A Real Basket Case

Last updated
A Real Basket Case
A Real Basket Case cover.jpg
AuthorBeth Groundwater
LanguageEnglish
Genre Mystery
Publisher Five Star Publishing
Publication date
March 21, 2007

A Real Basket Case is a mystery novel written by Beth Groundwater. The book, published by Five Star Publishing, was initially released on March 21, 2007. [1] It was later re-published in large print in January 2008. [2] The novel follows the story of protagonist Claire Hanover who sets out to discover the identity of her husband's killer.

Contents

It was nominated for the Best First Novel Agatha Award in 2007. [3] The sequel, To Hell in a Handbasket was scheduled to be published in 2009.[ needs update ] [4]

Awards and recognition

Beth Groundwater won the Princess of Rejection Prize from the Sisters in Crime Guppies Chapter for receiving the second most rejections for her writings by the winter of 2005. [5] However, in 2007, A Real Basket Case was nominated for the Best First Novel Agatha Award. [3] [4]

Reception

The novel received favorable reviews in several major newspapers. Barbara Bibel from Booklist review commented that, "This will appeal to Desperate Housewives fans and those who like cozies with a bit of spice." [6] Kirkus Reviews called A Real Basket Case "A tense, exciting debut." [1]

Author J.B. Thompson praised the novel, saying "Groundwater’s well-crafted characters comprise a nicely balanced cast, and she does a good job incorporating a blend of humor and relationship drama into a deftly twisted plot with the kind of surprise ending guaranteed to satisfy. Quick-paced and well written with clear and comfortable prose, A Real Basket Case is a perfect afternoon read for cozy fans," though he also criticized the main character Claire as fallible. [7]

Sequels

Following the acclaim received for her first novel, Groundwater went on to write two sequel murder mysteries following the same protagonist Clare Hanover. To Hell In a Handbasket was published in 2012, and A Basket of Trouble was published in 2013. Both published by Midnight Ink, a subsidiary of First Printing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agatha Christie</span> English mystery and detective writer (1890–1976)

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime"—a moniker which is now trademarked by her estate—or the "Queen of Mystery". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime fiction</span> Genre of fiction focusing on crime

Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, often a murder. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as historical fiction or science fiction, but the boundaries are indistinct. Crime fiction has several subgenres, including detective fiction, courtroom drama, hard-boiled fiction, and legal thrillers. Most crime drama focuses on crime investigation and does not feature the courtroom. Suspense and mystery are key elements that are nearly ubiquitous to the genre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jo Walton</span> Canadian writer and poet (born 1964)

Jo Walton is a Welsh-Canadian fantasy and science fiction writer and poet. She is best known for the fantasy novel Among Others, which won the Hugo and Nebula Awards in 2012, and Tooth and Claw, a Victorian-era novel with dragons which won the World Fantasy Award in 2004. Other works by Walton include the Small Change series, in which she blends alternate history with the cozy mystery genre, comprising Farthing, Ha'penny and Half a Crown. Her fantasy novel Lifelode won the 2010 Mythopoeic Award, and her alternate history My Real Children received the 2015 Tiptree Award.

<i>Farthing</i> (novel) 2006 novel by Jo Walton

Farthing is an alternate history novel Welsh-Canadian writer Jo Walton and published by Tor Books. It was first published on 8 August 2006. A sequel, Ha'penny, was released in October 2007 by Tor Books. A third novel in the series, Half a Crown, was released in September 2008, also from Tor, and a short story, "Escape to Other Worlds with Science Fiction", was published on Tor.com in February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Groundwater</span> American novelist

Beth Groundwater is an American author who has written three novels. Her first novel, A Real Basket Case, was nominated for the Best First Novel Agatha Award in 2007. She writes primarily in the Mystery genre, but has a published science fiction novella.

Over My Dead Body is a comedy/thriller play, written by Michael Sutton and Anthony Fingleton, "suggested by" Robert L. Fish's 1968 novel The Murder League.

<i>A Beautiful Blue Death</i> Novel by Charles Finch

A Beautiful Blue Death, by Charles Finch, is the first novel in a series of mysteries featuring Victorian gentleman and amateur detective Charles Lenox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deb Baker</span> American writer

Deb Baker is an American mystery writer from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, who has created three mystery series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Abbott</span> American writer (born 1971)

Megan Abbott is an American author of crime fiction and of non-fiction analyses of hardboiled crime fiction. Her novels and short stories have drawn from and re-worked classic subgenres of crime writing from a female perspective. She is also an American writer and producer of television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jane K. Cleland</span> American author

Jane K. Cleland is a contemporary American author of mystery fiction. She is the author of the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries, a traditional mystery series set in New Hampshire and featuring antiques appraiser Josie Prescott, as well as books and articles about the craft of writing. Cleland has been nominated for and has won numerous awards for her writing.

Jill Churchill was an American author, winner of the Agatha and Macavity Awards for her first Jane Jeffry novel and featured in Great Women Mystery Writers (2007).

<i>Son</i> (novel) 2012 novel by Lois Lowry

Son is a 2012 young adult dystopian novel by American author Lois Lowry. The fourth and final book in The Giver Quartet, the story takes place during and after the first book in the series, The Giver. The story follows Claire, the birth mother of Gabriel, who was marked for "release" in The Giver before being taken out of the community by Jonas. Claire, obsessed with finding her son, embarks on a journey out of the community in an attempt to follow and find him. The novel explores themes of love, obligation, sacrifice, and loss. Son received mostly positive reviews from critics.

G. M. Malliet is an American author of mystery novels and short stories. She is best known as the author of the award-winning Detective Chief Inspector St. Just mysteries and the Rev. Max Tudor mysteries. The first book in her US-based series, Augusta Hawke, appeared in 2022.

Jennifer Chow or Jennifer J. Chow, is an American writer and novelist. She is an Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Lilian Jackson Braun Award Award-nominated author, writing cozy mysteries filled with hope and heritage. Her most recent series is the Magical Fortune Cookie novels; Booklist says of Ill-Fated Fortune:

Dandy Gilver is the protagonist of a historical mystery series by Catriona McPherson. The stories are set in Scotland in the interwar period, beginning shortly after World War I and extending into the mid-1930s.

<i>Provenance</i> (novel) 2017 science fiction novel by Ann Leckie

Provenance is a 2017 science fiction novel by Ann Leckie. Although it is set in the same universe as her 2013 Ancillary Justice and its sequels, it is not itself a sequel. It is published by Orbit Books.

Edith Maxwell is an Agatha Award-winning American mystery author also currently writing as Maddie Day. She writes cozy, traditional, and historical mysteries set in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth C. Bunce</span> American author

Elizabeth C. Bunce is an American author who writes mysteries, fantasy, and ghost stories. Best known for her Edgar Award-winning Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery series and her novel A Curse Dark as Gold, her books feature strong female characters, are often inspired by folklore, and targeted toward young adult and pre-teen readers while also appealing to adults. Her writing style has been referred to as literary fiction, and her works have been called “mysteries in fantasy dress,” “spun with mystery and shot through with romance.” Her works are infused with the results of her research into history, science, culture, and etymology, often set in or inspired by historical places and times.

<i>Agatha of Little Neon</i> 2021 literary fiction novel by Claire Luchette

Agatha of Little Neon is a 2021 literary fiction novel by American author Claire Luchette. Agatha of Little Neon was praised upon its debut and was included in several best of 2021 lists.

References

  1. 1 2 "A Real Basket Case". AuthorsDen, Inc. Archived from the original on 2011-06-08. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  2. ↑ "A Real Basket Case (Large Print) (Wheeler Softcover)". Powells.com. 1994–2008. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  3. 1 2 "Beth Groundwater on tour for book 'A Real Basket Case (Five Star Mystery) (Five Star Mystery Series)'". Zvents. October 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  4. 1 2 "beth groundwater". ColoradoSprings.com. Archived from the original on April 6, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
  5. ↑ "Resume". Beth Groundwater. July 12, 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  6. ↑ Bibel, Barbara (February 1, 2007). "Books". Booklist Review. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  7. ↑ Thompson, J.B. (2007). "A REAL BASKET CASE". Spinetingler Magazine. Archived from the original on 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.