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One Last Goodbye |
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| One Last Goodbye by Joyce and Jim Lavene Avalon Mystery, 2000 ISBN 0803494386 Reviewed by PJ Nunn As the daughter of a former sheriff, Sheriff Sharyn Howard is respected. As the first female sheriff, she constantly has to prove herself. It’s unfortunate that a man disappeared during the first time she’s taken a few days off to go camping, and more unfortunate still that her deputies felt so strongly about bringing her back that they sent the city’s new helicopter to pick her up. Especially when a press photographer was there to photograph her as she dismounted the aircraft, clad in shorts and a tee-shirt, looking like she’d just spent a few days on the trail. Not the most professional image. The man who’s missing has a known tendency to wander off. But his brother is in town to supervise the retrieval of a war plane lost at the bottom of the lake years ago - a spectacular media event for their small town. Maybe the brother just wants to garner more publicity for the event by insisting that there is foul play involved in his brother’s disappearance. It sure complicates things, though. As the investigation proceeds, Sharyn discovers that the lake holds many secrets, including the truck and the body of the missing man. With the press already assembled on the shore to record the historic retrieval of the war plane, there’s not much chance of keeping the discovery quiet. It only gets worse as cranes lift the plane from the water and it becomes immediately apparent that the pilot didn’t die in the crash. He was dead before he hit the water. Can Sharyn sort back through the years and find out who wanted them both dead before she has yet another victim on her hands? The Lavenes have created an affable character in Sheriff Sharyn Howard. She’s a good peace officer, but not at all stereotypical. She’s very real, with vulnerabilities and character traits that are easy to visualize and accept. The relationships portrayed here are realistic and can provoke both groans and smiles. The mystery is intriguing too, yet not overly complex. One Last Goodbye is a solid and entertaining story, sure to appeal to mystery lovers, making them look for the next installment in Sharyn Howard’s life experiences. |
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