Where would we be without our crazy , female snoops? Book #4 in the Aurora Teagarden series was pretty good. Roe finally marries and receives her dream house as a wedding gift. Unfortunately, a family disappeared from this house years ago and has never been found. But that does not scare Roe. As expected, she does what she can to find out what happened to the family.
I’m not really a fan of Martin but maybe that will change in the future. I like that the old boyfriends continue to be a presence in Roe’s life, otherwise it might feel like a completely different story. I think it keeps the series flowing smoothly. Not as as quirky as previous books, but entertaining enough. ( )

OK, a little more grousing about this series; near the beginning of the novel, the main character Roe says something like, "I wonder how the writer Robin is doing? Last I heard, he'd moved to California..." o.0
And then you find out that THREE YEARS have passed since the first novel in this series, Roe's little brother had moved across country, and there was a wedding planned!
So things have heated up between Roe and Martin so much, the wedding was planned already. The writer says a little something about the wedding itself, glosses over the honeymoon, and then they are home. in the DREAM HOUSE Roe has always wanted.
She of course becomes obsessed with the missing family that used to live there, and begins looking for them. The writer does have you guessing about it ALL over the neighborhood, all the while making Martin seem like a really "bad" guy... and they are newly married! argh
And by the end of the book, things have again fallen into place just perfectly, and everyone is fine... and Roe has decided to stay with Martin, regardless of what he did/does that makes him "bad".

why am I still reading this series? lol, oh yeah... ( )

I definitely enjoyed this one more than books 2 & 3. The whole mystery with the Julius house was so intriguing and I definitely had my ideas on what happened to them. ( )

Good one. ( )

I love the Aurora Teagarden Mystery series. I would classify The Julius House as a conventional mystery, although I find it along the lines of cozy-ish. Charlaine Harris knows how to assemble intricately contrived, yet plausible murder scenarios that definitely excite and entertain the reader. I've been astounded by the outcome of the murder mystery each time I've read one of the books in this series. Thankfully, she's adding new books to the series and I eagerly await what she will cook up in the ones that are to come. And now a synopsis of The Julius House...

Aurora (Roe) Teagarden's new husband, Martin, has bought her The Julius House as a wedding present. But this is no ordinary house. The Julius House was home to a family of three that disappeared approximately six years before. It's like they just vanished into thin air. The only relative who can relate what happened on that fateful day is Melba Totino, the mother of one of the occupants, Hope, who was married to T.C. Julius. The two lived in the house with their teenage daughter, Charity. Melba lived in a little apartment above the garage adjacent to the house. On the morning the family vanished, Melba had stepped over to the house to cook breakfast for the family as usual. According to her statement to police, when she went there that morning nobody was in the home. The couples' vehicles were in the garage, the house was undisturbed, but the family was gone. Six years later they're still missing.

Roe feels unsettled and determined to find out what happened to the Julius family. Could they be dead somewhere on or around the property? She's determined to do some digging to put her mind at ease. Unfortunately, the Julius family is not the only mystery she's interested in solving. It seems her new husband has got some secrets of his own. For instance, just who is the mysterious, odd married couple that Martin has informed Roe will be living with them in Melba's old apartment over the garage? Why is he vague about who they are and why they're there? It becomes clear that Roe just might have her work cut out for her as she goes on a mission to uncover both mysteries.

I can always count on being fully immersed in an Aurora Teagarden murder mystery. I enjoyed this book immensely. Most definitely recommended. ( )