An Unfortunate Prairie Occurrence: A Blue Deer Mystery

Hard to put down and so compex that there are no places in the book to just skim.

This is outstanding writing, not merely an outstanding mystery, and is, in my opinion, the best novel of the year. The plot - and that word does not convey the depth of this story - would be marvelous by itself, but Harrison adds almost a dozen characters that stick in your mind and then melds them into a literary event. The writing's top-quality and there's not a hint of a wrong turn in this masterful performance. We all know her Dad's the better writer... uh, don't we? Don't we?

The characters are all believable, the writing is literate and witty, and the growing sense of evil makes this book well worth reading. Ms. Harrison gives a clear sense of place (Southwestern Montana) that never detracts from the book's pace or plot. She handles the large cast of characters and their complicated relationships so deftly that I almost never had to remember who was related to whom. A real pleasure.

the plot is a great framework for a multi faceted writer. The enviorment and the main star both have hidden layers that interigue while ultimatly fulling their promises. The writer has a true grasp od the basic thoughtfulness a man must bring to his work and the complex issues of the individual and his relationships with his singular and multiple partnerships in life. The setting is a metaphor for growth without planning and a sign of hope for the future.