Fatal Deduction

I'm feeling much better today, mentally if not physically. My body still aches, but all three kids are home, and my heart always feels whole then. I'm resting up for our big plans tomorrow. The NEW Zoo is holding its annual Family Fun Day tomorrow (which means free admission) so we're going in the morning. We'll grab lunch somewhere, then it's on to see Kung Fu Panda. The five of us have never seen a movie together. Doogie, Molly, and I took Mia to see Cars a few years ago, but we've never done it all together. Then it's on to Build a Bear, because they're having a big sale tomorrow. It'll be a busy day, but I'm really looking forward to spending the day with the four people I love most in the world. Hopefully the rain will hold off until the afternoon!

Fatal Deduction by Gayle Roper is a terrific murder mystery. Libby Burton and her twin sister Tori have had a difficult relationship for years. With the death of their great-aunt, they are forced to live together for six months in order to inherit the estate. Libby and her teenage daughter Chloe move in, and the sparks immediately fly as Tori does everything she can to win Chloe over to her and turn the girl against Libby. Then Libby trips over a dead man's body on their front steps and finds a note with Tori's name written on it. A homemade crossword puzzle is in the note, and when Libby completes the puzzle, she finds a note threatening Tori. I love Roper's take on the usual murder mystery. Libby is like most people (and unlike most characters in mysteries); she doesn't investigate to find the killer herself, and while she's curious, she doesn't start searching for clues. God bless her! She's an innocent person caught in the midst of evil and wants no part of it. Roper writes well developed characters who aren't cliched. Tori could easily fall into the trap of being entirely bad or just misunderstood, but she straddles both lines, making her more believable. The ending is a bit over the top, but makes for great reading! There are several crossword puzzles throughout the book for the reader to solve in hopes of finding the killer.

The winner of this book is Barb Neppl. Congratulations Barb! Today's pic is from Sugar Bush Squirrel. The pictures are hilarious, check it out! Have a wonderful weekend!