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A Charm of Powerful Trouble (A Harry Reese Mystery Book 4) Kindle Edition

3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 187 ratings

It’s not surprising that a case that begins with a killing in a faux Chinatown and ends in a séance would include a generous helping of farce. But not even Harry Reese—a man well used to a life only loosely tethered to reality—is prepared for what he encounters that autumn in 1902. Before it’s over, he’ll meet cricket ranchers, vaudeville artistes, white slavers, morality crusaders, circus roustabouts, and wayward Utopians, and frequently become sidetracked by the need to rescue his loved ones from jail, or the clutches of a ruthless tong. Is it any wonder the case was put in motion by the machinations of his dear wife Emmie?

For more information on the series, please visit:
HarryReeseMysteries.com

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Whatever its shortcomings as fiction, this book will do much to foster a greater appreciation for the complexities of the New York State canal system.” — Canal Commissioner Myron Holley.

“The finest example of zoological textology since Derrida’s
L’Animal que donc je suis.” — Claude Baudet, Professeur d’ânes dans la littérature, l’Université de Poitou.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00J4UV0SS
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Street Car Mysteries (March 19, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 19, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3795 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 280 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 187 ratings

About the author

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Robert Bruce Stewart
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Finding himself misplaced in the 21st century, Robert Bruce Stewart has opted to retire to what he hopes will be a more congenial era for a person of his sensibilities by means of fiction writing.

Meanwhile, his temporal self lives with his wife and cat in a small-town hermitage in western Massachusetts where he spends his idle hours tending to the needs of tadpoles and keeping his ill-mannered bamboo grove in check.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
187 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book entertaining with an engaging plot and humorous moments. They appreciate the well-written characters, especially the lovable heroine. However, opinions differ on the plot, with some finding it great and easy to follow, while others feel it's confusing and lacks direction.

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18 customers mention "Humor"16 positive2 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor. They find the plot engaging and humorous at times. The book is described as lighthearted and fun with a dash of tongue in cheek.

"...As always in this series, this madcap comedy is full of fun, history, and some belly laughs...." Read more

"It's a good book." Read more

"...Trouble" is probably my favorite, but all of them provided me hours of reading pleasure...." Read more

"Loved this book. It is about the life and thoughts of an ordinary man who decides to do an extraordinary thing...." Read more

3 customers mention "Character development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters. They find them lovable and charming, especially the imaginative heroine.

"Emmie is charming. She’s a powerful imagination. And she’s certainly trouble...." Read more

"...Just couldn't put it down! The characters are very well written--Emmie the over-imaginative heroine, Harry the thinker & follower extraordinaire,..." Read more

"An enjoyable read! A very good plot and lovable characters. I have a very good time reading this book." Read more

13 customers mention "Plot"9 positive4 negative

Customers have different views on the plot. Some find it engaging with comic moments and subplots, describing it as a fine mystery. Others find the plot confusing and hard to follow, with a weak ending.

"...murders, Vaudeville babes, New York’s finest, plots, counterplots, subplots, and more entertaining shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, or a..." Read more

"Harry Reese spins good tales, meandering the beginning of the twentieth century with a tool kit of wit, charm, and self-humor...." Read more

"...For this reason (and a slightly weak ending) I subtracted one star from otherwise very good installment of the series." Read more

"A period piece and a fine mystery! What a treat to receive such an enjoyable book at no charge from Amazon for Kindle readers...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2016
    Harry writes his account of a wild caper inspired by his wife, Emmie, in 1902. As always in this series, this madcap comedy is full of fun, history, and some belly laughs.

    I like that Harry writes from the perspective of older age, so we get his take on the crazy things that happen with some perspective, and we get some foreshadowing of events to come. His attachment to Emmie, who makes his life unique and exciting, is charming. That she remains such a mystery to him is fun.

    The eccentricity of a time not flattened out by the Internet and global media is exploited to its best. As always, we feel that the story is written by someone who lived through that era, with with some modern sensibilities.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2015
    For those unfamiliar with the series taking place in the early twenties century, Harry Reese is blessed (or cursed, depending on how you look at it) with a wife Emmie who gets very excited when she takes part in a murder investigation. Considering that Harry is an insurance investigator, he does get into such investigations from time to time and so does his wife - by extension. Emmie gets really bored when there is no murder to investigate and what she does in this case is completely unpredictable and might not be within the law strictly speaking.

    So in the beginning of the novel we find Harry out of work and Emmie being bored. She invited her relatives from province - the Reeses live in New York City. She also gets to plan an entertainment program for them, so Harry knows something unexpected, dangerous, and highly illogical is in store. When a fake Chinese man takes the party into a fake Chinatown to show fake opium den Harry is not surprised. When a fake jealous husband of a fake wife shows up and shoots her fake lover from a fake gun, Harry is still not surprised. When it turns out the victim is really dead, even Emmie who planned the whole show gets surprised. In fact Harry who knew what usually happens when Emmie plans something, appeared to be not surprised - still.

    If you think this is all sounds crazy, this is actually the sanest part of the novel. Remember, where Emmie goes logic refuses to follow even when the poor woman tries to do her best. All Harry does is just follows the flow and it gets him into some really strange and unexpected places.

    Of all the books of the series this one has the craziest plot, hands down; I mean it in a good sense. I also chuckled a lot when I read the book, so the humor of the previous books is still present, I am happy to say.

    A word of caution: to fully appreciate all the twists and turns you really need to be familiar with the characters, which means reading all the previous books, at the very least all the novels: short stories can be skipped. I read every single story in both series (Emmie has her own) and even after this I had some troubles following everything that was going on. For this reason (and a slightly weak ending) I subtracted one star from otherwise very good installment of the series.
    6 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2016
    It's a good book.
  • Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2015
    Emmie is charming. She’s a powerful imagination. And she’s certainly trouble. Harry Reese is the narrator, but wife Emmie is the mover and shaker in this twisted tale involving Chinese Tongs, a cricket whisperer, two murders, Vaudeville babes, New York’s finest, plots, counterplots, subplots, and more entertaining shenanigans than you can shake a stick at, or a schtick for that matter. Set in 1903, blissfully free of cell phones! Harry and Emmie set out to set the world right while they try to get to the bottom of a pair of murders that they think may be linked. Stewart's skill at dialogue has not diminished; if anything, this is his best yet! Hold on to your hat, reader, this one is a doozy!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2015
    Harry Reese spins good tales, meandering the beginning of the twentieth century with a tool kit of wit, charm, and self-humor. He doesn't seem to take life too seriously, and his work as a free lance insurance investigator gives the reader a look into America's past and the insurance industry. In Harry's world women are independent, insurance executives worry about claims, and the world appears less hectic but no less hazardous as today. I have enjoyed all of the Harry Reese novels and Emma Reese mysteries I have read. "A Charm of Powerful Trouble" is probably my favorite, but all of them provided me hours of reading pleasure. The mysteries keep me guessing, and I enjoy following Harry from pub to eatery and train to ferry boat.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 24, 2014
    A Charm of Powerful Trouble was not the kind of book I usually read. I could not stay interested so I would only recommend to readers who like a "funny mystery".
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 1, 2015
    Loved this book. It is about the life and thoughts of an ordinary man who decides to do an extraordinary thing. We read how it changes him and affects his marriage, his wife and his future. The people he meets are sometimes very different from what he is used to. I cried at times and sometimes I smiled and cheered. Will read again.
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2014
    This was really silly and confusing for me, I never could get into it, it just never made allot of scene to me.
    Not my kind of book I guess...
    Others might get into it better. I never read any of the others and this being the 4th one, maybe that is where I made my mistake.
    But I didn't like it enough to go back and read any of the others either...

    Happy reading Ya'll....

Top reviews from other countries

  • DrBooze
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good fun. A sort of turn of the last ...
    Reviewed in Canada on August 1, 2018
    Good fun. A sort of turn of the last century slapstick whodunit. Light cozy. well written if a confused plot that included everything from Chinese white slavers, to marital infidelity to Vaudeville acts to a shrew circus.
  • Amazon Customer
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 27, 2014
    Good read
  • L. Holloway
    2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2015
    found it trying to be too clever by half and lost interest very early on.
  • Kindle Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2018
    unreadable drivel - not even worth a single star

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