This misses the mark. Pickens is trying too hard, and has thrown in everything but the kitchen sink. Lots of loose ends. No reason at all for several events. I don't think I'll read any more of the series. ( )

I enjoyed this one WAY more than the second. It was fun to be back in Dacus, the whole feel of the stories there are just different than the one she based in Charleston.

I like how naturally she makes the overlapping and at first unrelated mysteries seem to merge and grow naturally, so far they have never really felt forced. And I love how she includes storylines that have nothing to do with the main mystery as well.

It's also been a real pleasure to have an inside look into a character as she grows, changes and makes realizations about herself, her family and what and who she wants to be.
This also feels so organic and natural, like watching a real person grow and unfold vs. a created character. And I LOVE her family.

My one quibble is one that I find common in most mysteries. When seemingly intelligent people behave in stupid ways.
When faced with a possible personal threat to herself and others, a threat she recognized and knew could be serious....she goes to the realateors office to look for a place to live or on other errands that really didn't have to be done just quite at that time. Putting things off till the end when it was more convenient for the storyline. I hate it when authors do that.

But that is my only quibble about this book, which overall isn't to bad.

This series has been one of my luckiest finds and I am so grateful to the librarian who directed me to them. ( )