Small Towns Can Be Murder

May 4, 1998
A tenuous mystery is overshadowed by a ho-hum romance in this fourth Charlie Parker novel (after Partnerships Can Kill, 1997). Charlotte "Charlie" Parker, a CPA in Albuquerque, N.Mex., visits Valle Escondido with friend Sally Bertrand. Sally looks up Laura Armijo, who, while they are visiting, conveniently gets a phone call informing her that her friend Cynthia is dead from a miscarriage. Laura says Cynthia's husband, Richard, is a "funny guy" who maybe used to beat Cynthia. On this meager evidence, Charlie decides Cynthia has been murdered and, with no client and no real evidence or reason, determines to investigate. She and Sally go to Richard's house, and Charlie thinks he looks "angry." But then Charlie's current love interest, Drake Langston, comes to town and suddenly Charlie becomes much more interested in making love and practicing shooting. Charlie continues to probe Cynthia's death until, from out of the blue, there comes a fragment of information that leads to an unforeseen conclusion which the villain, helpfully but idiotically, corroborates. Offering little mystery or suspense, Shelton appears to be banking on the character of Charlie, spunky amateur woman detective, to carry this caper. Unfortunately, Charlie isn't up to the task, a particularly noticeable failing in a genre featuring so many engaging and capable female gumshoes.