In the interest of full disclosure, Bob and I are trading interviews later this week…
In short: Math teacher Bonnie Pinkwater gets caught in a murder mystery centered around a tornado and a dead vice-principal. Despite being the fourth book in a series, new readers shouldn’t have problems jumping in. Four stars.
This is a good, solid mystery. I hesitate to call it a cozy, but I suppose it is: an older woman/amateur sleuth solves mysteries in a small town. To me, Bonnie’s character always carries out a satisfying rebellion against the educational bureaucracy as embodied by Principal Divine, sometimes getting her licks in, sometimes having to grovel in order to keep her job and to defend her students. I have a soft spot for characters who defend kids without belittling them, and Bonnie hits the spot. Fast-paced, realistic, and a little goofy, a good put-your-feet-up and enjoy-the-small-victories kind of book.