Kim Jackson, absorbed in her own complex past, must also help her friend Laurie Beltran, implicated in the death of a local man, in this gripping third entry in the Colorado Skies series. Now living in the small town of Creede, Colorado, Kim steps in when Laurie is arrested for the murder of Trip Garrett, who owed her babysitting money. But there's a lot more going on here: Laurie has to come to terms with a horrific event in her own past, Trip's wife Cathy also comes under suspicion, and in Lewis’s assured hand the multiple plot threads gradually resolve themselves into a stunning denouement.Lewis neatly spins out each character's story. There's Kim's own dark past, rising in the corporate world, until "one day a good man turned over an unsuspecting rock and something terrible crawled out." Laurie's past includes rumors of a stint as a nun and, it seems, a reluctant heiress. Cathy also has a backstory that includes a deceased son, which sets in motion other developments. Occasionally, the many stories can be a challenge to keep up with—especially for those who haven't read the earlier books—but readers who pay attention until the end will be glad they did.
And although Lewis does a great job creating absorbing plotlines, the real joy of the book is her sharp eye on the colorful cast of characters and the rhythm of small town life. The portrait of a church service—a lively mix of faith and pettiness—is pitch-perfect. Kim runs a tax prep service, and a scene where she helps an angry and bewildered working-class couple understand tax law is an ideal slice of Americana that neatly highlights the milieu that Kim has to navigate. Lewis handsomely limns Kim's own character, as she observes the grave of a murdered child for whom she is seeking justice. The deft interplay between the gripping stories and well-developed characters makes for exceptionally engaging read.
Takeaway: The latest Colorado Skies mystery features murder, a small town, and gripping storytelling.
Great for fans of: Attica Locke, Kendra Elliot.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
