Third in the series with Stella Crown, tattooed Harley-riding dairy farmer. This is my least favorite so far. Stella is so full of herself I'm just not liking her much. She's prickly, rude, and abrasive - fiercely protective of her friends, and she'd do anything for them, but you wonder how she got any in the first place. I found a lot of plot elements rather unbelievable as well. I could see how she would blame herself for not noticing Mandy behind the dumpster, and the character has already been established as tormenting herself over various things all the time. But to take on the role of lead detective, and the police allowing her to do all she did? The actual detective takes her phone calls instantly, even in the middle of the night (and on Christmas Day, too) and acts immediately on what she says. Almost all the other police involved are urging her on as well. Not buying it. Didn't really buy into the whole politician plot either. I do like the setting, and I like the supporting characters as well, who seem to be better friends than Stella deserves. And while I didn't like Stella that much in this book, she's an interesting character with human flaws. There's three more in the series, I'll see what the next one is like.
