Claire Hanover, her husband Roger and daughter Judy are in Breckinridge skiing. Judy's boyfriend Nick Contino and his family are also there. Judy and Stephanie (Nick's sister) are skiing together when she is bumped by another skier or person a snowboard and hits a tree and dies. Everyone thinks it is an accident except Claire. As she investigates on her own other deaths pile up. Claire tries to protect Judy and is rebuffed by her daughter who keeps telling her she is an adult and to leave her alone to make her own decisions. The mob is involved, Leon (her drug kingpin from the first novel) makes a cameo appearance and all their lives are put in danger. Even though the police want Claire to butt out, "mama bear" continues to investigate in order to keep her family safe. Her gift baskets also make an appearance and the descriptions of them are gorgeous. Another good read. ( )

I have a bone to pick with Beth Groundwater! I read the first book in the series and it was good and enjoyable and so I decided to read the next one. Dirty trick, this one is outstanding and so good that I started it after dinner and finished it about midnight the same night - thus making me very tired for work the next day.

It is such fun when a series just jumps up to the next level and this series did just that! Claire, her husband and her daughter are spending a week skiing as a family get together. Claire is looking forward to spending some time with her daughter who is on vacation from school in Paris. Things start getting complicated when the daughter wants to spend more time with her boyfriend than the family. When the boyfriends sister dies on the ski slopes Claire has to help solve the mystery of what happened to her, and why. ( )

Claire Hanover, her husband, and her daughter Judy are in Breckenridge skiing. Judy has been away in France for college and this is an opportunity for the family to spend time together. Except Judy's new boyfriend, Nick Contino, and his family are also staying in Breckenridge. The book opens with Nick's sister, Stephanie, joining the Hanovers on the slope. The skiing turns tragic when Stephanie dies from hitting a tree, but Claire notices a few things that causes her to believe somebody purposely ran Stepanie into that tree.

Because Stephanie had skied ahead of the rest, they did not see what happened. But there was a hot dog snowboarder who is either the prime suspect or a witness. Claire begins to ask around while Judy is comforting Nick and his mother. Nick's father, Anthony, seems increasingly despondent over Stephanie's death. Judy and Claire have struggles as mother and daughter, which only gets worse when Claire feels that Judy is in danger and is in protective mode. But none of the Hanovers could have imagined the truth behind Stephanie's death and just how dangerous it will get for all of them.

I loved having a realistic middle-aged woman who is assertive and wrestling with an empty-nest for the main character. She was well balanced between the aches and pains that come with an active person getting older and a gutsy woman who will go to any length for her family. Claire's husband, Roger, is a good guy with a level head who balances Claire. They make a cute couple stealing some romantic time. Judy was my least liked character. Occasionally she would act more like a huffy teen than a blossoming woman who attends college in Europe. The breakout character was Leon, the crime boss Claire met previously (book one) and turns to for information on what she suspects is going on. Leon is dangerous, but seems to respect Claire on some level. I also liked Detective Owen Silverstone who is leading the investigation into Stephanie's death. Claire and the detective manage to understand each other with only a few tense moments, which is a refreshing alternative to the common cop boyfriend or the adversary cop.

The Colorado high country and ski slopes and portrayed intimately and faithfully. Beauty, cold, snow, and wilderness all give a good backdrop for the action. Their is plenty of action with close calls, hair's breadth escapes, and chases that moved this to "amateur sleuth" status in my mind.

The plot has international implications, which gives it more of a dose of heightened drama than a typical murder mystery without a cop as the central character. The investigation process moved along smoothly and kept my interest fully engaged. The reader is doled out pieces and information along with Claire, and that doesn't allow for getting ahead of Claire much in figuring out the overall puzzle. The investigation and revelations were nicely done, fostering the maximum reader investment by the climax.

The climax had its edge-of-your-seat moments that were well thought out and executed. The wrap-up had its touching aspects and felt complete.

This was a great adventure murder mystery that will be hard to top. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series to see where Ms. Groundwater will take Claire and what she will throw at her.

Ratings: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.

Series: 2nd in Claire Hanover Mystery

Sensuality: mild foreplay mentions

Mystery Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

Main Character: Claire Hanover, part-time gift basket creator

Setting: Modern Day, Breckenridge Colorado

Obtained Through: from publisher for an honest review

Mysteries and My Musings Book Blog
http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com ( )

To Hell in a Handbasket, the second book in the Claire Hanover series, takes the reader along on a family ski trip to Breckinridge, Colorado. Beth Groundwater’s examination of family dynamics set around a murder mystery is sure to have readers alternately biting their nails and laughing aloud. Dangers, both real and imagined, keep Claire on edge to protect the most important thing in her life, her family. Claire struggles to let her daughter become the adult she is while trying to protect her from physical danger. Populated with characters ranging from a wealthy accountant, Russian mobsters, helpful drug dealers, career snowboarders, and a thoughtful detective, To Hell in a Handbasket is a fast, fun, and entertaining read. ( )

I’ve just finished reading the second Claire Hanover mystery, and I’d have to say Beth Groundwater’s main character really is strong enough to keep my interest through a whole series. A fascinatingly resourceful amateur detective, with the cleverness of Miss Marple, the sore knees of the middle-aged, and the physical prowess of an empty-nester who plans to keep skiing forever, Claire has the confidence to believe what she sees and to tell it like she sees it. Just because no one else saw the ski tracks doesn’t mean they’re not there. Just because no one else sees the danger doesn’t mean she shouldn’t protect her daughter. Just because…

So she walks into police stations and describes exactly the sort of details that someone unaccustomed to such places would notice—the presence or absence of family photographs, the pictures on the walls… She walks into a night club and learns the right words for the music by making mistakes—okay, so daughter’s embarrassed, but Mom’s taking charge. She leaps into action, rightly earning the nickname Mama Bear. And the reader follows along, all the time amazed and impressed and, if you happen to be me, just plain wishing I were more like her.

I guess Claire’s kind of a niche hero, perfect for us moms with kids fleeing the nest, and ideal for the recipients of gift baskets. She makes me want to ski again. She believes in ibuprofen. She’s real and she’s fun. And she’s more than capable of leaving me eagerly awaiting her next adventure. ( )