Exhibit A Books
With her San Francisco apartment building going condo and her office space about to be razed, Janelle Watkins finds herself living in an old RV on a parcel of land she inherited from her father. The arrangement provides for her basic needs and suits her budget while she tries to save enough money to move back to San Fran. Sounds good, except for one little drawback, the location - Greenville - her hometown. The one place she doesn't want to be.
Greenville is loaded with memories of her monster of a father. As well, her former SFPD partner and on again off again lover, Sheriff Ken Heinz, lives there with his teenage niece Cassie. For reasons that Janelle doesn't quite fathom, Cassie has taken a liking to Janelle and keeps ending up on her doorstep. This wouldn't be so bad except that it makes it difficult for Janelle to avoid Ken, even though she isn't entirely sure she wants to. However, when Janelle and Cassie find a teenager hanging from a bridge and another one disappears, Janelle's involvement in the investigations makes it impossible for her to avoid the Sheriff professionally or personally.
There are a number of tangled threads in this web of a plot involving past indiscretions. As the cover says "no secret can ever stay buried.." and this is key to the plot and the characters, including Janelle and a very dark period in her life. There is also the ongoing theme of children being abandoned, physically and/or emotionally, by less than adequate parents. As we learn more about Janelle's past and her ongoing psychological issues, we are witness to her allowing her vulnerability to show on occasion.
I love the character of Janelle. She is so perfect in her imperfections. She is physically and emotionally disabled and I appreciate how Sandler incorporates this into the storyline to reveal to the reader Janelle's feelings, thoughts and the stubborn reactions she has to ensure she doesn't fall victim to any sort of pity, kindness or affection. The same sense of pride makes it difficult for her to have a relationship with Ken, or anyone.
The relationships between Janelle and Ken, Janelle and Cassie, and Janelle and Reverend Brown all make this an enjoyable read for me. The small town, rural setting adds to the feeling of intimacy between the reader and the story. It also makes the plot somewhat plausible because small towns can conceal big secrets.
A great read and I look forward to Janelle's next investigation. I hope the demise of Exhibit A books doesn't get in the way. http://exhibitabooks.com/2014/06/20/news-about-exhibit-a/
To learn more about Janelle and Karen Sandler read my review of Clean Burn, the first Janelle Watkins investigation.
http://birch-bark.blogspot.ca/2013/08/clean-burn-by-karen-sandler.html
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