Dead in the Cellar (Amanda Hazard Mysteries)

This is the second book in this Rural Oklahoma, Cow Country Series. (But the 4th one I've read.) I really love this series. The atmosphere is country, western, and small-town - exactly like the atmosphere where I grew up in NET. This series has plenty of cows, hay, farms, country music, pickups, and even a home-town country star who made it to Nashville. In this particular book, Amanda Hazard (the accountant) finds a dead body. I will not say who, where, or why. She is determined to find the killer, much to Nick Thorn's (the law enforcement officer and Amanda's good-looking, swarthy guy friend - he has Native American ancestry) disapproval. While Amanda is investigating, we have lots of fun adventures. Including the romps with the cows, the beauty shop disaster, and the "adventures" while trying to solve the murder mystery. It is obvious that this author is normally a romance novelist under different pseudonyms. Even though this book is a mystery, the author's "romance" talents stood out. I saw it more so in this book than in the other three that I've read so far in this series. It is probably because, in this book, Nick and Amanda's relationship is building, so "romance" writing talent is needed. I got bored with the romance building, but it was not so much that the book needed to be lowered a star. The mystery line, the atmosphere, rural Oklahoma, the beauty shop disasters, and the cows were enough to keep it at more than five stars. It just reminds me why I don't read romance novels; I get tired of all that tedious romance building and relationships, and makes me realize even more that I am not missing anything by choosing not to read romances. I am grateful that I stumbled upon this series; there aren't many books that have a country/western/cow/hay/country music atmosphere. And there aren't many books that I know of that take place in Oklahoma. One thing I like about this book is the subtle use of puns and word play. I guess I pick up on things like these, and appreciate them, more than the average person would.