cover image Whacked!

Whacked!

Amy Corwin. Five Star, $25.95 (278p) ISBN 978-1-4328-2588-1

At the start of this so-so novel of romantic suspense from Corwin (The Bricklayer’s Helper), Cassie Edwards comes to Peyton, N.C., to house-sit for her weird uncle, Frank, and his wife, who have supposedly gone to West Virginia to visit friends. To her surprise, Cassie discovers Frank in the woods behind his purple house, sharing a joint with Nick Gracie, bodyguard of the county’s biggest tycoon. The oblivious Frank doesn’t notice that Nick is dead. Cassie urges the police to look past her uncle as the obvious suspect, while hiding what she learns about Frank’s involvement in the local marijuana trade from authorities she’s prone to distrust. Cassie tries to piece together the real story herself, without letting her mutual attraction to wannabe writer Sheriff Jim Fletcher compromise his ability to help her clear Frank. Strong pacing and dialogue make up only in part for standard plot twists that may shock the characters but not the reader. (Dec.)