caring for her new baby so she’s not able do as much physical investigating as usual, but that doesn’t stop her mind from working non-stop to try to figure out who murdered Tracy. Roe finds herself worrying about Virginia, wondering who killed Tracy, and fitting in hospital visits to support her mother when her stepfather, John, has a heart attack and is in the ICU. Throw in several other odd occurrences and Roe can’t help but wonder if all the events are random or related to Tracy’s murder.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.