BOOK REVIEW: Death of a Garage Sale Newbie

I decided I'm going to do a book review every other week or so (at least that's the current plan, we'll see how it goes!) While I expect most of the books I review will be non-fiction, I thought it would be fun to start off with some easy-reading fiction, perfect for your beach bag.

I stumbled upon Death of a Garage Sale Newbie by accident, when searching my library's card catalogue for books on fixing up yard sale finds. Of course I couldn't resist checking out a book with a title like that!

The story involves a group of four women known as "The Bargain Hunters Network": Ginger, an empty-nester and expert penny-pincher, is struggling with her marriage; Suzanne, a reformed spendthrift and busy mom, is pregnant with baby number four; Kindra's a college student learning how to survive on a small budget; and Mary Margret is a kind-hearted real estate agent and aspiring frugalista.

One Saturday morning, a member of the group disappears after a seemingly innocent garage sale purchase turns sinister. The local police force doesn't take their concerns seriously, so the remaining three women pull together to figure out what happened to their friend.

I found this to be a fun and enjoyable read. Author Sharon Dunn, a fellow frugalista who "can't recall paying full price for anything", has created a group of very human and likable characters that I could imagine myself being a part of, and I was sad to leave them at the end of the book. There is a second book in the series,
Death of a Six-Foot Teddy Bear; unfortunately my library doesn't have a copy, so I'll be keeping an eye out for a secondhand volume at all my usual thrifty haunts.

To keep the frugal fun going after you've read her books, the author features a "bargain hunters" page on her website where you can stop by and leave your favourite tightwad tips, too.

Have you read any good fiction featuring thrifty characters? Please share in the comments!