The lovable hero of Bell's light second Judge Jackson Crain mystery (after 2005's Death Splits a Hair
) lives up to his reputation for sticking his nose into any crime committed in the small East Texas town of Post Oak. When hotshot realtor Tom Delgado is found with a neat bullet hole in his head at his desk, Jackson doubts the killer is Tom's wife, Dovie, who becomes a suspect after it's revealed that the realtor's will names Sister Mary Dobbs McDermott, a flashy Dallas evangelist, as his primary beneficiary. Adding spice (and angst) is the middle-aged Jackson's sudden fling with Roxanne Kruger, a visiting artist whose rancher mother is dying. As spring blossoms into summer, the heat's on to find the real killer, who may well strike again. While some readers may wish there was more meat on the bones of this country-fried cozy, Jackson's keen sense of humor and justice will leave them eager for further adventures. (Aug.)
