Romance World

Review Corner


East of Peculiar

By Suzann Ledbetter

 

Genre: Contemporary

Setting: Valhalla Springs, Missouri

Time Period: Current

Publisher/Date: Mira

Sensuality Rating: PG

Male Lead: David Hendrickson

Female Lead: Hannah Garvey

Theresa C.

Hannah Garvey is in her early forties, an orphan, pretty, smart and fed up with life in the fast lane. She resigns her advertising job and takes a position as manager-in-residence for a client turned friend. The retirement community of Vahalla Springs, Missouri gives Hannah a place of her own and an "easy" job. On her way into town, Hannah is stopped by Sheriff David Hendrickson for speeding. David is in his late thirties, handsome, smart and bowled over by the new manager of the retirement community.

Residents of Vahalla Springs make Hannah welcome and, of course, start "mothering" her. Then a retired school teacher is visciously killed in the own kitchen; Hannah's cottage is broken in to; the dead woman's cottage is ransacked; a grounds-keeper is murdered; and Hannah is attacked. All in less than ten days. All of this throws Hannah and David together.

With the help of a group of concerned senior citizens from the community, Hannah and David embark on a search for the killer and a relationship. They have less trouble finding the killer than they do time for each other.

This is the first installment of a new seires and I look forward to the next book. Hannah, David and the secondary characters are strong and likable. This story is thoroughly enjoyable, fans of the Jessica Fletcher - Murder She Wrote stories will love this!