Jeanie McCoy is a retired teacher. Her husband of forty years doesn't remember who she is, and the rest of her family has split to the winds. She's coping just fine, thanks very much. Jeanie works part-time at a program for high-risk youth, spends hours every day at her husband's memory loss facility, and lets her sense of humor keep her afloat. When sudden violence erupts in Salem, Oregon, the only apparent connection is Jeanie's small classroom, where juvenile offenders study for their GED exams. In her heart, she's sure that none of her kids could be engaged in such a relentless campaign of random violence. As the net of suspicion tightens around the classroom, Jeanie's fears take a personal turn. The targets aren't just strangers anymore; they're friends. Her husband's delusions grow more intense. Are they only delusions, or does Edward know more than he's able to tell her? If he does, will he be a target, too? With growing unease, Jeanie realizes that in protecting her students, she might be protecting a murderer. The only way to know the answer is to solve the crime herself. Only Jeanie McCoy can see all the pieces to the puzzle. Only her student Sorrel Quintana, a girl of violence and hidden tenderness, can understand the tensions within the class. These mismatched collaborators must halt the destruction, protect the innocent, and bring the offender to justice.
Jeanette Cottrell has been a public school teacher for fifteen years. She teaches in an Oregon high school. At Risk of Being a Fool is her fourth book. She lives with her family near Salem, Oregon.
