Jane Darrowfield is a year into her retirement, and she’s already traveled and planted a garden. She’s organized her photos, her recipes, and her spices. The statistics suggest she has at least a few more decades ahead of her, so she better find something to do . . . JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY After Jane helps a friend with a sticky personal problem, word starts to spread around her … word starts to spread around her bridge club—and then around all of West Cambridge, Massachusetts—that she’s the go-to girl for situations that need discreet fixing. Soon she has her first paid assignment—the director of a 55-and-over condo community needs her to de-escalate hostilities among the residents. As Jane discovers after moving in for her undercover assignment, the mature set can be as immature as any high schoolers, and war is breaking out between cliques.
It seems she might make some progress—until one of the aging “popular kids” is bludgeoned to death with a golf club. And though the automatic sprinklers have washed away much of the evidence, Jane’s on course to find out whodunit . . .
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A year ago, Jane Darrowfield took an early retirement, and she’s already beginning to look for things to do. She’s started helping her friends with problems, but she is surprised when she is approached by Paul Peavy, and manager of Walden Spring, a nearby 55-and-over community. It seems their community has devolved into high school, and the popular clique and the biker clique are at open war with each other through a series of nasty, escalating pranks. But before Jane’s suggestions can be put into practice, a dead body is found out on the community’s golf course. Have the pranks escalated to murder? Can Jane figure out what happened, or is she in over her head?
I love Barbara Ross’s books, so I was looking forward to starting this new series. I wasn’t disappointed. While the book does need a little time to set up these new characters, it does so without slowing down the mystery. Things only pick up when the murder takes place, and we follow Jane on some twists and turns that lead to the climax. We get glimpses of Jane’s past, but there is plenty more to explore in future installments; likewise, I suspect we’ll get to know the supporting players better as the series progresses. The suspects are a diverse and complex group, growing deeper as the book progresses. There are some funny scenes, especially at the beginning of the book. It does grow more serious as the book progresses, but we do still get some great moments that lighten the story. I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know Jane better as the series progresses.
Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody by Barbara Ross is the debut of A Jane Darrowfield Mystery series. Jane Darrowfield is retired from the telephone company and her only son lives on the west coast. After organizing her house and traveling, Jane is at loose ends. Playing bridge with her three friends does not take up all her time. Jane has discovered that she is good at solving problems and word has spread within the town. Now Jane has a paid assignment. She needs to uncover why the various cliques at an over 55 community are at odds with one another. Things go well until one of the ring leaders turns up dead. Jane Darrowfield is a spirited main character. She is smart, notices details, and likes to be active. I like that she is an older protagonist. Jane has her three friends (Helen, Phyllis, and Irma) with whom she plays bridge regularly. Phyllis enlists Jane’s help in weeding through the men interested in dating her since her own judgement is not to be trusted. Phyllis has created profiles for the two of them on a dating site and arranged coffee dates for Jane with the top matches. I found the dates to be entertaining. I just loved the baristas reactions. I thought Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody contained good writing, it was just the right length, and it had a steady pace. The mystery was interesting with a variety of suspects. Jane questioned people, followed leads, and searched for clues. It was fun solving this clever whodunit. I look forward to the next A Jane Darrowfield Mystery. Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody is charming cozy mystery with a gone golfer, suspicious suspects, surprising secrets, a crafty killer, and a smart senior sleuth.
Beginning a new mystery series is always a joy. I’ve read all the books in Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake series, and while I’m waiting for the next release in 2022, I started her Jane Darrowfield series. Professional Busybody is the debut, and it focuses on a woman who’s nearly two years into retirement and finding herself utterly bored. Too young to move into a seniors home, too old to start a new career (in her opinion). Her husband was a louse and left her penniless and a single mother. She’d successfully turned her life around in the last two decades, earned a lot of money, and now, she’s helping friends get their own lives in order.
Two events kick off the story. One of Jane’s friends asks Jane to interview potential online dates. Jane agrees and spends a few hours getting to know different men, hoping to choose which one her friend should go on a date with. By the end, there’s only 1 option and he’s smitten with Jane. Another friend suggests Jane’s name to a local 55+ community, and when the director contacts Jane — not to move in but to help solve a problem among residents — Jane finds a way to keep herself busy again. Unfortunately, the cast of characters she must deal with are like a bunch of rowdy high schoolers. When one of them dies, Jane turns to sleuthing as a way to solve the original problem and the murder.
I really enjoyed this book. Jane is a wonderful character, and I like the addition of the potential boyfriend as well as all of her girlfriends who play cards (a fave hobby of mine). The setting (Massachusetts) is lovely, and the plot for this mystery was fairly unique. As a debut, it needs time to settle in, but I see good things for the series. I was a bit disappointed with parts of the mystery’s ending, but it did come together and offered a strong conclusion. I felt the culprit’s reasoning was a bit off, tho, to be honest. That said, I’ve already downloaded the 2nd book (bought the first one and got the second thru NetGalley), so it’s in my queue for next week. I want to be fully current for the future releases as I work my way thru my TBR pile.
I enjoyed this cozy and I voluntarily chose to review it. I’ve given it a 4.5* rating. This pretty much pulled me in at the first. I like this author’s style of writing. We older people tend to say what’s on our minds, only some try to be nice about it. Sometimes it just comes out wrong however way you say it. And some of us, who grew up with younger but bigger brothers, tend to be outspoken more. Jane tries to be nice about it but the questions keep coming. She just keeps going, trying to find the truth. How often will she get more than she bargained for? Follow her along and read for yourself.
A year into retirement.and Jane Darrowfield is bored. She has already accomplished all that she had set out to do but what now? Well when a friend comes to her for help with a sticky issue and Jane is able to fix things she soon becomes known as the go person for problems. Jane doesn’t mind though, she loves being there for her friends. She soon learns that she can actually make money and at the same time help others out. She soon gets asked to help at a local 55 and over condo community, it seems the residents are quite immature.and in need of a.reminder of their age. She moves in and hopes that she will be of help, things are actually coming together that is until.one of the major problems is found d murdered. Jane goes from trying to get the residents to act like adults to looking for a killer. Will she be able to put all the pieces together or will the killer get to her first. This was a fun read with a great main character who shows that she is only a number!
A delightful new series with an older sleuth! Jane is a professional busybody, someone her friends can call upon to help out with delicate situations. When Jane’s friend, Irma, recommends her for a job at the senior living community residence, she’s not thrilled. The director wants Jane to help figure out how to stop some of the hostilities and problems in the community. Jane finally agrees to help out, but may soon come to regret that decision. It seems that the main problem lies with Bill Finnerty, who has taken over the golf course times and will only let those in his circle play, and Mike Witkowski, who seems to be the leader of a motorcycle group who take over the game room. Jane informs Paul, the director, what he needs to do, though he seems less than willing to deal with Bill. The next morning, Bill is found dead on the golf course, a victim of murder. Now Jane ends up getting involved in figuring out who killed the man, who later is revealed to have not been Bill Finnerty, but a former cop by the name Brian Pike. An intriguing story featuring an older sleuth with a twist of an ending. I enjoyed Jane’s friendships with her bridge club and the way she tried to help others. It was nice to see her start a new relationship and I will be curious to see what’s next for her and if she is able to reconcile with her son. I would definitely recommend this series!
I loved this new series by Barbara Ross! I enjoyed it very much!! Looking forward to the next book in this series!
This is the first in a new series by Barbara Ross. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Jane Darrowfield is retired and has become known among her friends as a problem fixer. This time she is actually hired at a senior living community to assist the director in sorting out some issues. While there, a murder happens and she’s determined to figure it out. She’s a professional busybody instead of an amateur detective— I love it. The seniors at Walden Spring are a hoot. I found myself chuckling over some of their antics. Great read! Looking forward to reading the next one.
JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY by Barbara Ross
The First Jane Darrowfield Mystery
After taking early retirement Jane Darrowfield traveled, worked on her garden, and organized her photos; enjoying all the things she didn’t have time for previously. Then she started helping friends with little problems. Working in the corporate word prepared her dealing with life’s little conflicts and annoyances and Jane discovered she was good at it. Yet she hesitated when asked to solve a problem at a 55 plus community, especially when the director was so vague about what the actual problem was. But when he didn’t balk at the fee she requested, Jane decided to look into the matter. What she found was not so much an active community for older residents, but high school revisited, with its cliques and mean-spiritedness in residents closer to 70 than 17! Will Jane be able to sort out the root cause of the problem before things at Walden Spring get even more out of hand?
As a woman of mature years myself (although I couldn’t live in Walden Spring just yet) I enjoy seeing seniors treated as real people. There are rivalries, jealousy, insecurities, and romance whether one is 20 or 60. While the majority of the seniors here live in a 55 plus community, they are not exiled or put out to pasture. Rather they’re living intense, active lives. The fact that several of these people are acting more like juvenile delinquents in just icing on the cake. I especially like Jane and find her an immensely likeable protagonist. She’s smart, capable, and knows when to ask for help.
JANE DARROWFIELD, PROFESSIONAL BUSYBODY reminds us that life doesn’t end after 50…unless there’s murder! The first book in this new series has an ingenious plot, interesting characters, and equal parts fun and danger!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
I loved this book. Was bummed I had to put it down for a few hours to have lunch with friends. The summary provided by the publisher sets this book up perfectly so no need to rehash.
This is the first book in this series and while some time is spent world building, it does not take away from the rhythm of the story. We get to follow along with Jane as she follows the clues and investigates anomalies and sightings of potential suspects . One by one, the threads are resolved.
Jane is a wonderful character and while busy body is her title, there is a reason for that and should not be construed negatively.
Looking forward to further installments.
I received an ARC from Kensington via Net galley and all opinions are my own.
Jane Darrowfield is a retired, single woman with a little time on her hands. She’s become involved with helping her neighbors solve some minor problems; however, she’s shocked to find someone wants to hire her for this skill. Jane settles into a retirement community where the dynamics seem more like a high school. As Jane tries to feel her way into the community, a resident is found dead on the golf course. Suddenly, the stakes are higher.
This is a great first book. Plenty of time for character development, good story line, and good for some laughs. I look forward to the next in this series.
Having become a fan of the Maine Clambake mystery series written by Barbara Ross (8 titles and another one due out in February 2021) I was eager to read the debut of her new series. From the first chapter I knew I was going to enjoy getting to know Jane and her friends. Her voice and her sense of humor plus her approach to her retirement drew me in and I was hooked. It didn’t bother me that it took awhile to get to the murder. There was a lot to set up before that happened – on the golf course with a golf club.
Jane has helped many friends solve life situations that are a bit sticky. She has a knack of sorting things out, like breaking the news to a hairdresser that one of Jane’s friends wants to change hairdressers and the sticky part is the fact that the new one has the chair next to her. As they say, awkward. Jane takes care of it. She hasn’t taken money for her services until her friend Irma praises her talent to the director of Walden Springs, a 55+ community that is having problems with social dynamics. Paul Peavey really means the residents are not acting their ages and have returned to acting like misbehaving high schoolers complete with cliques and gangs. Jane isn’t sure about it but when he asks her how much she charges for her services, she picks a very large random amount and he accepts. Soon Jane moves into one of the guest condos as a prospective resident and then her life really gets interesting. And here she thought that being sucked into online dating by her friend Phyllis was enough to occupy some of her time. Boy, was she wrong.
Besides liking Jane and her friends, the mystery was complex and it kept me guessing from beginning to end. Spending time with an amateur sleuth in the 50+ age group who is clever, intelligent and funny was reading time well spent. I’ve added the next book in the series, Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door – due out February 2021 – to my TBR list.
Jane Darrowfield. Professional Busybody is the 1st book in a new series by Barbara Ross. Jane Darrowfield is retired and is looking for something to do. She has helped friends with relationship problems so one of her friends gave her name to Paul Peavey who is the manager of Walden Spring, an assisted living development. Paul talks Jane into helping him with his unruly members but she needs to stay at Walden Spring to get to know everyone.And she fits right in because she is 70. There are food fights and fist fights and water balloon fights! What did Jane get herself into? Then one of the residents ends up dead. There are quite a few suspects and some surprising twists and turns to keep you guessing! An enjoyable cozy mystery! I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books for an honest review. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #JaneDarrowfieldProfessionalBusybody
Excellent Cozy Mystery, Great First in Series
I so enjoyed this first in series book. I can’t wait to read more. Our heroine has an interesting corporate background that helps her sort out people’s problems. Now retired, she has been helping friends sort out small annoyances in their lives. Until now when she is hired as a professional busybody for an active seniors community. This series has so many places to go to. I have read other series’ by this author and have loved them. She lays out a good mystery that is tough to predict. This series is a little different, but still stellar. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
I absolutely loved this exciting first in Barbara Ross’s new series! Jane Darrowfield embodies some of the traits I envy and some that I appreciate in a protagonist. I enjoyed seeing Massachusetts in the summer, delighting in the descriptions of the architecture and the landscapes. Well, except for the bamboo maze. I particularly enjoyed the characters, mostly retirees who are young at heart. The mystery kept me guessing throughout.
Jane is tired of being retired. Perhaps that is why she took the short-term job that a friend referred her for. Walden Spring is an active adult living community with a few little problems between the residents that is slowing down sales on the vacant units. Paul is the executive director, willing to pay whatever it takes to get things accomplished. Jane’s years in management prove her skills at confronting effectively and kindly, as evidenced by help she has given her friends.
Before accepting the position, she has one little thing to do for her friend Phyllis. Maybe not so little, considering Phyllis signed Jane up for an online dating service with some of the things each lady likes. Jane will meet four of them for coffee, then introduce one or more she thinks is best for Phyllis. Three men were quickly eliminated, but oh, my, that fourth one! It is the first time Jane has felt an attraction to a man since her divorce, more than 30 years ago. Maybe Harry can be her little secret for a while…
Jane had to move into one of the guest condos at Walden Spring to see where the problems were and make recommendations. She met some interesting people, including Evangeline, a gifted artist, her close friend Maurice, Bill, the man who sees himself as in charge of who golfs and who doesn’t, and Mike, who, with his biker friends, do the same with the game room. She watches one group of men annoy another group and the resulting fights, and how others respond. Just when she thought she made recommendations that would end problems quickly, Bill was found dead on the golf course, very obviously murdered.
This novel was very well plotted and executed, and much to my delight, I couldn’t figure out any faster than Jane whodunit. There were twists that kept me on my toes, especially at what seemed to be the end of it. I really enjoyed the characters – can’t say it enough! As someone in that decade of life, I am happy to have a new, mature sleuth to follow. Nothing against young or middle-aged sleuths; I will still enjoy them but will also enjoy some contemporaries. I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys well-written cozy mysteries with older characters, humor, and great descriptions.
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel; a review was not required.
Barbara Ross’s Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody (Jane Darrowfield#1) was an interesting cozy mystery/whodunit. Jane has a reputation as a fixer among her friends. An administrator for a senior condo community approaches Jane about helping him at his facility. When Jane temporarily moves to the community she soon sees the problem. The residents belong to different cliques and there is friction between two of them that is steadily escalating. One of the main leaders/instigators is found murdered soon after Jane moves in. Meanwhile, Jane is also called on to meet some older men from a dating website for a friend and she reluctantly agrees. A fast paced, multi-faceted story with amateur sleuths, romance, suspicions, unlikely partners and plenty of good old fashioned “busybodiness”.
I like that the main character is retirement age. The setting and the story were really good. Some of the characters reminded me of people I met where my mom used to live. I’m looking forward to the next one.
Delightful and assured debut of a new series by Barbara Ross, author of the Maine Clambake cozy mysteries.
Recently retired executive Jane Darrowfield has already reorganized her spices and is starting to meddle in her friends’ lives. She lands a paying gig as a consultant to a senior living community that is divided by high-school-like cliques. Jane quickly identifies the root cause and makes remedial recommendations — the very night one of the troublemakers is beaten to death on the golf course.
I enjoyed this unusual take on a cozy mystery. Jane is an appealing protagonist, with a complex backstory hinted at in this debut. The senior living setting is well drawn, down to its “smell of underseasoned food.” Though there are many characters, with many secrets, most of the characters are distinct and sympathetic. Even bad actors have redeeming qualities. Jane’s origin story as a professional busybody is touching and romantic.
It’s almost a shame this is a murder mystery. The beginning of the book is winningly droll, recounting the way Jane inflicts her corporate problem-solving skills on such annoyances as swapping out one’s hairdresser. After the murder, the tone sobers, and Jane’s problem-solving approach shifts more toward traditional amateur sleuthing instead of demonstrating the expertise she has gained from “toiling in the bowels of corporate America.”
I hope to see the Jane of the first part of this book again. She offers something different and distinctive in the crowded cozy market.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I love senior sleuths! Jane Darrowfield, author Barbara Ross’ answer to the beloved Miss Marple, is asked to go undercover at a retirement complex to discover who’s causing problems, but when a resident is found dead on the golf course she may be in for more than she bargained for! I loved it, and can’t wait for more in this fun new series!
Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody by Barbara Ross is an excellent beginning to a new cozy mystery series. I loved Jane and thought she was a hoot.
The dialogue was witty, sassy, and sharp. The concept and the murder/mystery plot were creative and kept me engaged. I loved the full cast of characters. There is plenty of material here for future books.
Ms. Ross has the beginnings of another successful series. I love it.
5/5 stars