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Dancing Dead is the sixth entry in this delightful series featuring life in the North Homage Shaker Village in northern Kentucky in the 1930s. One challenge in series with an amateur detective, especially one set among a pacifist non-violent religious sect, is finding a way to introduce a murder in a believable way. This time, Woodworth introduces a whole host of characters from "the world" as non-Shakers are known to the brothers and sisters, by opening a hostel on the grounds. Money problems aren't felt by the Shakers as keenly as by the general public during this time of the Great Depression, but North Homage Village is suffering from too few members and too many buildings to keep up. Eldress Sister Rose and Trustee Brother Andrew come up with the idea to turn an unused dwelling place into a hostel, attracting an odd assortment of travelling salesmen and down- on-their-heels gentlewomen. Also among the guests is Rose's friend Gennie, now engaged to the town sheriff. Gennie's enjoying a three week respite from her fiance to decide if she should marry or return to the Shakers. Almost simultaneous to the opening of the hostel, there are reports of a ghost haunting North Homage, and groups of townspeople are arriving each night, hoping for a glimpse of the dancing figure. Could the two events be related? And before long a guest is murdered and a brother is the chief suspect. Woodworth presents a carefully researched and skillfully presented look at a unique time in history and among a special population. Details of life both among the Shakers and in the world are presented quite convincingly. She writes sympathetically of a spiritual path quite removed from the normal experience, and presents characters that are fully formed. An Sister Rose is always reminding herself,Shakers do have faults, but they make a sincere effort to do the right thing. And since even a sympathetic outsider like the current sheriff (quite unlike his predecessor) can't fully understand the Shaker lifestyle, Sister Rose and Gennie but their efforts and talents into solving the crime and eliminating the ghost. Dancing Dead is a cozy read that is highly recommended.
Reviewed by Debbie Bogenschutz, March 2002
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