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There are mixed feelings regarding a new prep school operating in the upstate New York town of Trout Run. MacArthur Payne is a strict disciplinarian and the headmaster of the North Country Academy, a last chance boarding school for spoiled rich kids who have been kicked out of most conventional schools. Payne believes in extreme obeisance to the school's rules and punishment for the offenders until they learn their lesson. Many people have praised his methods, but the people at Trout Run are skeptical. The only good thing this fishing community sees is that the school has hired some of the town locals and the school's presence might be a boon to their economy. Things start taking a bad turn when a school counselor gets mauled by a bear during a student survival camp. Trout Run Sheriff Frank Bennett (last seen in SWALLOW THE HOOK) finds evidence that this animal attack was not a lark or a freak of nature, but first-degree murder. Someone planned this death deliberately and he needs to get to the bottom of things fast. The problem is that Bennett is forced to be careful and walk around on eggshells because the school's existence is important to the community. Should the academy close down it may cause the town irreversible damage. For Bennett there is something awry at the school and he needs to get to the bottom of it even if it means destroying the town's economic prospects. No one gets away with murder. S W Hubbard is back with her new entry inside the Trout Run Sheriff Frank Bennett series. It is pure escapism fun and an entertaining small-town romp. She has already mastered her environment of Trout Run, giving readers a peek inside the lives of its citizens, customs, and concerns, as a newcomer comes to town to open a school in their neck of the woods. The author does not go over the top and she manages to keep everything as real as possible by injecting small-town humor into the mix. Whenever you get a chance, stop by for a spell. You will not regret it.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, August 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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