Bum Steer

I loved this book. It's one of the first mysteries that got me interested in mysteries. I've read all of Nancy Pickard's books and wish she would write more often or faster. I love her style of writing!

This was the final book by Nancy that I had to read, and I think that it was by far the best one! As she's getting involved in yet another situation, our murder-prone heroin struggles with some deeply personal issues. She had me intrigued to the very surprising ending! Note: The language in this book is a lot stronger than in any of her others.

In this wonderful mystery, the author, Nancy Pickard, gives the reader a "Bum Steer" in figuring out the killer in this book. The plot is interesting and well developed. But when the reader gets to the end, the question is, "How did I miss all the clues? I was tricked! I was given a "Bum Steer."

I think the whole Jenny Cain series is well done, but this one is especially good: an interesting and unusual setting, a delightful group of characters, and a clever plot (I couldn't put it down, which, from a voracious mystery reader like me, is a genuine accolade!). The story is more "What's going on here?" than "Who done it?", but the author really does keep you guessing until the end. The only part that rang false to me was Jenny's visit to Santa Fe, which sounded like the author spent a weekend in Tesuque once and decided that this qualified her as an expert on New Mexico (NOT!!). Otherwise, the book was a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it.

Bum Steer is so well-written that I was comletely lured into the story before I realized I was being duped. A great mystery author is one who places clues right under your nose without alerting you that it's being done. Nancy Pickard has truly attained the status of great mystery writer with the magnificent Bum Stee