Different Paths: A Stella Crown Mystery

Stella Crown is a dairy farmer in Pa. She is a strong, independant, self sufficient female with strong logic patterns and is involved in a very tight mystery in that I did not guess the ending after the first 2 chapters. I enjoyed this book in that the central character was strong but not super agressive . This was a realistic character who acted and thought as a normal woman would do. There is a killer and assaultist running around and the central target seems to be strong women with their own business or enterprise. Also the side characters Lucy and the other characters are again realistic and likeable. The dialogue is fast paced and the structure is strong. I recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a good mystery without comic book feats of mightly imbued characters of mystic strength.

Stella Crown manages to get in more trouble in this series (this is the fifth entry) than anyone could expect from a Pennsylvania dairy farmer who gets up in the wee hours to milk her herd and has plenty to do all day around the farm. In this installment, her friend and vet, Carla, is almost killed when her truck is hijacked while she is hanging on to the door after her coat is caught. Then her female doctor is killed. Victims of other incidents include a business manager and the manager of a local gym, both women. Who's the perpetrator and why? The possible danger to Stella and her farmhand, Lucy, brings boyfriend Nick up from Virginia to keep watch and provide protection. Meanwhile Stella seeks a common thread to the events. There are plenty of suspicions to provide red herrings throughout, keeping the reader jumping. Written smoothly, Stella is an interesting and engaging character. Thus far in the series, she has carried it with ease and interest, each entry presenting a different subject. In the present case, it seems as if women's rights are the key. Also in question is Stella's personality and femininity. But the reader continues to be kept off balance. Recommended.

Reviewed by Leslie Granier for Reader Views (5/08) Stella Crown is not the typical woman. She owns and runs a dairy farm in Pennsylvania, says exactly what she thinks, and even owns a Harley. Presently, she is experiencing some difficult times. Her boyfriend Nick, who lives in Virginia, has recently been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Nick's sister hates her and their long-distance relationship is getting harder to maintain. On top of all of this, Stella's friend Carla was just carjacked and Stella finds Carla's new boyfriend to be quite suspicious. As more women in the area become victims of violent crimes, Stella is determined to find out if the incidents are connected and, if so, how. Nick decides to stay with Stella on the farm until the crimes are solved, forcing Stella to reexamine where their relationship is headed. "Different Paths," a book in which suspense, mystery, and romance abound, will appeal mostly to adult females. There are many strong female characters whose insecurities are brought to the surface because of the terrible crimes happening around them. Stella's fears of facing the future with Nick's illness were moving, as were her internal debates of whether she should sell the farm to move closer to Nick. After having her foot broken by a pregnant cow, Stella loses her independence and reluctantly admits that she needs help. It was a little strange that a dairy farmer (with no prior law enforcement experience) was so involved in investigating the case. It seemed the police department merely responded to whatever theories Stella provided. However, the plot was well-conceived and the outcome was unexpected. No one was above suspicion, which increased the amount of suspense for the reader. At times, the story moved a bit slowly as Stella constantly brainstormed the same evidence with different people. But the ending wrapped up all of the loose ends nicely and left me with a feeling of hope for the future. "Different Paths" is a good story that will keep the reader guessing as to who is behind the trouble and what his or her motives are. It may even cause the readers to reflect on their own lives and motivate them to live for each moment because the future is uncertain.

In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, the first reaction by everyone to the assault on veterinarian Carla Beaumont and the subsequent hijacking of her truck is that the criminal was after the drugs she carried. Stunned by the attack on her currently hospitalized friend, dairy farmer Stella Crown agrees with the consensus, but revises her opinion when other female professionals are assailed with no males harassed at all. The police continue to cling to the drug theory assuming that the perp believes women are easier targets. The violence widens as a new female pastor's office and the truck of a woman driver are vandalized and medical physician Dr. Peterson is killed. Stella begins to investigate with her MS afflicted boyfriend Nick covering her back. Stella is extremely opinionated as judge and executioner based on her first impressions upon meeting someone; this often leads her into inadvertently forming red herrings about people and cases. Her abrupt often false conclusions make the tale and the series (see THE DAY WILL COME) fun to read as the heroine is not the crown jewel of amateur sleuthing though she is wise enough to adapt her theory; this leads to excellent whodunits as she overcomes her initial estimations to achieve success. Fans will enjoy eccentric Stella, loyal to a fault to her friends and acerbic to her enemies. Harriet Klausner