Perhaps She'll Die - Softcover

M. K. Preston grew up on a wheat farm in Oklahoma, near a town not too different from the setting of her mystery series. She still lives in central Oklahoma, where the rivers run red in springtime and the cottonwoods lean toward the North Star. By day she edits and publishes Byline, a nationally distributed trade magazine for writers.

If the reason for this book's title is not instantly evident, the author's storytelling abilities are. Preston is the editor and publisher of ByLine, a magazine for writers, and this first installment of a projected new series is charming, suspenseful, and even touching. It's the story of a woman who returns to her hometown after more than a decade to unmask (or so she hopes) the people who killed her father after he was acquitted of rape. But when one of the townsfolk turns up dead, Chantalene finds herself on the wrong side of the law. This young heroine (she's just turned 25) is a splendid character, smart and resourceful but also vulnerable and more than a little unsure of herself. Preston smoothly sets up her story so that, by the end of the novel, Chantalene is in a position from which she can solve mysteries on a regular basis. This sparkling debut is recommended for all mystery lovers but especially those who enjoy strong female leads. David Pitt
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