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Recently divorced and established thriller writer Tess Harrow takes her 14-year-old daughter Gertrude to her grandfather's rustic mountain cabin in Winthrop. Gertrude misses her dad, who doesn't call or respond to her texts, and Tess thinks a month without WiFi, phones, electricity, and running water is just the remedy.
Unfortunately, just as Tess and Gertie climb the porch to the cabin, a loud BOOM brings raining fish and body parts. A young man is using dynamite for blast fishing in the pond on Tess's property. Three hours later, Sheriff Victor Boyd admits he knows who Tess is when he questions her ability to give him a specific description of the young man launching sticks of dynamite into the water to catch fish.
In short order, Tess identifies the culprit in a lineup at the Sheriff's office by the scent of smelly fish on one of the identically dressed twins, obviously trying to outsmart her. Though missing its head, the body turns out to be Wilma Eyre, a young woman working at the logging company owned by Mason Peabody, older brother of the twins. Since the Sheriff suspects murder, he leaves deputies at the cabin to protect Tess and Gertie as he launches his search for the murderer.
Tamara Berry's new entry in her By the Book series literally starts with a bang and introduces an eclectic group of memorable characters. The fact that Sheriff Boyd resembles Detective Gonzales, the primary character in Tess's novels, sets up delightful comparisons and sharp banter between the Sheriff and Tess. Deputy Ivy persuades Tess to read her 1,000-page handwritten book in exchange for information about the Sheriff's background. Mobile librarian Nicki Nickerson becomes Tess's partner in sleuthing and a suspect for a short time. Daughter Gertie is bright and also contributes to the informal sleuthing.
Berry's storytelling is creative and fun to follow as Tess tries to figure out what's going on. Consider a few clues Tess uncovers: three loose Toucans, stolen library books, a baby cougar, signs of someone living in her grandfather's abandoned hardware store, and a man masquerading, in costume, as Bigfoot. Pick up BURIED IN A GOOD BOOK for a different and captivating read. The author combines a keen sense of humor with an intriguing mystery plotline.
§ Ruth Castleberry has worked as an investigator for Pinkerton's, a city desk assistant on the Charlotte News, free-lance writer, marketing/business strategy consultant, competitive intelligence practitioner and digital marketing consultant.
Reviewed by Ruth Castleberry, May 2022
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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