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Milt Kovak struggles to keep the peace while contending with forces of nature like tornadoes and his wife, Jean, in Cooper’s amiably folksy 13th mystery featuring the Prophesy County, Okla., sheriff (after 2013’s Dark Waters). The inbred, highly unstable Blanton clan provides the occasion for the crime, beginning with Darrell Blanton’s shooting of his wife, Joynell. Arresting Darrell is no problem, until Darrell’s mama, Eunice, retaliates by taking a bachelorette party hostage and demanding her son’s release. Unfortunately, he has died in his jail cell in the interim. Not only is Kovak’s wife among the hostages, but so are his deputies, Nita Skitteridge and Jasmine Hopkins. Moreover, a tornado is striking nearby Bishop, while Jean has to deal with the death of her friend Paula, whose dysfunctional family may have led to her self-destructive lifestyle. This moderately entertaining entry will be more likely appeal to established fans than win new converts. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary Agency. (Sept.)