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It
is 1923 and Annabelle Blue is riding out the latest
thunder storm at home in Rosedale, New Mexico.
This is not your average storm - but one that requires
residents to use rowboats to navigate the roads.
The only way to get around Second Street, after the
storm, is to row there. That is what Annabelle
does to get the materials her father needs to fix the
roof. She also gets to see her fella Phil Gunderson
who works for his brother Pete at Gunderson's Hardware
store. Phil helps her get the shingles, nails
and tar in her boat. Annabelle casts off and then
screams. She sees a body floating in the murky
water of Second Street!
It
turns out to be Mr Calhoun – president of the
Rosedale Farmers and Ranchers Bank. This was no
accident – Mr. Calhoun was shot in the back.
Annabelle’s sister, Hannah, is married to Richard
MacDougal who is a banker at the Rosedale Farmers and
Ranchers Bank. Maybe Richard can help Micah Tindall,
the rancher who claimed Mr Calhoun had tricked him into
taking a loan he could not repay. Guess what happened
next – Mr Calhoun foreclosed on his ranch.
Did I forget to mention that Mr Calhoun was not liked
by many of the people in Rosedale.
Things
to ponder: What was Mr. Calhoun doing out in the storm?
Who hated him so much that the only way to settle things
was to shoot him in the back? What were Richard
and Mr Calhoun arguing over? Will Annabelle solve
the murder before the wrong person is arrested and put
on trial … or even worse?
This
is the first book I have read by Alice Duncan –
I can tell you it will not be my last. I love
how she immediately brings you right into 1920’s
New Mexico. You begin worrying if the electricity will
be on soon after the huge thunder booming storm.
Pecos Valley Rainbow is a murder mystery that will be
solved by nineteen year old Annabelle Blue. She
wants to see the world before she settles down with
Phil Gunderson. I see no reason for Annabelle to leave
Rosedale, NM since Alice Duncan has given her and the
reader all the excitement needed. This is a fast-
paced, page-turning read. So if you like your
mystery set in another era, Pecos Valley Rainbow
is a good choice for you.
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