Judy Clemens Three Can Keep a Secret

Three Can Keep a Secret

Jody Clemens

Poisoned Pen, Jul 2005, $22.95, 254 pp.

ISBN: 1590581865

Stella Crown owns and runs a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, but her life is anything bit smooth. She still recovers from injuries sustained over a month ago and grieves the death of a man who was like a father to her. Needing rest to foster her recuperation, Stella hires Mennonite widow Lucy Lapp who is accompanied by her eight year old daughter Tess.

Almost from the moment that Lucy arrives on the scene, Stella has doubts about the wisdom of hiring the woman. She has received anonymous warning calls that her employee is a murderess, hostile in-laws demand custody of Tess, graffiti where Lucy lives implying the woman is a tramp, and a social worker who has a report that claims Tess is not receiving proper care. However, as Stella gets to know Lucy, she wonders if someone has mounted a successful smear campaign to destroy the woman. Stella also worries about her biker friend Lenny, who was beaten so severely he was hospitalized. He refuses to confide in her, which makes stubborn Stella try to help him even while she wonders why he rejects going to the police.

The protagonist is an interesting complex character who is impressed with biker culture while running her own dairy farm. These seemingly incompatible items somehow seem apropos with Stella. The mysteries surrounding the death of Lucy's husband and Lenny's refusal to fight against the malevolent bikers keep readers at a high alert trying to figure out both mysteries. Judy Clemons is a gifted mystery writer who is not going to remain a secret with novels like this one.

Harriet Klausner