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BOOK REVIEW: A Case of Crooked Letters
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by: Laura V. Hilton Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: A Case of Crooked Letters (A Morning Shade Mystery, book 2) Author: Lori Copeland Publisher: Tyndale ISBN: 0-8423-7116-8 Genre: Inspirational/Contemporary/Suspense Maude Diamond thinks life will finally get back to normal in Morning Shade, Arkansas. Her mother-in-law, Stella, seems to have nothing to do, and her daughter Cee-Cee is busy bringing in stray animals and delivering mail. Then Cee-Cee reports that she has been delivering some chain letters these days, and reminds Maude and Stella that they are illegal. Stella had something to do with the first batch of chain letters, but then a copy-cat takes over and is asking for more money—double what Stella had asked—and threatening even direr consequences. Everyone is suspect. Maude is trying to finish writing a book to fulfill her contract, but is having a difficult time concentrating since her advance is late, her bills are due, and Christmas is approaching too fast. The recent rash of chain letters is only adding to her misery because Stella is beginning to act strange. Who is behind the chain letters? Will Maude manage to meet her deadline with the mail fraud excitement? A Case of Crooked Letters is the second book in Lori Copeland’s Morning Shade Mystery series, but it easily stands alone. I didn’t have the pleasure of reading book one in the series, but I would like to. The characters are engaging, the faith message subtle, and the action continuous. I had a bit of an issue with the setting. The story is set in an imaginary little town near the real-life town of Ash Flat, Arkansas. As a resident of Ash Flat, Arkansas for twenty years (off and on), I had some issues with the artistic license: for instance, it has never snowed two feet in Arkansas as long as I’ve lived here, with the snow starting in early November . . . and if it does snow an inch, locals do not go out at all, let alone turn out in droves for a social event. There were a few other artistic licenses with the setting that gave me pause, too, but this is fiction. Aside from the setting issue, I thoroughly enjoyed A Case of Crooked Letters and highly recommend it. I am looking forward to reading the third book in the series. Pick up A Case of Crooked Letters for a book guaranteed to make you laugh. $12.99. 300 pages.
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