HALF PAST DEAD

Author: Meryle Sawyer ISBN: 0373770634 1/2006 SUSPENSE Publisher: HQN

Kat doesn't want any trouble . . . but the body count's rising faster than the Mississippi No one in Twin Oaks knows about the risky deal Kaitlin Wells cut with the Feds for her release. But everyone remembers her scandalous arrest for stealing money from the Mercury Bank. Now, three years later, Kat has come home to catch the real thieves and prove her innocence. Trouble is, some powerful folks don't want her digging up the past . . . or getting friendly with new sheriff Justin Radner. But some laws can't be ignored -- like white-hot attraction. And soon determined Kat and her handsome, daring lawman are risking love and life to expose the lies that will bring down a murderer . . . before the killer strikes again.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Welcome to the small town of Twin Oaks, Mississippi, a hotbed of illicit relationships, illegal immigrants, crime and drugs.

Kaitlin Wells returns home from prison after serving three years for a crime she didn't commit. The Feds have gotten her out so they can use her as bait to find the real criminals. Kaitlin was a mousy overweight woman when she entered the prison, but now she's slim, gorgeous, and has learned self-reliance. She is an all around tougher character who has learned to cope without the support of others. And she has to be strong, to deal with the situations she finds herself in. But because she's come out of her shell, she makes friends and even finds a love interest that she never could have expected to obtain before—Justin Radner, former high school football star turned sheriff. Justin isn't exactly a golden boy himself, since he grew up poor in the local trailer park.

There's lots of trouble in Twin Oaks, and these two are going to find themselves in the thick of it.

The action never stops in HALF PAST DEAD, with its solid collection of baddies and troubled townsfolk. I never really connected with the characters, but there are plenty of twists and turns to make the book an interesting read.

Heather Hiestand