20. Mission to Sonora - Rebecca Cramer

for: Adults
1998
Book World, Inc. (Sun Lakes, Az)
$10.95
Rating: 2

I had really high hopes for this murder mystery set in Tucson. Actually, the protagonist lives and teaches on the Tohono O’odham reservation at San Xavier, a great setting, to say the least. Linda Bluenight is a fourth grade teacher, single parent to a high-school son named Matty. And this woman does it all. She cooks intricate meals, teaches thoroughly and well, and single-handedly nabs a multi-murderer while attracting (unwanted) male advances. The Tucson police department begs her to oversee an autopsy because that’s what she did in her previous life and they’re backed up......? ? ? In other words, the story is not at all set in reality, and although there are glimmers of good writing, it’s pretty darn boring. It took me four weeks to plow through it. The only reason I did is because I have the two sequels and I was sure this would get better. It got worse. The setting is great, though. She talks about Tucson in great detail, and I really love that part. But the story, of murder among the developers of Tucson, is one-sided, stereotypical, and thoroughly not plausible. I guess you can’t have it all!