Our September speaker, June Gillam. Her topic will be Setting and using the Central Valley for cime stories. (The Dead Bird awards will also be presented.)
The latest review of Hillary Broome
novels in Amazon:
Women Cannot Run the Show? We'll See Grandpa!, August 21, 2014
By
This review is from: House of Dads: A Hillary Broome Novel
(Hillary Broome Novels) (Volume 2) (Paperback)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I won this Goodreads giveaway the author was kind enough to send me the
first book in the series, The House of Cuts. I read that one first and reviewed
it, favorably. This time round is no exception--the heroine, Hillary Broome, is
a likeable 30 something journalist whose father has died and whose mother
deserted them when she was a young girl. She has had a couple of failed
relationships, made a huge error in judgment while a journalism student at
Columbia ( the possible revelation of which by one of those past boyfriends
keeps her up at night) and has returned home to the California valley in which
she grew up. She is working for an old classmate at a small local newspaper and
teaching part time at the local community college.
In the first installment, while reporting on a big box grocery chain in the
area she becomes embroiled in the gruesome deeds of a meticulous butcher of a
serial killer and meets the lead detective on the case. He, Ed Killian, has
lost a child to a hit and run and his wife has taken his other daughter and
moved to the East coast, where she divorced him and severed all relationship.
He is trying to give up cigars and to convince his rather obese partner, Walt,
to eat less and more healthfully. By the end of that book, Ed and Hillary are engaged,
Hillary has become friends with the elderly widow of one of the victims and
Walt is still a glutton.
In this new book, House of Dads, Hillary has become closer to her father's
family--the Broomes of Broome Construction. They are major developers of tract
houses and are riding the bubble of easy mortgages and massive development. The
head of the company has died and his son, Ted is in line to assume control. The
Irish founder of the firm had three sons--Hillary's two uncles and her father,
whom he'd disowned as being undeserving since he had no interest in the
company. As a result, Hillary is not terribly close to her cousins though she
is in attendance, with Ed, at her uncle's funeral. It is during the after
funeral reception that Ted keels over and dies. Although, grandfather Pat had
long ago decreed that only men can be in charge of the business, there are no
male heirs available, so the job falls to Ted's sister, Violet.
So begins the mystery of what caused Ted's death, how Violet will withstand her
mother's threat of adopting a son to prevent Violet's control, Violet's rush to
become pregnant--with luck, carrying a boy--Hillary's apprehension at possibly
marrying Ed too fast, her anxiety at having a family to which to belong. The
strands of the tale weave and run and in the end all comes clear, Ed and
Hillary marry in a delightful side romp, and the reader is left with the happy
anticipation of the next adventure which will take place on Ed and Hillary's
honeymoon in Ireland.
June Gillam is the author of the Hillary Broome novels. Here's a review of House of Dads.
The latest review of Hillary Broome
novels in Amazon:
Women Cannot Run the Show? We'll See Grandpa!,
By
This review is from: House of Dads: A Hillary Broome Novel
(Hillary Broome Novels) (Volume 2) (Paperback)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When I won this Goodreads giveaway the author was kind enough to send me the
first book in the series, The House of Cuts. I read that one first and reviewed
it, favorably. This time round is no exception--the heroine, Hillary Broome, is
a likeable 30 something journalist whose father has died and whose mother
deserted them when she was a young girl. She has had a couple of failed
relationships, made a huge error in judgment while a journalism student at
Columbia ( the possible revelation of which by one of those past boyfriends
keeps her up at night) and has returned home to the California valley in which
she grew up. She is working for an old classmate at a small local newspaper and
teaching part time at the local community college.
In the first installment, while reporting on a big box grocery chain in the
area she becomes embroiled in the gruesome deeds of a meticulous butcher of a
serial killer and meets the lead detective on the case. He, Ed Killian, has
lost a child to a hit and run and his wife has taken his other daughter and
moved to the East coast, where she divorced him and severed all relationship.
He is trying to give up cigars and to convince his rather obese partner, Walt,
to eat less and more healthfully. By the end of that book, Ed and Hillary are engaged,
Hillary has become friends with the elderly widow of one of the victims and
Walt is still a glutton.
In this new book, House of Dads, Hillary has become closer to her father's
family--the Broomes of Broome Construction. They are major developers of tract
houses and are riding the bubble of easy mortgages and massive development. The
head of the company has died and his son, Ted is in line to assume control. The
Irish founder of the firm had three sons--Hillary's two uncles and her father,
whom he'd disowned as being undeserving since he had no interest in the
company. As a result, Hillary is not terribly close to her cousins though she
is in attendance, with Ed, at her uncle's funeral. It is during the after
funeral reception that Ted keels over and dies. Although, grandfather Pat had
long ago decreed that only men can be in charge of the business, there are no
male heirs available, so the job falls to Ted's sister, Violet.
So begins the mystery of what caused Ted's death, how Violet will withstand her
mother's threat of adopting a son to prevent Violet's control, Violet's rush to
become pregnant--with luck, carrying a boy--Hillary's apprehension at possibly
marrying Ed too fast, her anxiety at having a family to which to belong. The
strands of the tale weave and run and in the end all comes clear, Ed and
Hillary marry in a delightful side romp, and the reader is left with the happy
anticipation of the next adventure which will take place on Ed and Hillary's
honeymoon in Ireland.
