I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...

When a $25,000 night deposit mysteriously disappears from the Clark County Savings and Loan, Annie Peterson has reason to be concerned and to assume the role of amateur sleuth. Her husband's job at the bank makes him a potential suspect, but knowing him to be a godly man, she can't imagine it.
Then again, there is that matter of the weddings to factor in. Twin daughters Brandi and Candy have just received proposals and two weddings are pending.
Sure, Warren occasionally jokes about robbing the bank to pay for the ceremonies, but Annie knows him better than that . . . doesn't she?
Just about the time Annie thinks she can wriggle Warren off the suspect hook, he mysteriously shows up with enough cash to cover the cost of both weddings. Annie dives into the investigation and the suspects pile up.
One by one they fall, leaving her with only one logical choice. Who will it be – a somber-faced loan officer, a security guard with a shady past, a drifter with local ties – or the man she loves?
Camy here:
This is a cute cozy mystery with quirky characters. It has all the fun of a farce and the strong spiritual thread that Barbour is known and loved for.
As I read, I couldn’t help thinking that fans of Diann Hunt’s Hot Flashes and Cold Cream will love this book. It doesn’t deal with menopause, but Annie’s character is every bit as fun, crazy, motherly, and determined as Maggie from Hot Flashes. Annie shares the same stage in life as Maggie, some of the same issues, and all of the same sense of fun.
I have to admit that I didn’t quite relate to Annie—the same way I didn’t relate to Maggie—because I’m just not in that stage of life at this time, plus I don’t have children. However, also like Hot Flashes, it’s a well-written novel that will be sure to entertain readers who share in the issues that give Annie’s life more angst.
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