THE RAMPANT REAPER: A Charlie Greene Mystery

Charlie Greene, high-powered West Coast literary agent, single mom and amateur sleuth, leaves the glitzy world of Los Angeles for a small Iowa town in Millhiser's (Killer Commute, etc.) seventh amusing and wacky tale of murder and mayhem. Much against her will (after all, she is adopted and has had no contact with her birth mother's family), Charlie has agreed to accompany her birth mother to the funeral of her great-great-aunt in Myrtle, Iowa. Relatives she has never even heard about come out of the woodwork, and when the two travelers are sent to stay at the dilapidated family homestead with Uncle Elmo, Charlie begins to wish she'd stayed in L.A. Much to her chagrin, a blizzard and a rash of unexplained murders at Gentle Oaks, the local nursing home, keep Charlie in Myrtle and involve her in a bizarre mystery that has to do with the town's namesake, Myrtle herself. An investigation that becomes personal leads to an almost catastrophic conclusion. In dealing with the locals, especially the geriatric inhabitants of Gentle Oaks and their antics, Charlie displays the characteristic wry wit that has endeared her to her fans. Although Charlie's slowly evolving family tree is complex and confusing, a strong plot and a vividly described setting will engage the reader from start to finish. This read is as satisfying as a Midwest dinner of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn and carrot cake. (July 15)