Just wanted to mention re the Frances Burnett cameo: Agatha Christie shows up in The House at Riverton at a dinner party. There is mention of murder, and Agatha makes a pithy comment about preferring poison. Similar effect, eh?

Anyway, House of Riverton annoyed me: it was so incredibly derivative. And not cool or conscious derivative…just cookie cutter. So I’ll be avoiding all of Morton’s books; I’m glad you have reaffirmed that decision. 😉

I feel I missed out on something good by never seeing Waterfalls. I’m guessing it never made it England! Maybe it’s on that website you keep telling me about?! 😉

The Lost Garden is by Helen Humphreys and I try to promote it as much as possible, it’s set on an English country estate in WW2, about a group of the Women’s Land Army growing potatoes on the grounds and the Canadian soldiers they interact with. It’s gorgeous and much better written than anything I’ve seen by Kate Morton. (And for an added recommendation, Claire likes it too, we discussed it the other day!)

I’m going to try The House at Riverton from the library (in large print, since that was the only copy left) and see what I think of it.

I don’t understand how everyone missed Wonderfalls and yet knew about Dead Like Me and Pushing Daisies. Wonderfalls is much better. I swear.

I always feel awkward when people gush to me about books that I thought were just okay. I don’t want to tell them they have bad taste, even though they do. :p

Yes! That’s actually one reason I don’t read a lot of urban fantasy — that, and I don’t know what the good authors of it are, so I don’t know where to start.