Bum Steer (Jenny Cain Mysteries, No. 6) [Paperback]

Nancy Pickard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2007

From witty, suspenseful, sexy mysteries featuring the charming and complex amateur sleuth, Jenny Cain. In Bum Steer, a mysterious murder and a strange bequest send Jenny to the wild, wild West.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jenny Cain, last seen in Dead Crazy , finds herself far from home when the Port Frederick, Mass., Civic Foundation is named heir to a cattle ranch in Kansas by wealthy rancher Cat Benet. As director of the foundation, Jenny is summoned to the dying Benet's bedside in a Kansas City hospital, where he is murdered before they can meet. The only conditions that the foundation must observe to inherit are to never allow any of Benet's kin to set foot on the ranch and to provide lifetime jobs for two employees, cowboys Quentin (Slight) Harlan and Carl Everett. The rest of Benet's vast fortune is left to his three living ex-wives, four adult children he has seldom seen, his sister and her son. Suspicious of the whole setup, especially since she and the foundation had never heard of Benet before, Jenny investigates the murder and, after visits to the ranch, to Texas and to Benet's wives and offspring, uncovers long-held family secrets. Pickard writes fluidly on family ties, both good and bad, while her appealing detective displays warmth, intelligence and a social conscience as she perseveres in her search for the truth.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Another airy construction, this series addition whisks Jenny Cain, director of the Port Frederick Civic Foundation, to Kansas City, where she hopes to discover why a dying millionaire has willed a vast cattle ranch to her little-known foundation. Thwarted upon arrival by the man's murder, she visits the ranch, fraternizes with two transplanted cowboys, searches out three ex-wives, and takes on a troubled teenager--all in hopes of finding the murderer. The heroine skirts dangerously close to flightiness at times, which tends to dissipate tension, but on the whole, changes of venue and the odd ex-wife keep things in motion. Recommended.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Books (October 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416583831
• ISBN-13: 978-1416583837
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,132,415 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, January 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bum Steer (Jenny Cain Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, September 15, 2000

By 

Donna (Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bum Steer (Jenny Cain Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars irritated at the cover..., June 29, 2004

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Bum Steer (Jenny Cain Mysteries, No. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

Good mystery. I sort of had it figured out but its resolution was still satisfying. The only problem I have with the book is the cover. The cover is a composite of a couple of events that happened in the book, but one of them is definitely in the last quarter of the book and I kept wondering when it was going to happen (I won't tell you so as not to spoil it for you as well).