Vicki Lane, Signs in the Blood

Vicki Lane, Signs in the Blood - Over two decades ago, Elizabeth and Sam Goodweather moved to Ridley, Branch in the North Carolina Appalachian Mountains. Five years ago, Sam died, but Elizabeth had their two daughters to raise so had no time to mourn her loss though she missed her partner. Now Rosemary lives and works in Chapel Hill and Laurel in Ashville so the empty nest widow, in spite of her herb and flower shop and her nephew nearby, feels lonely, especially with the recent death of her best friend who adopted her and Sam when they first arrived.

A concerned Miss Birdie asks Elizabeth for help because she feels something bad has happened to her adult child Cletus Gentry since his pup came home alone with his bag. The sheriff ignores the concerns of the two women, insisting that Cletus with the mind of a child has wandered off for days before, even reaching the Tennessee line. While Elizabeth tracks Cletus' path, Miss Birdie's fears prove correct when a kayaker finds Cletus' corpse. However, Elizabeth's search places her in jeopardy by a soulless avenger who cleanses transgressions of others by dispatching them to the afterlife.

SIGNS IN THE BLOOD is a terrific, regional, amateur sleuth mystery starring an interesting protagonist who keeps the plot focused and several eccentric secondary characters who provide an anchor to the area. The storyline insures that the mountains and the heroine are fully developed before turning into a serial killing cozy (strange combo). Vicki Lane writes a top quality woman-in-peril tale that fans will like and will want more treks up the Appalachia.

Dell, Jun 2005, $6.99

ISBN: 0440242088

Harriet Klausner