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Reviews of AT RISK OF BEING A FOOL

~AT RISK OF BEING A FOOL is a fine amateur sleuth mystery complex, mesmerizing and entertaining.~

Cottrell successfully blends a complex mystery with social commentary on troubled teens and the pain of Parkinson's. McCoy is a sympathetic character who, empowered by the empathy one wishes to see in all teachers, struggles against despair and loneliness by seeing to the needs of her students. The teenagers are as complicated as the plot, scary yet likeable, with not a cardboard stereotype among them. A commendable first mystery.

- Mary Welk

http://www.mysteryscenemag.com

Jeanette Cottrell has written a gritty and knowledgeable book. Once the reader is ten pages within the story, it is difficult to put down, but I think it should be put down for several minutes to assimilate all that is written. I know it did me good to read and then think about what I had read. There are some stories where one can just read on and on, but AT RISK OF BEING A FOOL is a deep story to be gradually absorbed. ... I heartily recommend Jeanette Cottrell's AT RISK OF BEING A FOOL. It's a terrific book. The characters are well-drawn and the reader hopes for the best for them. It is a very well-written, interesting story, and the subject matter ought to be discussed. Rehabilitation is wonderful when it works and if it doesn't? Do good end results outweigh the bad? Read Ms. Cottrell's book and decide for yourselves.

4 1/2 GED exams out of 5
--Jaye Dee Tyrack, Reviewer, Gotta Write Network, September, 2005

Fast-paced and intriguing, "At Risk" is as comfortable as a favorite uncle. Its characters are real enough to be compelling and its plot original enough to maintain suspense. Cottrell has a feel for realistic dialogue and the rare ability to make adolescent characters complex and interesting. She is also rapidly mastering the language of evil. That is, she knows how to get into the minds of people who are not exactly peaceful. "At Risk of Being a Fool" is a powerhouse book.

Dan Hays, Statesman Journal, Sunday August 28, 2005

Ms. Cottrell has created a novel with very vivid characters, personalities that will remain with the reader well after the final page is turned. All of the characters in the book, students and adults, are at risk, but Jeanie might be the most so, as she is AT RISK OF BEING A FOOL as she tries to protect “her kids,” even though at least one of them is almost certainly involved.

As the bombings continue, Jeanie knows that she must take it upon herself to conduct an unofficial inquiry. Her students are already implicated, and, should there be further incidents, her program may be terminated. Some people would welcome this, but would they go as far as murder?

Ms. Cottrell deftly builds suspense as we follow the bomber stalking his next victim. With growing horror, the reader realizes that it might be Jeanie herself. This is a well-written work, one which is not apt to be soon forgotten.

David Compton Round Table Reviews www.roundtablereviews.com

The only risk for readers of Cottrell's At Risk of Being a Fool is that heroine Jeanie McCoy is so endearing that they will want more of her...The individual characterizations are delightful. Author Cottrell, herself a teacher, must have been a very good one to write this book.

Colleen Barnett, Mystery News published by Black Raven Press, August/September 2005 issue

The realities of these people will leave you sharing their tragedies, feeling as if you've walked a distance in their shoes. Their stories could come from the papers instead of the imagination of the talented author, Jeannette Cottrell. Recommended as an experience you won't soon forget. People you will long remember. I know I will.

Anne K. Edwards, Reviewer
eBook Reviews Weekly

Ms Cottrell does an admirable good job at bringing these troubled teens to life and gains the readers sympathy. With the extended cast, you would think that it would be hard to keep everyone straight, but kudos to the amazing writing ability of this author. Each and everyone of them are believable and distinct.

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