Synopsis

Emma Lovett leaves her philandering husband and crosses the country to begin her teaching career at a high school in Pinewood, Colorado.There, she meets Leslie Parker, a fellow teacher given to quoting Shakespeare to fit all situations, and the two become fast friends.

Arriving at work early one morning, Emma discovers the body of the school custodian, a man who reminds her of her late father. When the police struggle to find the killer, the ladies decide to help solve the murder. Their efforts lead them to a myriad of suspects: the schizophrenic librarian, the crude football coach, the mysterious social studies teacher, and even Emma’s new love interest.

As Emma Lovett discovers the perils of teaching high school, she and Leslie learn more than they ever wanted to know about the reasons people kill.

Review

Teachers never have it easy but to be a first time teacher and find a dead body, well that could make anyone question their career choice!

This is the first in a new series set in Colorado and featuring a transplanted Southern woman named Emma and her new found friend and fellow teacher, Leslie, who quotes Shakespeare at every turn.  I found their interactions witty but also had to shake my head at some of their actions since it put them into danger more often than not.  There is a budding romance for Emma with a coach from the school, Hunter.  Leslie has something happening romantically in her life but we don’t know much about the other party yet.

The mystery is very well written and I never suspected the killer.  I honestly didn’t know who to suspect and looking back I don’t recall any clues that just stood out that pointed one direction or another.

There is also a little bit of sadness when we learn who Melvin (the murder victim) left behind and didn’t know how close he was to the love of his life.  I enjoyed how this story unfolded, sadly after the fact.  But it explains so much!

The only thing I didn’t like was using “ahm” or something similar to represent Emma’s southern drawl.  After the first few times to illustrate her drawl I think it could have been left out since I was putting the accent in my head anyway!

We give this first in a new series 4 paws up.

About the Author

“Kelley Kaye” taught High School English and Drama since 1992 in California, then Colorado and now Cali again, but her love for storytelling dates back to creating captions in her high school yearbook. Maybe back to the tales she created for her Barbie and Ken—whatever the case, the love’s been around a long time. She’s married to an amazing man who cooks for her, and they have two funny and wonderful sons.

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