This engaging but flawed election-time read, the fourth mystery (after 2004’s Plains Crazy
) to feature Sheriff English of Benteen County, Kans., examines the nexus of politics and religion. English, up for re-election, faces stiff competition from a born-again Christian who tells voters they should oust the sheriff because his daughters have had abortions. When a deputy crashes into a school bus full of teens on a choir outing, the bus driver vanishes. Before English can figure out what happened to the driver, he must contend with a school shooting. The frequent shifts of point-of-view at times disrupt the narrative flow, while having both of the sheriff’s daughters named Heather is confusing. Still, the novel’s focus on hot-button political issues will help hold readers’ attention, and a setup for a sequel that gives the more intriguing Heather a central role may entice them to come back. (Nov.)
