The Clincher by Lisa Preston

 

The Clincher by Lisa Preston - 288 pages

Horseshoer Mystery Series Book 1

Horseshoer Rainy Dale falls unintentionally into a life in small town Oregon with a new man and a business to build.  She is a bundle of quirks and emotional baggage that adds complexity to all her relationships, both personal and professional.   When one of her clients turns up dead, all the evidence points to Rainy as the culprit.  In an effort to clear her name, Rainy embarks on a quest to find the truth.  

I enjoyed learning about a career I know nothing about, horseshoeing,  and the details of those in the horse owning community.  Rainy Dale's quirks and manner of speaking got a little annoying but it was worth it to look past that and enjoy the mystery.   

The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld

The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld - 264 pages
Book 2 in The Child Finder series

Private Investigator Naomi made a promise to herself a year ago that she would find her lost sister before she tackled any more new cases.  One of her few leads has led her to Portland, Oregon where scores of homeless children roam the streets unheard and unseen by mainstream society except when the bodies of young street girls start showing up in area rivers.  Naomi's search for her sister draws her into trying to help a street kid named Celia who is fighting demons on the street and at home.  Denfeld's writing style is a glowing magical realism that sheds light on the darkest places in society and the human soul.   

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld

The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld - 288 pages

A young girl disappears from a forested trail while on a trip to find and cut down a Christmas tree with her parents.  Three years later her parents still haven't given up hope that Madison Culver could still be found.  They hire Naomi, a private investigator, who has a gift for finding the lost and the missing.  Naomi's search takes her deep into the Oregon forests and also into her own past when she was one of the lost as well.  This very suspenseful story alternates between Naomi and the perspective of an extremely imaginative child.  This novel is a compelling look at redemption, the extraordinary resilience of the human mind, and the will to survive