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As one starts to read Nancy Bell's latest novel the first thing that stands out is its small town feel and comfortable atmosphere. In the book's opening chapters readers can visualize themselves sitting at Joe Junior McBride's barbershop on a lazy summer afternoon. It is a small establishment filled with good friends, a sense of camaraderie and small town gossip. Bell manages to put you inside of the scene making you part of the story. It is not something that can easily be portrayed in a novel taking place in a metropolitan city. However, no matter where you are or what you do violent death can create an impact. When it takes place in the small town of Post Oak, Texas and it is the murder of the town's beloved barber, everyone pays attention. What makes it worse is that there might be a possibility that the killer is one amongst them. That is one scary thought. DEATH SPLITS A HAIR is the second book in a series featuring small-town judge and justice of the peace Jackson Crain. He is a widower with a young teenage daughter and has what most people would consider a mundane job. Still, he makes the best of it. He settles local disputes, makes sure that people fill out the necessary paperwork to obtain permits and licenses, and every once in a while he gets to help the local police in solving a crime. There is a murderer in town who needs to be flushed out. Someone had what they think was a good reason to kill Joe Junior McBride. As the investigation into the case proceeds many will realize that no one really knew the victim and that some of his secrets were meant to be kept hidden. Oh well, just another day in a sleepy little town. Nancy Bell makes good use of the book's setting to introduce down-home characters that readers can easily identify with. The spirit of community and family are contagious where life's single pleasures are worth every penny. It does not take much to entertain the people in town and it is a great gift to share with readers. The novel's murder mystery is secondary to what the author manages to provide in a small book. The case is solved in a timely fashion and it does not come out of left field. It is just good. If you are looking for a nice quiet and pleasant read, there is no need to look further. You have just found it.
Reviewed by Angel L. Soto, April 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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