YvonneMy name is Margaret Sybil Broadley Benson, nee Spencer, but you can call me Mags. I should tell you I’ve been married three times, not twice, but the last guy, Jimmy Hooper, hardly counted. We were only married for five months before he died. I didn’t even bother to change my name, not that I would have, because Jack Benson was the love of my life and I wasn’t about to give up his name, especially not for a little marriage of convenience like my last husband was. You don’t have to become my friend to call me Mags; I’m Mags to everyone, friend and foe alike.
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I am intrigued to know why Mags would have married her third husband for convenience and if his untimely death after just five months, has anything to do with the arrangement.
Nancy gives credit in the ‘acknowledgements’ of the book, to her Mags cover model, Helen McCall, however personally, I find the cover a little artificial looking and frankly quite spooky. They don’t look like a very friendly bunch of elderly people!
If you want to find out more about the storyline, click here
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WHAT IS ‘BOOK BEGINNINGS’ AND HOW CAN YOU JOIN IN THE FUN
Would the first few lines of your book make you want to read on?
If so, would you like to share them with us, (without revealing too many spoilers of course) ?
Click here and visit Gilion @ Rose City Reader
You can then leave a link to your own book beginnings post, or just browse for some great reads, there are always plenty of new authors and titles to be discovered.
Don’t forget that Gilion and all the other contributors to this meme love to hear from you, so why not leave a comment or two at the same time.
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As this was an author invitation to read and review, a Kindle download of ‘Mags And The AARP Gang’, was sent to me free of charge, by its author Nancy Lyn Jarvis.
This will in no way influence any comments I may express about the book, in any blog article I may post. Any thoughts or comments are my own personal opinion and I am in no way being monetarily compensated for this, or any other article.
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Hehe, Mags strikes me as a rather interesting character with those opening sentences! Hope you enjoy the novel, have a lovely weekend 🙂
My Friday Book Memes
Hi Lianne,
Mags certainly sounds like an interesting character, I imagine she is definitely the ringleader of this little group of octogenarians.
I wonder, from those opening lines, just how much influence her three husband’s and marriage’s have on her present outlook on life. Perhaps that bluff exterior is hiding some hurt and an inner kindness, she is loathe to exhibit!
Thanks for joining in the discussion today, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
Have a lovely weekend.
Interesting opening – I’m intrigued.
Happy Reading
Hi Jo,
I’ m not yet sure about the correlation between those opening lines and the book’s synopsis, but I deliberately chose not to read on any further, until the book gets to the top of my review pile.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by, I love meeting new people and your comments will always be welcome. Have a good weekend.
This book doesn’t appeal to me either from the cover or the title – I don’t like the abbreviation of Margaret to Mags at all 🙂 But the concept of the book on Amazon does make it more appealing.
Hi Margaret,
I think the same as you about the abbreviation of Margaret, however it may be that Mags suits the feisty nature of the character more so than Maggie – although I for one can certainly remember one VERY feisty Maggie!!
When choosing books for myself, I guess I tended to stay well within my comfort zones, lest I waste my money on trying something new. However, since I have found myself reviewing more regularly for authors and publishers, I have agreed on more than one occasion, to venture way out of my usual genres and to try something completely new. Surprisingly, I have found myself enjoying the experiment more and more and have not only found some great little gems of books, which would otherwise have stayed on the shelves in the shop, but I have met some amazingly friendly and interesting people along the way.
I see that Nancy has taken on board everyone’s comments about the book and I hope that this is another little gem of a story, just waiting to be read!
Thanks for taking part in the discussion today, I always value your comments and opinions.
Strange how a cover can make or break a book . Like yourself I don’t like this cover – it somehow puts me in mind of a half melted waxwork dummy – and yet the synopsis really appeals to me. Not a book I’d buy but certainly one I’d pick up if I were to see it in the library.
Hi Tracy,
I try not to be influenced by the cover of a book too much, as some of the best stories I have read, have had covers that I don’t even understand, at least this one has some relevance to the storyline!
I must admit that my first reaction to the cover was, ‘Joyce, Betty and Earl, from the Wonga advert ‘ – the guy in the checked shirt loks quite normal.
Here is a link to the ‘Wonga’ YouTube channel, for my US followers.
http://www.youtube.com/user/wonga
Thanks for stopping by, I see that your comments have been noticed and noted by the book’s author.
I actually like the sound of this one…the narrator sounds feisty. I so enjoy feisty! LOL
Here’s MY FRIDAY MEMES POST
Hi Laurel-Rain,
I assume you have read the synopsis for the book, from the comment you made. I just can’t visualise a group of four octogenarians carrying out a bank raid, it makes me smile every time I try.
Between us, hubbie and I still have three parents who are now all in their eighties and I keep trying to imagine them having the physical ability and mental alertness to carry out such an act of defiance. I do have an inkling about who the feisty one would be though! LOL
Have a great weekend and thanks for stopping by.
Sounds like a fun read! Mags sounds like a straight-shooter who doesn’t censor her thoughts.
Here’s my Friday post:
http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2013/08/friday-focus-friday-56-book-beginnings.html
Hi Catherine,
A fun read, however very apt and relevant, given today’s economic climate and the problems with having an aging population.
Mags is obviously on a mission to right a few wrongs as she sees them, although it sounds as though she knows she is going to ruffle a few feathers, when she remarks …
“I’m Mags to everyone, friend and foe alike.”
Thanks for stopping by today, your comments are always appreciated.
I appreciate the comments about the book cove because I’m looking at some new options for it. Catherine, Mags is a devious straight shooter.Lauren-Rain, she is as feisty as they come.Margaret, you should go to my website to read the first chapter (free) for Mags explaining the derivation of her name. If you still don’t like it, you would be the third person in her life who wants to call her Margaret.
Nancy Lynn Jarvis
Hi Nancy,
I do hope that you didn’t think me too hard or disparaging about the cover art for ‘Mags…’. , although my comment does seem to reflect other peoples views about it also. Maybe a fresh option and a new look would be worth considering.
Personally, I do try not to judge a book by its cover, as I have read some excellent books and haven’t even understood what message the cover art is trying to get across to me! At least this cover is completely relevant to the book’s synopsis and I ‘got it’ straight away!
I am definitely eagerly awaiting the time that ‘Mags…’ gets to the top of my review pile, meanwhile I shall be featuring the gang, at every opportunity.
Thanks for taking the time to interact with the readers, here at Fiction Books, I appreciate it.
Have a good weekend.
Yvonne,
I need the feedback about the cover. I’ve written four mysteries; one is always picked up first by potential readers because of the cover. Covers do matter.
Nancy
Hi Nancy,
I loved the covers for the first three of your books, however ‘Backyard Bones’ seemed particularly eye-catching … I have pobably got that completely wrong!
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne,
That’s the one.
Nancy
I’m definitely not a fan of the cover of this one. It looks amateurish and not at all appealing.
HOWEVER, those first lines are intriguing. I’m guessing there could be a murder in there somewhere…
Hi Nikki,
I think that Nancy has probably got the message loud and clear about the cover of this book! If you follow the link to her ‘Good Read Mysteries’ page, you will see that her previous novels have much better cover art, although I am not too sure about the ‘Widow’s Walk League’?
http://www.goodreadmysteries.com/index.htm
There isn’t anything specifically mentioned about a murder, in the synopsis, however it does say that plenty goes wrong during the course of the robbery and ….
“Sure, they’re older, but not too old for the adventure of a lifetime or to risk everything for the sake of friendship.” …. so we’ll just have to wait and see!
Thanks for stopping by, your views and opinions are always welcome and valued.
Hi Yvonne,
I think the cover for Buying Murder is the best one. with Backyard Bones coming in second.
I hope you enjoy the book 🙂
Hi Nikki,
I thought ‘Backyard Bones’ won the cover stakes and Nancy reckons that one is the best seller out of all her books!
They say that the weather is going to be glorious tomorrow, after such a terrible afternoon today … hope you do something nice to enjoy the sunshine!
I have seen this one around blogland and Mags sounds like a tough cookie. I agree with you on the cover. Happy reading 🙂
Hi Naida,
Mags certainly sounds like a tough nut to crack, doesn’t she? Just the fact that she is in her eighties and is saying that she still has foes as well as friends, is enough to let me know that she isn’t your usual little ‘white haired old granny’! Look out anyone who stands in her way!
I haven’t seen this one around in blogland personally, and it hasn’t received too many reviews, however the reviews it has, have all been very positive and highly rated.
Thanks for stopping by and have a great week.
Hi Yvonne! I haven’t seen this book before, but the blurb has me hooked. It sounds like it’d be a hoot to read! Unlike you, I love the cover.
Hi Vicki,
This book does enjoy something of a unique premise, I can’t recall ever seeing anything even remotely similar before.
Having three parents who are now octogenarians, I keep trying to visualise any of them getting together a gang to carry out a bank robbery!! … Nope! it just doesn’t happen.
This must be a particularly active group of individuals, who have a strong leader in Mags, although it doesn’t sound as though everything is plain sailing and goes according to plan.
That cover really doesn’t work for me the way it is though. It may just be the quality of the image when transposed onto the book cover, but it just doesn’t look at all natural. As with any review in general though, my opinion is purely subjective, as everyone has their own individual thoughts and opinions about a book and the same argument therefore holds true with the cover art.
I hope this is a book that you might decide to try and if you do, I hope that you enjoy it.
Thanks for taking part in the discussion, it is always good to get a good cross section of thoughts about a book, especially if Nancy is thinking about making changes.