Pastor Walker “Bear” Wells and his wife Annie Laurie
get plenty of dinner invitations. But, being invited to Gina and John Redman’s
house is always a special treat. This one was as well and the coolness of
October evening had allowed the four to sit outside on the Redman’s back porch and
enjoy the Texas evening. That is until the text from their 15 year old
daughter, Jo, hit Bear’s cell phone.
“Come Home.”
That was the message. She doesn’t answer each time
they call and the ten minute drive home by Bear and Annie is the longest in their
lives. They arrive to find Jo in her bedroom, alone and unhurt, with the family
dog, Bat Bear. But, Jo is not alone.
Dead in her arms is the child of a family they know.
Phoebe Pickersley, a troubled child who was once Phoebe’s friend, is most
definitely dead. What she was doing in
their house and why will be almost as important as determining how she died. The
fact she dead in their house to be found by Jo automatically makes Jo a
suspect. The fact that they had clashed more than once in recent weeks, among
other facts, makes Jo a suspect. A suspect who, like most teenagers, isn’t going
to willingly tell all and has her own mind as to how to clear her name.
This is the kind of situation that makes your hair
turn grey as a parent. Following up on Faithful Unto Death this strong
sequel brings back characters familiar to readers while adding a number of new
ones. Character development is further established with the returning
characters as we learn more and more about them. The new characters are
multi-faceted complex human beings as well bringing a fuller richness to the
book.
A religious faith remains a strong part of this
series. As in the first book, there are no simple and easy answers regarding life’s
troubles and events. While faith is referenced and always present through the
book, there is not sermonizing and there is acceptance of other belief systems.
That acceptance is not automatic as Pastor Wells learns both as a parent and as
pastor.
At its core Safe from Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery
is about familial relationships---- the good, the bad, and the flat out evil
ugly. Flat out evil ugly is why there is a murder mystery at the heart of the book.
But the book is more than just that. How we interact with each other during good
times and times of great stress is a part of this complex mystery. In this
series, families and personal connections matter and take precedence over many other
things.
Those who
choose to read this series in order will appreciate the character growth,
complexity of situations, rich storytelling, and the fact that Texas author Stephanie
Jaye Evans writes smart, complicated mysteries that provide very good reading.
Safe From Harm: A Sugar Land Mystery
Stephanie
Jaye Evans
Berkley
Prime Crime (Peguin Group USA)
ISBN#
978-0-425-25346-5
Paperback
(also available as an e-book)
360
Pages
$15.00
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano
Texas Public Library System.
If you have not read the first book of the series, Faithful Unto Death, my review can be found here.
If you have not read the first book of the series, Faithful Unto Death, my review can be found here.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2013
No comments:
Post a Comment