Shepherds Abiding in Dry Creek

This is another great stand-alone book in the Dry Creek series. The author has the knack of pulling us into the town to get up close and personal with the inhabitants. I've read every Dry Creek novel and I still want to read more. I love to read about the older characters who appear in the background of each book like a neighbour waiting for me to stop and visit. And I liked the way the author showed me POV's of both Marla and Les. They might have been serious in their thoughts, but it was fun knowing what they thought and how far off base they were. In this book, the town has combined forces to eat over 500 cans of soup so the labels could be traded in for a life-size plastic Nativity set. But before everyone even has a good look at the display, the shepherd goes missing and suddenly the new residents - a widow and her children - are suspect. Reserve Deputy Sheriff Les Wilkerson would like to get to know the widow on a personal basis and that didn't include walking up to her door and accusing someone in her family of stealing the plastic shepherd, but what else could he do when the investigation seemed to point that way? Marla Gossett moved her children to Montana to keep her young son from being inducted into the 19th street gang. She's hoping the new townfolk will accept their Hispanic backgrounds and although she hasn't much for worldly possessions, is determined not to be a charity case. However, Marla feels cheated when the local law stops on her doorstep and accuses them of stealing before they've even had a chance to get to know anyone. That is until Deputy Les shows her the note with the 19th street signature. Could her 11 yr old son really have stolen the large shepherd? And how would she get the townfolk to accept them if they find out they have gang connections? I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way the townsfolk worked together for the common good and the way they made the new small family welcome. Heat level: Affectionate