When a former friend and devoted mother vanishes, a confident homemaker turned amateur sleuth follows an unexpected trail of scandals and secrets to find her. Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She's also fascinated with the gritty details of other people's lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it's in Prairie's nature to find out why. ...
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When a former friend and devoted mother vanishes, a confident homemaker turned amateur sleuth follows an unexpected trail of scandals and secrets to find her. Prairie Nightingale is both the midlife mother of two teenage girls and a canny entrepreneur who has turned homemaking into a salaried profession. She's also fascinated with the gritty details of other people's lives. So when seemingly perfect Lisa Radcliffe, a member of her former mom-friends circle, suddenly disappears, it's in Prairie's nature to find out why. Given her innate talent for vital pattern recognition, Prairie is out to catch a few clues by taking a long, hard look at everyone in Lisa's life-and uncovering their secrets. Including Lisa's. Prairie's dogged curiosity is especially irritating to FBI agent Foster Rosemare, the first interesting man Prairie has met since her divorce. His square jaw and sharp suits don't hurt. But even as the investigation begins to wreak havoc on Prairie's carefully tended homelife, she's resolved to use her multivalent homemaking skills to solve the mystery of a missing mom-and along the way discover the thrill of her new sleuthing ambitions.
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Add this copy of Homemaker (Prairie Nightingale) to cart. $5.89, good condition, Sold by Dream Books Co. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Denver, CO, UNITED STATES, published 2025 by Thomas & Mercer.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Prairie Nightingale . In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Prairie Nightingale . In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is the first book in A Prairie Nightingale Mysteries. Prairie is a woman who notices details, and she is nosy much to her children�s dismay. Once Prairie begins looking into a matter, she is like a dog with a bone (she does not give up until she has all the answers). I found Prairie to be annoying and unlikeable. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters are equally unpleasant and frustrating. The writing style made the story difficult to read. It reminded me of my college ethics textbook (which was easier to read). The story reminds me of a soap opera except everything is politically correct. I wish the blurb had mentioned the controversial content (physical and mental abuse for example) that the book contained as well as the foul language. The pacing is slow (paint dried faster). The mystery was simple and predictable. Despite the multiple suspects as well as a red herring or two, the killer stood out like a woman wearing a red dress to a black and white event. The reveal was long and drawn out (I wanted to yell at Prairie to get to the point because watching spiders build their webs was more fascinating). The whodunit wrapped up early leaving time at the end which was not needed (I found myself rolling my eyes). The mystery got lost among all the other things going on in the story. There is just too much stuff in this book (and too many people) and all the puzzle pieces do not fit together. Homemaker is not a cozy mystery (there is nothing cozy about this book) nor can it be classified as a mystery (not enough meat for that category). If you are suffering from insomnia, then Homemaker is the book for you!
Lori
Jun 28, 2025
A PERFECT ESCAPE!
Dollycas�s Thoughts
Following her divorce, Prairie Nightingale establishes a unique co-parenting arrangement with her ex-husband, Greg, for their tween and teen daughters. It includes Greg�s mother continuing to live with Prairie and the girls. Prairie has also turned homemaking into a profitable business. She used to be friends with several moms and the fundraising chair for the PTO. That all changed when a yearly donation failed to arrive, and she uncovered criminal activity that sent a local doctor to jail. You see, Prairie observes things other people miss, and then she needs to know all the details.
When Prairie learns that one of the moms has disappeared, she desperately feels the need to help. Lisa Radcliffe appeared to have the perfect life. A successful husband and business owner in her own right. Prairie knows her old friends may talk to her more easily than the police. Her mother-in-law has talents that can help uncover even more about the people in Lisa�s life. After meeting FBI Agent Foster Rosemare at a vigil for Lisa, they set up to meet to exchange information and get to know each other better. Prairie feels drawn to the handsome agent in the suit.
Soon, secrets are revealed, critical observations are made, and Prairie knows she is on the right track. She is getting so close to the truth. Will she solve the mystery? Or will she be the next mom to disappear?
Prairie Nightingale is a smart, inquisitive, fun woman who can think on her feet. She made a hard decision that cost her most of her friends, but it was the right decision. She is a woman I would love to be friends with. Her husband, Greg, is a good guy, and following their split, they are striving to become good friends. Prairie ââ?¬Å"retainedââ?¬Â? her mother-in-law, Joyce, in the divorce. She lives in a separate apartment attached to the family home. Joyce lives a very active life but is on hand to help with the girls, Prairie and Greg, too. Itââ?¬â?¢s an interesting situation that works for them. FBI Agent Foster Rosemare is a nice addition to the mix. Heââ?¬â?¢s not exactly sure what to make of Prairie at first. He wants her to leave the investigation to him. I found their banter to be delightful. They build a slow trust in each other as they each bring different perspectives to HIS case.
The mystery the authors have penned starts early in the story and flows well from chapter to chapter. Prairie was so driven that someone called Greg to try to get his wife to back off. It was interesting that several moms were involved in the multilevel marketing business, Kitty Blue, and part of Lisa�s downline. Connections that may have played into her disappearance. I enjoyed that Joyce was so tech-savvy and willing to use her skills to help Prairie. Prairie also gets a hand from a high school podcaster who is wise beyond her years. When Foster saw everything that Prairie was bringing to the table and the theories she was offering, he had no choice but to listen and explore the details she provided. Getting a bird�s eye view into Prairie�s thought processes and the way she worked each clue, each piece of paper, and each photograph was both entertaining and educational.
One of the best things is that the story takes place in my neck of the woods. Green Bay isn�t that far away, and our family has visited several fun places and attended Packer football games a lot over the years. I appreciate that the authors fictionalized some things about the town, but for someone who doesn�t live there, I feel they captured it well. Like Prairie, I didn�t know there was an FBI Field Office there.
The Homemaker concept was unusual and at times confusing. Following the divorce, a trust was established. Prairie and Greg were partners, with her having all the power to make day-to-day decisions. She hires people and pays them an equitable wage to handle everything for a successful household. She is the CEO, complete with business cards and staff meetings. A chef, a gardener, an accountant/manager, a child caregiver, and a handywoman all work for the 724 Maple Project. It was great while Prairie was sleuthing, and it shows how successful her husband truly was to afford all that. For someone who raised four children while working full-time with just a childcare provider when needed, it was crazy and made me green with envy! But there may be a new project in the works. We see in the final chapter that Prairie has been bitten by the sleuthing bug.
Homemaker is a mystery with an original take. Filled with an intriguing protagonist with an interesting backstory, engaging supporting characters, and a well-plotted mystery. Add in some humor and a budding romance, and it adds up to a Perfect Escape. The next book, Trailbreaker, is set to be released on February 3, 2026. I am excited to see what the authors have in store for Prairie Nightingale next.
