Dark Coulee

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Claire Watkins, deputy sheriff of Pepin County, Wisconsin, makes a strong second showing that ought to gain her new fans. In spite of recurrent panic attacks associated with the death of her husband, Claire is starting to find the peace and security she's been seeking for herself and her 10-year-old daughter, Meg, since leaving her promising career with the St. Paul-Minneapolis police department for the small bluff town of St. Antoine.One summer evening, while her sister Bridget takes care of Meg, Claire and Rich Haggard, a local pheasant farmer she's been dating for three months, attend a street dance in nearby Little Rock. Just as the fun gets under way, screams for help stop the music and put romance on hold. Someone has stabbed well-liked farmer Jed Spitzler in the chest. Members of the close-knit St. Antoine community join Jed's children in searching for Jed's killer.Long-hidden town secrets are revealed as Claire seeks the truth and continues to struggle with her own demons.From Publishers WeeklyClaire Watkins, deputy sheriff of Pepin County, Wis., makes a strong second showing (after 1999's Blood Country) that ought to gain her new fans. In spite of recurrent panic attacks associated with the death of her husband, Claire is starting to find the peace and security she's been seeking for herself and her 10-year-old daughter, Meg, since leaving her promising career with the St. Paul-Minneapolis police department for the small bluff town of St. Antoine. One summer evening, while her sister Bridget takes care of Meg, Claire and Rich Haggard, a local pheasant farmer she's been dating for three months, attend a street dance in nearby Little Rock. Just as the fun gets under way, screams for help stop the music and put romance on hold. Someone has stabbed well-liked farmer Jed Spitzler in the chest. Members of the close-knit St. Antoine community join Jed's children in searching for Jed's killer. Long-hidden town secrets are revealed as Claire seeks the truth and continues to struggle with her own demons. Logue uses her talents as a poet to depict smalltown life and give rich insights into the hearts of her characters, from the kindly retired school teacher, Ella Gunderson, to the troubled children of Jed Spitzler. Claire performs her duties with intelligence, skill and caring, and readers are left at the conclusion only wanting more. Agent, Jane Chelius. (Nov.) Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalAdult/High School-Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins and her 10-year-old daughter Meg are still adjusting to their new life in Fort St. Antoine, WI, when a local farmer, Jed Spitzler, is murdered. Claire finds his three children to be hiding lots of family secrets, which must be ferreted out gently but diligently, and with a great deal of patience. Evidence points to the fact that their mother's death, denoted as an accident at the time, was murder, and to Jed as the perpetrator. Plus, it is revealed that Jed had been molesting his oldest daughter, Jenny. Although the physical abuse isn't discussed in detail, Logue paints a detailed portrait of a young woman who uses drugs and alcohol to hide her pain, shame, and humiliation. With much twisting and rearranging, the murder is solved and Claire begins to recover from her husband's death and past events in her life as well. Logue smoothly carries readers into the hearts and minds of these characters. She just as easily transfers the focus of the story centered on the Spitzler family to the minor plots surrounding Claire's life, and the action never stops. Young adults who enjoy J. A. Jance's series featuring Sheriff Joanna Brady will like this series as well.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VACopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.