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Every family has one. The incredibly rude, obnoxious person always willing to tell the entire world what’s wrong with you and yours, usually in a public place at an awkward time. In Kitty Bloodworth’s family, it’s cousin Will Ann Lloyd. For some reason, she’s got a problem with Kitty’s daughter Sunny and Sunny’s possible romance with her son, the sainted Craig. Will Ann wants everything to look proper, so much so that she won’t even discuss the fact that she is adopted. You know the type. When Will Ann is found strangled with a pair of jumper cables in the trunk of Kitty and Jack’s prized 1957 Chevy Bel Air, they become, as one might expect, suspects. And the car is impounded. Any reader with connections to an antique car will know the angst this brings to Jack, who has lovingly restored Sadie to her original glory. Kitty is a tad more concerned about who killed Will Ann, because she knows it wasn’t her and it wasn’t Jack. She’s also concerned because she knows that Sunny is lying to her about something, and it isn’t just some minor little something. Is it connected to Will Ann’s murder? While checking things out, Kitty is run off the road by a van which she thinks belongs to her daughter Maggie. Kitty sustains some fairly serious injuries (punctured lung, broken leg) and can’t remember what was going on before the accident happened. One of the aspects of Cruse’s writing which was particularly enjoyable was the fact that Kitty didn’t bounce back from these injuries in a week or two. She was on crutches for quite a while, and very conscious of how long it takes a middle-aged body to recuperate. Kitty, of course, does figure out who killed Will Ann. While the killer was no surprise to me, the motive was not one I expected or saw coming. That is also another enjoyable aspect of Cruse’s writing – her ability to take the seemingly obvious and transform it. Kitty is a delightful character, aware of most of her flaws and accepting that those around her are just as imperfect as she. Her relationship to Jack is a wonderful example of a long-term marriage that is working, always a pleasure to witness, even in a book. I’m really looking forward to reading more about Kitty and her family. I wouldn’t turn down a ride in Sadie, either.
Reviewed by P. J. Coldren, October 2007
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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