bOOKS & STUFF

Well, Lincoln’s basketball season is on hold. He fell during Saturday’s tournament in Merrill and ended up with a “buckle fracture” of his left arm. That’s when a bone is bent until it begins to break. He thought it was cool until he found out all the things he couldn’t do. At least he still likes to cuddle beside me with a book.

It was a good day for an e-book so I selected “On the Hook” by Cindy Davis. It is described as the first in her series of Smith and Westen mystery books – yes, I actually picked the first-in-a-series book.

Westen Hughes is trying to get back on her feet emotionally and financially. Westen’s husband and son were killed in a car accident, and she just learned that their pet shop is deeply in debt. She’s hoping Ben’s life insurance will bail her out.

She meets Phoebe Smith when she comes to purchase a snake. The woman is a bit strange and insists on being called Smith; no title or first name – just Smith. Despite Smith’s blunt behavior, Westen finds the woman’s attitude refreshing.

Meanwhile, Kendra Jean Valentine is in the final leg of a road trip from Chicago to the Concord Art Museum in New Hampshire. K.J., as she prefers to be called, is a highly successful insurance agent who has convinced several underwriters to back the loan of a multi-million dollar Picasso to the Concord museum.

She and a carefully selected team have supervised the packing, crating and loading of the painting. They have followed the truck during the non-stop drive from Chicago to Concord, and K.J. is relieved to finally reach the museum loading dock. But when the crate is unloaded and opened, it is empty.

The impossible has happened, and while others could be guilty, K.J. is considered the prime suspect. She knows she is innocent, but it feels like no one is on her side. Her boss is less than supportive and her office nemesis, Cliff, tries to hit on her while accusing her of the theft. Then her boyfriend Brett all but accuses her of stealing the painting and demands a cut from the sale. K.J. sends him packing but knows he won’t leave her alone, so she grabs a bag and checks into a hotel.
As expected, Brett breaks into her apartment and is soon stalking her. It’s hard to hide when you have flame-red hair. K.J. does her best, but Brett always finds her until she finds a tracking device in her bag.

Still keeping a low profile, K.J. does her job. She has to meet with Westen Hughes to tell her that her late husband had canceled his life insurance, so there’d be no money for her. The women have an unfriendly high school history, and since K.J. is just as self-centered and demanding as ever, she fears Westen will want revenge.

K.J. is amazed that Westen doesn’t seem to care about the past and senses that Westen’s keen mind might be just what she needs. Besides, K.J. has nowhere to turn, so she hires Westen and Smith to find the painting. Neither woman has any experience in investigation, but the lure of a 10 percent-of-value recovery fee has them both searching hard, taking chances and making enemies.

Eventually Smith and Westen’s unconventional methods pay off, the painting is found and the guilty parties captured. Both women have plenty of money, but it’s clear they’re hooked on the challenge of investigating. Smith and Westen are now an investigating team to reckon with.

Sometimes the worst situations hide the best opportunities. Your public library has lots of books where “lemons become lemonade.” Make a visit soon and check it out.

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