Blood Relations Though life in the rural Wisconsin border country is having some healing effects for ex-Minneapolis cop Claire Watkins, she is still plagued by nightmares of past tragedy. Now she's plunged into a shattering murder case that will force her to confront the demons that still haunt her. Jeb Spitzer is knifed to death at the local harvest moon dance. A widower for four years, he leaves three teenagers orphaned. But Claire senses a feeling of desperate relief among the three kids. As she peels back the layers of the crime, she uncovers a shocking connection to Spitzer's wife's "accidental" death, and secrets that premeditated both incidents. But in order to prevent another senseless death, she will have to confront the human capacity to kill -- from which she herself is not immune.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Claire Watkins, deputy sheriff of Pepin County, Wis., makes a strong second showing (after 1999's Blood Country) that ought to gain her new fans. In spite of recurrent panic attacks associated with the death of her husband, Claire is starting to find the peace and security she's been seeking for herself and her 10-year-old daughter, Meg, since leaving her promising career with the St. Paul-Minneapolis police department for the small bluff town of St. Antoine. One summer evening, while her sister Bridget takes care of Meg, Claire and Rich Haggard, a local pheasant farmer she's been dating for three months, attend a street dance in nearby Little Rock. Just as the fun gets under way, screams for help stop the music and put romance on hold. Someone has stabbed well-liked farmer Jed Spitzler in the chest. Members of the close-knit St. Antoine community join Jed's children in searching for Jed's killer. Long-hidden town secrets are revealed as Claire seeks the truth and continues to struggle with her own demons. Logue uses her talents as a poet to depict smalltown life and give rich insights into the hearts of her characters, from the kindly retired school teacher, Ella Gunderson, to the troubled children of Jed Spitzler. Claire performs her duties with intelligence, skill and caring, and readers are left at the conclusion only wanting more. Agent, Jane Chelius. (Nov.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Adult/High School-Deputy Sheriff Claire Watkins and her 10-year-old daughter Meg are still adjusting to their new life in Fort St. Antoine, WI, when a local farmer, Jed Spitzler, is murdered. Claire finds his three children to be hiding lots of family secrets, which must be ferreted out gently but diligently, and with a great deal of patience. Evidence points to the fact that their mother's death, denoted as an accident at the time, was murder, and to Jed as the perpetrator. Plus, it is revealed that Jed had been molesting his oldest daughter, Jenny. Although the physical abuse isn't discussed in detail, Logue paints a detailed portrait of a young woman who uses drugs and alcohol to hide her pain, shame, and humiliation. With much twisting and rearranging, the murder is solved and Claire begins to recover from her husband's death and past events in her life as well. Logue smoothly carries readers into the hearts and minds of these characters. She just as easily transfers the focus of the story centered on the Spitzler family to the minor plots surrounding Claire's life, and the action never stops. Young adults who enjoy J. A. Jance's series featuring Sheriff Joanna Brady will like this series as well.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
powerful family drama within a strong mystery,
This review is from: Dark Coulee (Claire Watkins Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Claire and her daughter Meg have known much sorrow in recent years. A drug lord killed her spouse. Later on, she learned her partner and lover was the murderer. She killed him in self-defense, but never revealed his sordid past to anyone. Her lie of omission eats at Claire, especially since she is seeing pheasant farmer Rich Haggard, a man she dearly loves.Rich and Claire are enjoying a pleasant evening together in Little Rock, attending a street dance, when someone knifes Jed Spitzler with his two children nearby. Claire changes from being on a date to a deputy sheriff taking care of the crime scene and trying to save Jed's life. He dies at the hospital, leaving Claire with a homicide investigation to undertake. As Claire digs into the case, she realizes the roots of the motive lies in the past that the Spitzler family refuses to divulge to her. Mary Logue has simultaneously written a powerful family drama with a strong mystery. Ms. Logue exquisitely develops both subplots with neither shortchanged and ultimately they merge into a dramatic climax. This is a story about people and why they do things that is often ugly. The novel is also about life in a tiny town (population under 400) where everyone knows everyone on a first name basis. DARK COULEE uses the who-done-it to blend the present with the past, but it is Ms. Logue's literary abilities that turns this book into a sure shot winner for anyone who relishes a superior family-driven mystery. Harriet Klausner
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Engaging mystery with riveting characters,
By Cynthia Chow (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dark Coulee (Claire Watkins Mysteries) (Hardcover)
In a follow-up to Blood County, Mary Logue continues to follow Claire as she works as an officer in the small-town police station of Fort St. Antoine, Wisconsin. Although still recovering from the deaths of her husband and a good friend, Claire capably leads the investigation into the murder of Jed Spitzler, a man whose life has left his children with a legacy of pain. The more Claire looks into his past, the more she begins to see that Spitzler is not the good 'ol boy he at first seemed to be. Logue skillful intertwines Claire's investigation with her family life and her growing romance with a neighbor, as wekk as the attempts of Spitzler's family to recover from his death. Intriguing throughout, the mystery ends with a twist that few will have predict
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good series...,
By
This review is from: Dark Coulee (Claire Watkins Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Lots of mystery involved and not to much side stories (i.e. romance between characters, etc.) You should really read the books in order though to understand some of the plot of Dark Coulee and what is going on in Claire personal life. This series has great potential.
Warning: a previous review here gives the plot away completely do not read it if you want to be surprised by the book.
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