Review: Excellent characters, well-crafted story
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 4, 2012
Radical Equations is an excellent read: well-paced, finely written, and filled with enjoyable characters in a realistic small-town setting. Although it is the fourth mystery featuring high school math teacher Bonnie Pinkwater, readers new to the series (as I was) will not feel at a disadvantage, as the main action is independent of prior storylines.Bonnie has the brains and irrepressible nosiness to be a good amateur sleuth, and whacky Wiccan BFF Rhiannon is an excellent sidekick. I also especially enjoyed Bonnie's scenes with former-student turned cop, Byron Hickman. The eastern Colorado setting is convincingly presented. The tornado scene early in the book is absolutely smashing (pun intended), and had me clicking "next page" as fast as I could read.Bonnie's interactions with school district administrators and community oddballs ring true. It was fun to watch Bonnie struggle to keep her naturally sharp tongue and sense of humor from getting her fired. The plot is nicely tangled, and kept me guessing until the end.I received a complimentary Kindle edition of this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and am eager to read the other books in this fun series.