Review: Small towns hide a lot
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 22, 2012
I received a complimentary copy of this book for review, and let it sit for awhile before I got around to it. Then I had trouble staying away from it, since no work = no pay in my household.The story opens with Ron Ketchum on patrol with his deputy. Both men hail from Los Angeles, and spend a lot of time in this quiet little Colorado town debating hot issues, like crime, fear and race. There is lots of fodder for their discussions, both having been beat cops, and with Ron being white, and Oliver African-American.This particular morning, any heated discussions about race have to be shelved, as they come around a remote corner and find an African-American man crucified; nailed to a tree. Both Ron and Oliver have their hands full, as another killer has arrived in town: a mountain lion, crippled, hungry and looking for easy prey.The supporting cast is varied: Lauren, as Oliver's very strong-willed wife, a visiting biologist who's more than happy to shoot hoops with Ron when both need a break from their pursuits, and the Mayor-for-life, the former Hollywood golden boy of films, who keeps a tight rein on what happens in his little town. Not tight enough, as chaos reigns, fueled by off-beat press members who are following their own agenda.This was an exciting who-dunnit, and all of the characters rang true. The only hollow note was the ultimate finale with the mountain lion, but who's to say a think like that couldn't happen?I'll be looking for more of this author's books -- when I can afford to take the time off :)