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MUSIC TO DIE FOR
by Radine Trees Nehring
St Kitts Press, October 2003
273 pages
$14.00
ISBN: 0966187989


Buy in the UK | Buy in Canada

Carrie McCrite moves from Oklahoma after her husband was murdered in the first book in the series. Her destination is the Ozarks Mountains, a place where she hopes to set up her new life. She has a lot of baggage to leave behind her. Naturally, the murder brings intense pain and disorder to Carrie's life. The one good thing that results from this travesty is her friendship with retired detective, Henry King.

Carrie is the manager of an Arkansas highway tourist information center. At a tourism convention, some of the evening's entertainment is performed by high-profile country musicians, Tracy and her husband, Chase. A kidnapping throws a monkeywrench into the festivities. Early in the story, a murder muddies the story, complete with a note in the hand of the victim. The musical stars are elusive and evasive and you wonder if you will ever really get to know them. But, be patient because there is more story coming.

The Southern hill characters are a strong feature of this cozy story. The language and some stereotypical visual scenes of people and buildings take you easily to this location. A visit to the hills is a step back in time, referred to as a time warp in the book. Folksy people are present and not all is pleasant. Not only murder and kidnapping are paramount issues, so also are drug business and family feuding. There is a definite feeling that if you aren't kin, you don't fit quite as well; a secret language and code exists.

When the media becomes too interested and invades the privacy of the two well-known characters, Carrie devises a plan to thwart them. I like her creativity and I like her strength. Carrie and Henry, with the help of some others, complement each other in their investigation and sleuthing. They are working together on this puzzle and they are also working together on their relationship. I assume there will be more to come in that area.

The investigation prevails. One of the ploys is for Carrie and Henry to dress like the hill people, in order to gain access to what is really happening behind the scenes.

Not having read the first book, A VALLEY TO DIE FOR, leaves some unanswered questions for me. I want to know what happened to Carrie's husband. I recommend you read the first one to build the history. This story has some very appealing characters. My favorite character, an impressive older hill woman, is strong and courageous. Even though she is originally seen as a strange person, keep an eye on her. I especially liked watching the characters make choices -- choices that would change their lives. The story also emphasizes how important family is. This is an enjoyable and comfortable cozy.

Reviewed by Rita Ratacheck, October 2004

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