Judy Clemens, Leave Tomorrow Behind (Poisoned Pen Press, 2014) If you're familiar with Stella Crown from previous books, you just know she's not the type to leave the investigating to law enforcement after finding the body of a rising country music star in a manure pile at the county fair. No pun intended, but Stella is known to her fans as a woman not reluctant to dig for the truth -- even if it means trouble with the police, family and friends, as well as the occasional person with the potential of causing harm. It's not as if the feisty tattooed biker and Pennsylvania dairy farmer doesn't have enough already on her plate. She and boyfriend Nick are planning their wedding (despite the aggravating assistance of Nick's sister Miranda), there are farm concerns and bills overdue, and her teen helper Zach has a calf in the 4-H competition at the fair. As Stella snoops she uncovers a host of mysteries that somehow all appear connected to the murder, or at least her prime suspects. There's cheating at both the 4-H calf judging and a teen beauty pageant, and someone is trying to make Stella's veterinarian buddy look incompetent. If you're up for a down-on-the-farm cozy with compelling characters, a twisty plot, lots of red herrings and a dose of humor in the right places, this sixth entry in Clemens' Stella Crown series may be just the ticket. [ visit the author's website ] |
Rambles.NET book review by John Lindermuth 15 March 2014 Agree? Disagree? Send us your opinions! |