Cindy Keen Reynders, The Saucy Lucy Murders

The Saucy Lucy Murders

Cindy Keen Reynders

Medallion, Dec 2007, $7.95

ISBN: 9781933836249

Lexie Lightfoot has had it with her womanizing husband Dan. Disgusted with Dan's inability to not cheat, Lexie leaves him and accompanied by their teenage daughter Eva returns to her hometown, Moose Creek Junction, Wyoming where her married sister Lucy lives. She opens up The Saucy Lucy Caf .

However Lucy turns out to not be saucy; instead she is a faithful churchgoing mother of Carl and spouse of Otis. Lucy insists Lexie must remarry or else she will not be allowed in the kingdom of heaven. Thus Lucy begins setting up dates for her reluctant sister. However, every man who goes out with Lexie ends up dead; the second date is always held at Stiffwell's Funeral Parlor. As the townsfolk fear the siblings are killers, Detective Gabe Stevenson investigates while Lucy's husband, sheriff Otis Parnell tells them to stay out of his inquiry. Lexie, seeing her reputation and her business tanking, ignores both law enforcement officials' warnings as she distrusts both cops and begins sleuthing, not understanding the danger she places herself and her partner in crime her sister Lucy in.

This lighthearted amusing amateur sleuth tale is fun to read as the sisters ignore law enforcement to investigate who is killing Lexie's dates. The key to this enjoyable whodunit is that a potential romance between Lexie and Gabe never occurs and this never intrudes; not because he fears a second date, but instead the big tough detective is a wuss when it comes to women. The story line never takes itself seriously even when the heroine is in danger as Cindy Keen Reynders provides fans with an enjoyable frolic filled with puns like Stiffwell and strong characters.

Harriet Klausner