I love Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper mystery series, but shied away from this book for years because it sounded sappy. It wasn't sappy, but I still didn't like it much. Even though I knew from reading the acknowledgments in her Benni Harper books that she is a vocal Christian (not in a bad way - just an active credit to her faith front and center in each book - I did not know this one and its follow up would have a concentration of faith and Christianity as part of its storyline.

It wasn't too heavy handed, and the author made sure the characters were non-judgemental and weren't too picky what the 'higher power' was called, but it still wasn't my jam. It's not that I'm an atheist; I'm not. But I am cynical; the more you talk about it, the more apt I am to to think you're trying too hard.

So, I wasn't inclined to enjoy the story, although I did, like all the author's other books, become invested in the characters and this is what kept me reading. A lot of characters were American Indian, which added a more realistic roundness to the community of Cardinal Valley. And the story's 'mystery' was pretty damn shocking. Mostly because I wasn't expecting this to be a story that went in that direction, but also because Fowler's other work avoided the decidedly less functional dynamics that happen when people have too much power and influence. Everything about this story was tragic.

In retrospect, I probably liked this book more than my rating suggests. I read the second one before I wrote this and I'm pretty sure it coloured my feelings about this book. The story here was compelling and the book ended on a hopeful note. Unfortunately, it ends with unresolved issues, making the second book necessary if closure for the reader is a priority and well... I didn't like the second book. ( )

This is actual hard for me to review fairly because I've also read "Road to Cardinal Valley", which was a total let-down.

But that's beside the point.

"The Saddlemaker's Wife" had wonderfully three-dimensional characters, and the mystery kept me interested the whole time, even though I had it figured out pretty quickly. The little glimpses the author gave into each character's thoughts were fascinating. I absolutely loved the coffee shop owner and "Blue Christmas". The teenager with the ever-changing hair was fun too. The romance aspect was also cute without being over-bearing, even if it did end in a cliff-hanger, and the descriptions of small town life were wonderful.

So I'll give it five stars, on it's own merits.

If you do read it and enjoy it, though, I would personally suggest leaving "The Road to Cardinal Valley" on whatever shelf (or garbage can, if you're looking for my copy) you find it on. I was terribly excited to see there was a sequel, and nothing would do me but to get my hands on it. Then I did. And now I wish I hadn't. But that's a different review all together. I'll just saying that finding out the end of the cliff-hanger isn't worth it. ( )

I really liked the depth of these characters and the atmosphere of the story. I appreciated the Blue Christmas idea. I look forward to reading more of Earlene Fowler. I had not tried her before. I'm looking forward to Road to Cardinal Valley. ( )

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2006/04/saddlemakers-wife.html ( )

A little romance-y for my taste, but a great read. ( )