Country Living, Country Dying: A Witty Tale of Secrets Unburied

The eccentric populace of Bosky Dells, Maine (Pop. 827), is brought pungently to life in this brisk story, which stars some decidedly offbeat characters-each of whom unwittingly holds a key to some part of the central mystery. It's Halloween when Buzz Noble, manager of the town dump, finds a skeleton in the old landfill, and some documents identifying the murdered remains as those of Glinda True, who left town abruptly in 1967 and hasn't been seen since. But Glinda turns up (ostensibly to visit her cousin Adele) on the day of her own funeral, leaving unanswered the question of the skeleton's identity and that of the murderer. A colorful cast-including a dog named Dog; a mute who lives in a '73 Chevy; and Snooky, fabulous companion and housekeeper of a retired Episcopal priest-begins ruminating over some puzzling events that occurred in 1967. Who was the mysterious German resident Gunther Kringle? Why did Glinda leave town? What does she now want from cousin Adele? This first work of fiction keeps the wheels spinning merrily, with macabre surprises at just the right intervals.