[2] The novel follows the story of protagonist Claire Hanover who sets out to discover the identity of her husband's killer.

Barbara Bibel from Booklist review commented that, "This will appeal to Desperate Housewives fans and those who like cozies with a bit of spice.

"[1] Author J.B. Thompson praised the novel, saying "Groundwater’s well-crafted characters comprise a nicely balanced cast, and she does a good job incorporating a blend of humor and relationship drama into a deftly twisted plot with the kind of surprise ending guaranteed to satisfy.

Quick-paced and well written with clear and comfortable prose, A Real Basket Case is a perfect afternoon read for cozy fans," though he also criticized the main character Claire as fallible.

[7] Following the acclaim received for her first novel, Groundwater went on to write two sequel murder mysteries following the same protagonist Clare Hanover.