Sharon Dunn, Death of a Garage Sale Newbie

Death of a Garage Sale Newbie

Sharon Dunn

Multnomah, Mar 2007, $12.99

ISBN: 1590526899

In Three Horses, Montana, Ginger Salinski, Mary Margaret Parker, Suzanne Thames, and Kindra Hall join together to form the Bargain Hunters Network. The foursome travel the garage sale circuit and afterward meet to show the bargains they purchased at widow Mary Margaret's home. The quartet has little else in common beside their passion for the BHN.

This time when the three visitors descend on Mary Margaret's home, they find her not home and her house a mess. Led by Ginger who fears the worst, they follow Mary Margaret's garage sale trail visiting the four sites the woman visited on that fatal day. They find little, but sift through the items their friend bought and left behind. One of the selling sites includes a person who needs to prevent the three surviving BHN members from learning the truth.

Though the whodunit is resolved too easily by the ultimate amateurs, readers will enjoy the first BHN mystery for its rich characterization. Ginger is terrific as she begins to realize she takes for granted her spouse Earl, a retiree begging her to inspire and emotionally encourage him as he tries to invent things. Her final confrontation with paying full price will leave readers with a positively amused taste; while her two surviving BHN cronies add depth as they are also unique much younger protagonists with issues. Readers will enjoy this amateur sleuth bargain shopping binge in Big Sky country.

Harriet Klausner