Blood Country

Claire Watkins is a damaged ex-Minneapolis police detective. She's also the protagonist of Mary Logue's new crime novel, following "Red Lake of The Heart," and "Still Explosion."In "Blood Country," Watkins and her partner are moving toward arresting members of a major drug ring when Claire's husband, Steve, becomes the victim of what appears to be a hit-and-run accident. Shocked and desolate, Watkins abruptly resigns from the department, takes her young daughter, Meg, and flees to the small Wisconsin town of Fort Antoine. To support herself and provide a protective environment for Meg, Claire joins the county sheriff's department which hasn't seen a murder in at least a generation.Then, Claire's neighbor is found face down in his garden. Greed has raised its ugly head, generating conflict over a real estate development. Citizens are split over maintaining traditional values, and the prospect of substantial new money.Logue sets a consistent pace, entwining the major plot elements with other developments in a pleasing manner and, through shifting points of view and realistic action, continually raises the feeling of mystery and danger.Logue's background as a successful poet shows in her narrative style which flirsts with free verse, providing a meter of starts and pauses. One of this novel's strengths is its thoughtful incompleteness. The main plot ans some subplots are carefully resolved by the end, but other questions posed by characters to themselves and others are left unanswered. It's an invitation to the reader to speculate about their own future.

Mary Logue has the gift of keeping the reader turning pages. In reading Blood Coutry you soon discover that there are a lot of secrets being kept in this small fictional town. Like peeling layers of an onion, the story unfolds to a surprising climax. The story is told from several points of view but the characters are well-developed and Ms. Logue gives each one a unique voice. Highly recommended!

In the Twin Cities, Clare Watkins was a detective until a driver deliberately ran his car over her husband killing him. Their ten-year old daughter Meg witnessed her father's death. The two females decide they need a radical change. They move to St. Antoine, Wisconsin, hoping that small town living will benefit both of them. Still, Meg remains insecure because she saw her father's killer and realizes that she can identify him and he can recognize her.Nine months later, the fragile peace of the Watkins women ends when Meg finds their neighbor dead. The autopsy revealed that someone murdered the kind victim. Clare decides to find out who would kill such a nice person. However, a personal problem soon surfaces as her spouse's killer arrives in St. Antoine. Clare knows he came to silence the only witness who can link him to her husband's murder. She risks her life to keep Meg safe even while she uncovers the full truth behind her spouse's death.The exciting BLOOD COUNTRY is the first Clare Watkins mystery and it appears to be ready for a long and popular run. The characters are everyday people coping with terrible things that have occurred. Readers will cheer on the efforts of mother and daughter to more than just survive. The enthralling mystery is entertaining due to a sleight of the hand twist that makes it nearly impossible to identify the real culprit. More novels like this will brighten the world of the audience and Mary Logue will have an even brighter future ahead of her.