Kathryn Casey is back with an exhilarating new page-turner featuring the fantastic Detective Clara Jeffries: Her Final Prayer.

Clara Jeffries is used to coming across distressing scenes in the line of duty, but even the most hardened of cops cannot help but be upset when they are called out to a scene and find two children and their mothers brutally murdered. Determined to bring their killers to justice, Clara vows to leave no stone unturned in her quest to find out who murdered these innocents – especially as their father Jacob Johannsson is fighting for his life and his son two month old Jeremy has been left untouched sleeping peacefully in his crib. What possessed somebody to commit such a depraved act? As Clara begins to investigate, she speaks to a shocked community who all affirm what a good man Jacob was. He was a devoted family man and a pillar of the community who wouldn’t harm anybody. So what drove somebody to turn up at his door and commit murder?
Clara will not stop digging until she gets to the truth. But is she ready for what she is about to uncover?

Clara cannot shake off this feeling that this crime is personal and that Jacob is not the upstanding man everyone seems to think he is. Clara’s instincts are telling her that Jacob is a man with plenty of dark secrets and shocking skeletons in his closet and she is determined to get to the truth – even if thus far all she seems to be encountering are closed doors and blank stares. The community seems to be doing whatever it takes to keep Clara from finding out the truth, but as the incriminating evidence piles up, Clara becomes even more convinced that there is something seriously sinister going on in this community.

But Clara refuses to surrender. She is sure that more danger is coming for the community and that the more opposition the locals put up, the more the threat of jeopardy increases. Can Clara protect this town from harm? Or will getting too close to the truth end up putting her in the line of fire?

Kathryn Casey is on top form with the latest Clare Jeffries thriller. Deftly plotted, brilliantly tense and full of shocking twists and turns, Her Final Prayer is a nail-biting read that is dark, unsettling and disturbing.

A first class thriller full of scary moments, heart-stopping suspense and jaw-dropping revelations, Kathryn Casey’s Her Final Prayer is another must-read from this master storyteller.

This is turning into an excellent series,with good characters and a complex storyline. A brutal murder scene,lots of suspects and many a twist and turn.

Her Final Prayer by Kathryn Casey is the second book in the series to feature Detective Clara Jeffries in Alber, Utah. Alber is a place Clara left to get away from the polygamous d out what happened and get justice for the women and children who have died. The townsfolk still don't agree with her returning and even her own mum gives her the cold shoulder, so she finds it is like hitting a brick wall! Even though she is sworn to protect these people who seemingly hate her, just for leaving.Clara knows this killer will strike again but with no help from the community she really is struggling to get somewhere.
I enjoy the Clara Jeffries books so much. It shows me a side to a religion I really know nothing about so it gives it a refreshing twist.The amount of secrets, mystery and lies in this community makes for a captivating read. The subject of the forced marriages is explored,the weirdness of the Mormon community has a light shone onto it that is not a positive one.I am so glad I have been invited on both blog tours as this is a series I really can get into. The characters are really well developed and the world building of Alber is brilliant. I pick up the book and I am there immediately back with Clara.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book for my review today.

This is the second book in the series and I found it to be just as compelling. The backdrop is intriguing and adds an intriguing edge to the mystery. Not a boring moment to be found in this and I'm looking forward to reading more.

A tense and clever police procedural. This is the second book in the detective Clara Jeffries series. In the previous book Clara is summoned to her isolated Utah hometown to help investigate the disappearance of one of her sisters. In this book Clara has decided to stay in the fictional town of Alber where she is now the acting police chief. When there is a gruesome murder of a family on the outskirts of town Clara is on the case. But it’s even more complicated than solving a murder. The town is not excited to have Clara back, they have shunned her for leaving years ago.

This isolated backwards polygamist small town offers the perfect backdrop to this police procedural. The religious beliefs of this fringe polygamist sect creates an abundance of tension. Clara’s familiarity with the community is both helpful and harmful in the search for answers. Clara is a great character and I really like learning more about her backstory. But boy oh boy does the girl have so much more baggage to unpack. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Max and Clara. Max is such a good guy and I really hope that Clara and he can help one another heal their wounds. The mystery was perfectly paste and compelling. I truly had no idea who done it until the culprit was revealed. Another great installment in this chrime series.

*** Big thank you to Bookouture for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

I am happy to report that Her Final Prayer by Kathryn Casey is another intriguing and twisty addition to the Detective Clara Jefferies series! This may only be book 2 but I already feel like I'm getting to know the (fictional) town of Alber, Clara, and Max a whole lot better. There was a little more of Clara's backstory mixed in with the grisly murder mystery, and I already feel a connection with them that I hope never ends. There are definitely some disturbing and chilling parts but nothing too gory so people who are only slightly squeamish should be ok with this book/series.

I really enjoyed the crime aspect to the novel and thought it was unpredictable and frankly, hard to put down. I really like Casey's books because they are paced so well and such quick reads, and that was definitely the case with Her Final Prayer. The Mormon community is so fascinating to me to read about, and it's really brought alive in this novel. Tensions run high and it made the suspense feel even higher as well. I had no idea where it was going to go and was surprised by ending plus impressed with Detective Jefferies. She's such a smart, strong female character and I love reading from her viewpoint. There is also some of Max's POV mixed in which I always appreciated, but Clara is my favorite overall.

If you are looking for a new crime series to grab, I highly recommend checking this one out. The books don't have to be read in order, but I think that would be helpful unless you want to miss some of Clara's backstory. I had a hard time remembering what happened in book 1 so I felt like I was missing some things there, which is why I recommend binging them in order! This series is perfect if you are looking for something quick and twisty, and I can't wait to see what happens next in Alber.

Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy via NetGalley. All opinions and thoughts are my own

Favorite Quotes:

I thought of those I knew who used religion to control the lives of others and the unfairness of a world where so many have no power and no voice.

On the day my parents delivered me to him I was seventeen, and my husband was sixty-four. He could have been my grandfather.


My Review:

The first book in the series, The Fallen Girls, left a mark on my memory and I have been curious ever since to know more of Clara’s history. The storylines were tense and prickly, much like the main protagonist, as well as a bit gruesome and cast with adult characters I wanted to take a sharp switch to while hissing like a serpent. I know there are weird secular cults in every culture and that they are basically everywhere, but these extreme religious sects that are basically abusing children and women with the women’s consent are just horrific and inexcusable. The mystery wasn’t as unpredictable as the first installment but it was still twisted and disconcerting and kept me on edge.

Let's just start by saying WOW! This is the second book in the Clara Jefferies series and it was just as great as the first. Suspense throughout the whole book ! This author just grabs a hold of you from the very first pages until you can't put down the book!! Highly recommend reading this series!

Her Final Prayer by Kathryn Casey
Detective Clara Jeffries #2

Clara Jeffries went home a few months before this story begins to try and find her missing sister. As a homicide detective in Dallas she had the skills and tenacity to do the job but what she found was not pretty. At the end of the first book in the series some of Clara’s secrets had been revealed, we met a man from her past that meant a great deal to her, the polygamous religious sect she had once been a member of and the community they lived in was given a close look, and the foundation was put in place for the series that would follow. Whether or not she would stay in Alber, Utah was left up in the air. As book two begins we soon find out that Clara did stay, at least temporarily, as police chief for Alber. In book two of the series Clara and Max with the rest of the police and forensics team work to solve a heinous slaughter of innocents.

What I liked:
* Clara: strong, determined, intelligent, conflicted, dealing with her past, not sure how to move forward – I liked her.
* Max: strong, determined, loving, good father, Chief Deputy of Sheriff’s Department, a man possibly ready to move on, interested (still) in Clara – I hope he will win Clara over
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* Learning more about the small town and community of Alber
* Thinking about how community and religion form beliefs…and what it takes to move away from them
* That the story was different
* The writing, plot and story telling
* Information about Max and Clara as well as the sect that continues to be shared
* The police team
* The title…perfect for this book
* That it made me think…about the story, religion, my change in religious belief over time, etc
* I cared and was invested in the story
* That the killer was eventually caught

What I did not like:
* The loss of innocent life and the ripple effect it had on so many
* The bigotry
* Being reminded of the power religion/brain washing can have on people
* Knowing that sects/cults like this still exist
* Not having book three in my hand to read right now.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This is the second book in the Clara Jefferies series and man what a ride! I had the hardest time figuring out whodunit!

This series is set in Alber, Utah which is a polygamy community that is teetering on the brink of collapsing since their “prophet” was arrested. We learn a bit of what happened with that in book one. Our main character Clara grew up in that community but ran away from some bad things and is now a detective from Dallas. In the first book she comes back to help solve a case involving her sister and now she is the police chief of Alber and tension is still pretty high with having her there as she is considered an “apostate” and to be shunned.

In this one it starts out with the discovery of four murder victims and one attempted murder as the man is still alive even though his throat was cut. Clare is called out to the scene along with Max who is the Chief deputy (if I remember that right) and what they find is horrible. One of Jacob’s wives and her two small children dead, then as they go inside they find Jacob still alive but verily and then his other wife upstairs has is also dead.

One of the wives is detective Mullin’s daughter and he is pretty sure he knows exactly who is the culprit and they pretty much have to try and contain him so they can get the guy and ask him questions. Though Mullins is sure it’s him they also find out some information about another guy. Laurel as in love with Myles before she was forced to marry Jacob and so Myles is also a suspect.

Not only does Clara have to deal with this horrific crime but there are a lot of people who don’t want her there as tensions rise with this murder there are a lot of protester out in from of the police station wanting her to go back home.

I thought this was a very well done mystery and I was stumped until I could come to no other conclusion than the one I did towards the end before Clara has it figured out. I like it when I get a bit stumped.

I also really like the main character Clara, she has a lot of baggage from her past to deal with and sometimes I am not really sure why she stayed there. I do know one of her main reason is because of Max who was her first love from when she lived there but he has a lot of baggage too.

I really liked this series and think it is fast becoming a new favorite and can’t wait to see what happens next. I am not a huge fan of the polygamy thing but it does make for an interesting backdrop. 🙂 I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys mystery/crime novels.

This was a great crime thriller that I really enjoyed. It was a suspenseful storyline with religious tensions that seems to have many different layers and really hooked me in. You can tell the main character Clara loves her job and just wants to see justice served and will go to any lengths to achieve this. She is a very likeable character that instantly draws you to her and I so wanted her to succeed. I will definitely look to read more by this author.

This is the second book in the Detective Clara Jefferies book and every bit as good a read as the first one. Set in Utah, Clara is called to investigate multiple murders at a ranch. As Chief of Police in a Mormon community, she is shunned by locals and meets with a wall of silence during her investigation .This is a very well written and fast paced psychological thriller which will leave you reluctant to put down as there is plenty of action, as well as twists and turns. I would recommend the read but hang on tight for a rollercoaster ride. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Book Description:

Her pulse pounded in her ears as she scanned the house. Her eyes traveled over the porch where three empty chairs lazily rocked in the breeze, surrounded by scattered children’s toys. In the yard, there were mounds of earth. Graves. Only big enough for children…

When Detective Clara Jefferies is called to a family ranch just outside of Alber, Utah, she’s horrified to find two innocent young children murdered alongside their mothers. But she arrives at the scene quickly enough to rush their father, Jacob Johansson, to hospital where he begins fighting for his life, and to save his two-month-old son Jeremy, left untouched in his crib.

As Clara begins to investigate, nothing she finds out makes sense. Though she uncovers photos of one of Jacob’s wives in his best friend’s trailer, her flower necklace underneath his bed, there are rumors that she was in love with a different man altogether. And as the close-knit community comes together to support Jacob, Clara’s own family shut her out of the investigation…

But Clara won’t give up. With the killer still at large, baby Jeremy is at risk, and every moment her family are helping Jacob they are also in danger. To earn her family’s trust, Clara finally has to face the past, but can she do it before it’s too late?

Impossible to put down, Her Final Prayer is perfect for readers of Lisa Regan, Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. You’ll race through the pages until the final heart-pounding twist.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Her Final Prayer' by Kathryn Casey.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 3rd October 2020

This is the first book that I have read by this author. It is the second book in the 'Detective Clara Jefferies' series. Although this book is second in a series it can be read as a standalone, as I did quite easily.

I was originally drawn to this book by its intriguing and beautiful cover and interesting sounding blurb. I was also drawn to the fact that the blurb stated it was perfect for fans of Melinda Leigh and Kendra Elliot. I am a big fan of both so it will be very interesting to see if it lives up to this. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 40 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so ideal to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is mainly written in first person perspective with the protagonist being Detective Clara Jefferies. I enjoy books written in first person perspective as as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. There are also chapters written from Max's perspective in third person narrative. I really enjoyed that the books was mixed first and third party narrative as it gave the best of both worlds, feeling as though your being spoken directly to whole having the overview from another characters perspective. It helps paint a bigger picture.

This book is based in Utah, US 🇺🇸.

This book is very well written and sucked me straight into the storyline. It had great descriptions which helped me picture everything easily. I enjoyed that the perspective of Clara was written from first person perspective and Max as third person. I haven't seen this done in anither book yet and I think it was done extremely well with no mix ups and giving the reader a much larger insight of what was going on from different perspectives. I thought it was very helpful that some of the descriptions of medical terms were explained in layman terms as it helps readers understand what they mean if they don't understand.

I really enjoyed the characters and lied their strong personalities. I loved that Clara speaks about victims as people using their names and visualises alot which helps to set the scenes. I also love the fact that there is a strong female lead, being female myself this is always a bonus!! I also liked Max and how he supported Clara and I look forward to seeing more of how their relationship develops.

The storyline was action packed and filled with mysteries and twists and turns. It kept me up until late turning the pages. Just when I thought I could put it down for the night BOOM another surprise was just around the corner!! I didn't guess who the killer was so definitely bonus points there!! I read alot of crime books so I'm finding it harder to be surprised but I did not expect that one coming.i also found that the storyline about Elijah's people was quite interesting and I was glad it explains some of their "rules" per say.

I would love to see this turned into a movie and am looking forward to reading the next book in this explosive series.

Overall a fast paced psychological crime thriller that will keep you up late at night guessing and turning the pages.

Genres covered include Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Police Procedural and Crime Fiction.

I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Angela Marsons, Melinda Leigh, C. L Taylor and Kendra Elliot.

336 pages.

This book is £1.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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Author Bio:

A novelist and award-winning journalist, Kathryn Casey is the author of eleven highly acclaimed true crime books and the creator of the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. Library Journal picked THE KILLING STORM as one of the best mysteries of 2010. Her latest true crime, IN PLAIN SIGHT, investigates the Kaufman County prosecutor murders, a case that made worldwide headlines. Casey has appeared on Oprah, 20/20, the Today Show, Good Morning America, the Biography Channel, Reelz, The Travel Network, Investigation Discovery, and many other venues. Ann Rule called Casey “one of the best in the true crime genre.”

http://www.kathryncasey.com/
Twitter: @KathrynCasey

Buy Links:

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Detective Clara Jefferies is called to the home of a family in the small Alber, Utah polygamous community. She’s faced with something no one would want to face, a family brutally murdered including two young children. The only survivors are an infant and the father. As the father fights to stay alive, Clara makes sure the baby is protected.

Clara begins an investigation which takes her in several different directions. None of the pieces to this puzzle fit. Clara’s past comes back to haunt her when the town shuns her. Even her own family turns their back on her. However, Clara is determined to find out the truth despite all the obstacles in her path.

Clara is a wonderful, strong character. She doesn’t back down from anyone regardless of her emotions. There are so many things going on with her with her relationships with her family and former boyfriend and, yet, she keeps her head on straight and continues the investigation.

I was quite intrigued with this police procedural. I kept trying to peel away layer after layer of clues, trying to figure this all out. I was totally unsuccessful. I didn’t see that ending coming at all.

It was a really fast read for me. I kept trying to put the book down and I just couldn’t. I had to know the ending.

This is the second book in the series. Although they can be read as standalone stories - the mysteries are contained within the story, no cliffhangers, I do think it’s beneficial to read the books in order. Book #1 gives you a full understanding of Clara’s background. This book gives you some info, but it’s really best to read both books in order. I loved the first one, but I loved this one even more and it’s going on my best books of the year list.

I love this novel for the excellent plot and the unusual setting. It’s a gripping and highly entertaining story, full of twists and turns, that kept me hooked till the end.
I loved Claire and was fascinated by the descriptions on the life in a small town where a community of polygamist lives.
Claire was a member of the community but, as it often happens with those that are considered apostate, she’s seen like an outcast. She faces a lot of pressure to resign from her work as chief of police. She’s a strong woman who loves her jobs and wants justice for the victims. A fascinating and intriguing character, well thought as the other characters in this story.
I loved how the author deals with issues like mysoginy, the role of the women and how a close community can turn those who are felt as different.
There are a lot of layers in this book: the mystery, Claire’s personal story and the evolution of people and of a community.
The mystery is grim, full of twists and turns and the solution came as a surprise.
A well written, atmospheric and fascinating story, I can’t wait to read the next instalment.
Strongly recommended.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

😊 This twisty, exhilarating crime thriller had me guessing as it jogged along. I thoroughly enjoyed Her Final Prayer, a deeply engrossing tale of mystery, religious tension and suspense.

Detective Clara Jefferies was at Dallas PD for three years and was very much respected as one of the toughest members of the team, working on some of their most difficult cases. Growing up in Alber, Utah, Clara used to belong to the Mormon community and has spent years avoiding her hometown. Now though, she has recently been promoted and is called to a bloody murder scene at a farm on the outskirts of Alber. Two young children and their mothers have been killed, though Jacob Johansson is still alive, bleeding on the kitchen floor. Johansson's baby boy, Jeremy, is also at the scene, left unharmed in his cot. Clara is determined to gather the evidence and follow up leads no matter what.

Kathryn Casey has a very appealing style of writing, and the characters she creates are very credible. For me, Clara comes across as someone with great tenacity and passion for her job, as well as possessing a strong sense of justice.

Her Final Prayer was a well-plotted and comfortably paced mystery that certainly kept me turning the pages as it touched upon the life within a polygamist community. I liked the way that the author blended Clara’s personal history and memories with the investigation. The complex, layered story was full of twists and turns, and the various unfolding of events and revelations made the book even more absorbing. This was a mesmerising story of exclusion, lies, concealment and harboured secrets, and the ending was unexpected.

Would I read more in this series from Kathryn Casey? An emphatic... yes! 😊

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion

When Detective Clara Jefferies is called to a ranch just outside of Alber, Utah, she’s sickened to find two innocent young children murdered alongside their mothers. Their father, Jacob Johansson, has been rushed to hospital where he fights for his life. Blissfully unaware, his two-month-old son Jeremy has been left untouched in his crib. In the eyes of the community Jacob is the perfect, devout husband, seemingly living a peaceful, happy life. But Clara is certain that the crime is personal: one of Jacob’s wives was killed differently, her lips painted after she died.
This is the second book in the series & is easily read on its own. I found it a well written interesting read, as it was set in a polygamous community which was a new setting for me & one I know very little about so my interest was enhanced. There are plenty of secrets & red herrings & I avidly read to find out who as guilty. The paced was good & on the whole the characters were likeable. I look forward to more stories in the series
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Her Final Prayer is the second instalment in the Detective Clara Jefferies series, set in Alber, Utah. Although certainly preferable it isn't essential to have read the first book before taking the plunge with this one. Clara has recently been promoted to Chief of Police for the small town of Alber and is called in to investigate a bloody and brutal murder scene on a farm on the outskirts. The area is known for being the place in which many adherents to the polygamous Mormon sect reside. Clara used to be one of the followers of the religion but had decided to leave and was now shunned by the rest of the population. So when she attends to find a family massacred in their own home she is very much given the cold shoulder despite her love for the people she knows so well playing a large part in her desire to serve and protect the locals; Jacob Johanssen is discovered bleeding out on his kitchen floor barely clinging to life, but unfortunately, his two wives and two children have not been so lucky and are all dead. A wailing baby boy, Jeremy, survives but it's going to be touch and go for his father who has had his throat slashed from ear to ear and was rushed to ICU. Despite being an apostate, Clara is stubbornly determined to get justice for the townsfolk.

Now Clara knows it's a race against time before the brazen, heartless killer strikes again but she's finding it increasingly difficult to investigate and interview the members of the sect as they not only don't want her there but they refuse to talk to her too. This is a captivating and compulsive read, which I enjoyed immensely, and I can honestly say that the religious tensions made a refreshing change for this genre and made it all the more engrossing. It's an original, fast-paced and compelling novel which is easy to race through, and I found the plotting superb. Mystery, secrets and lies abound and many in the Mormon community find it impossible to believe any one of them could have carried out such a heinous crime. The plot is twist-laden, the characters engaging and the exploration of forced marriage and the entrenched misogyny in their belief system fascinating and I found the cutting off of former community members saddening but it added a unique aspect to the plot. A real must-read which kept me up into the early hours. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

This is the 2nd book to this series and I did read the first one and enjoyed it. This book was as good and can't wait for another one.
When Detective Clara Jefferies is called to a family ranch just outside of Alber, Utah, she’s horrified to find two innocent young children murdered alongside their mothers. But she arrives at the scene quickly enough to rush their father, Jacob Johansson, to hospital where he begins fighting for his life, and to save his two-month-old son Jeremy, left untouched in his crib. This is a community with men married to several women and having many kids. Claire was brought up that way but ran away when she was an older teen and married off to someone she didn't want to be married to. So she came back to town in the last book and this one takes off with the community still shunning her while she is trying to investigate and she is getting letters sent to her office to leave town. Her partner is also she was in love with as a teenager and he wants a relationship with her again.

Detective Clara Jeffries had quite the experience in The Fallen Girls, the first book in the series. Returning to her hometown after several years away was a difficult choice, and the decision to stay on as Chief of Police was even more troublesome.

This is all because the town of Alber is not a “normal” hometown by most standards. It’s home to a sect of fundamentalist Mormons called Elijah’s People. Clara is considered an apostate for having left, which presents her with unique challenges. Especially in the face of the current investigation.

Once again, a member of Clara’s family is involved, but this time it’s Mother Naomi who finds a gruesome scene at the farmhouse of a local family. It’s up to Clara, and her longtime friend (possible boyfriend) Chief Deputy Max Anderson to solve the case.

As with the last book, the author does a good job plotting the investigation so that not too much information is given out all at once. The reader is told of clues as the characters find them – there is not a lot of insight into other characters or from other perspectives that would give the reader a “heads up” on culprits or motives.

I did think that one aspect of Jacob and Carl’s friendship, and their time in Mexico, seemed a bit out of place. It was interesting, and the influence of their experiences with the other sect certainly had bearing on the case. But I wish there had been a little bit more to it and that the author had followed through with some of the imagery and customs. That could have been interesting.

I also honestly expected that there was going to be something more to Jacob and Carl’s “friendship.” The way that some of the characters referred to them certainly made it seem like that was going to go in a different direction, which would have definitely caused a stir in town.

It’s the town and its people who intrigue me most about this series. As I mentioned in my review of the previous book, the author either has experience with or has completed extensive research of the customs, because she brings the alternative lifestyle to the forefront without making judgments or commenting on it.

I’m not sure if that makes sense. Clara and her experiences (both in town and what she deals with upon her return, even from her own family) serve as information about the people and their beliefs. Because of that, the reader gets a “personal” view of it all, which allows it all to seem realistic while acknowledging the dangers and problems of the lifestyle.

Clara has a particular difficulty with this case because part of it reminds her of her own time with Max when they were teenagers. She obviously remains influenced by that, even as she tries to fight through it and move on to acceptance of her current situation.

As to whodunit, I’m not going to say (of course), but the author did a good job of keeping the guessing going right up until the very end. I also liked how there seems to be a set up for a big confrontation between Clara and her supporters and the townsfolk who think she shouldn’t have a position of power (or even be allowed back in town at all).

I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next book to see how it all shakes out.