A Valley To Die For by Radine Trees Nehring

Carrie McCrite had shared a dream with her husband of moving to the Ozarks to start a new life after he retired. But after he dies in a hunting accident, Carrie decides she will keep the dream alive. Her best friend and neighbor Joanne Harrington keeps her busy between walks and the committee to get the quarry out of their little town. Yet someone decides to kill Joanne and so Carrie must not only figure out who did it but why. Her new neighbor and retired cop Henry King thinks that Carrie was the real target. Carrie thinks it is ridiculous. But it is no more so than the secrets Henry is keeping to himself.

Ms. Nehring knows her area. She does live there but she makes it come so alive. I felt like I was on the walks with Carrie. Everything is heart felt and wonderfully written. Some secrets can hurt others while some are just kept to protect others in the long run. The characters in this book are created beautifully. I couldn’t get enough of this story.

Carrie is a spunky woman. I truly enjoyed her as a character. She looked out for the best interests of others. She truly wanted to be the best person she could be and pursued it fully. She clung to her faith and used it as her lifeline. Her world is turned upside down but she faces it head on every day. Henry King has a few issues he needs to deal with. He is headstrong but has to figure out when to ask for help. He is a kind man but he drove me up the wall a few times.

I cannot wait to see how the rest of this series pans out. It kept me from the very beginning. Life is definitely in an uproar in this small town but the citizens will not go down without a fight. Small towns are wonderful even if they know all about you. There seems to be a greater want to help others than I have seen in big towns. I hope to pick up the next book soon because these characters are ones you just love to read about.
Radine Trees Nehring/New Author/Mystery/ 284 pages/Ozark Mountains

Okay quick update, I am now at 27,334 words for Nanorwrimo! SO the end is in sight and there is a little more to figure out yet! So I just might be able to do this! Yay! I have one book to review and hope to fit in one more of my own before I review another one. :) After Thanksgiving, I'll be reading a lot of my own Christmas books.