Author Anna Michaels (who also writes the Southern Cousins mystery series as Peggy Webb) has probably bitten off more than she can chew with this supernatural murder mystery that tosses in way too many plot elements -- a disgraced ex-cop, the ghost of the murder victim, Native American spiritualism, long-buried family secrets, and professional rodeo.
It's an engaging, but somewhat uneven read, as Jo Beth Dawson, alcoholic ex-cop, discovers the body of a young woman at a remote trailer campground, buried under a blanket of Cherokee roses. Michaels immediately establishes that a form of magical realism is going to permeate this story, as the roses have, in just a few hours, overgrown Pony Jones' body and burst into blooms which begin to wither as soon as the young woman's body is removed. Her spirit, it turns out, is hanging around, explaining herself to the reader, and bugging Dawson to pull herself together and find the killer. The sudden appearance and scent of the wildflowers permeates the story, often heralding the touching of this world and the other.
Some scenes, some moments, are lovely; others get buried under an avalanche of complications as Pony's mountain-man father inserts himself into the investigation, long-buried family secrets are revealed, Pony's Native American uncle tries to head off the grieving father, and the local cops (one of whom is Jo Beth's ex-partner) try to keep the civilians out of the way long enough to identify and catch the killer.
Overall, it's not a bad read, but it is a bit rough around the edges, and the supernatural elements may prove a bit tough for some readers to swallow, particularly in the denouement.
It's an engaging, but somewhat uneven read, as Jo Beth Dawson, alcoholic ex-cop, discovers the body of a young woman at a remote trailer campground, buried under a blanket of Cherokee roses. Michaels immediately establishes that a form of magical realism is going to permeate this story, as the roses have, in just a few hours, overgrown Pony Jones' body and burst into blooms which begin to wither as soon as the young woman's body is removed. Her spirit, it turns out, is hanging around, explaining herself to the reader, and bugging Dawson to pull herself together and find the killer. The sudden appearance and scent of the wildflowers permeates the story, often heralding the touching of this world and the other.
Some scenes, some moments, are lovely; others get buried under an avalanche of complications as Pony's mountain-man father inserts himself into the investigation, long-buried family secrets are revealed, Pony's Native American uncle tries to head off the grieving father, and the local cops (one of whom is Jo Beth's ex-partner) try to keep the civilians out of the way long enough to identify and catch the killer.
Overall, it's not a bad read, but it is a bit rough around the edges, and the supernatural elements may prove a bit tough for some readers to swallow, particularly in the denouement.
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