Through five books, Casey Jones has been one of my favorite mystery protagtonists. I can't call her a detective or a private eye; having taken the fall for her ex-husband on a drug charge, Casey isn't eligible for such positions. However, she manages to act the part in one adventure after another, abetted by her large-and-in-charge boss, Bobby D, a man who puts away a box of Krispy Kreme donuts as a pre-dinner snack. Casey's forthright style and occasionally questionable judgment tend to get her into trouble, but she always comes through in the end. Hey, would you want this lusty, bodacious babe to grow up into Deborah Knott?

In Bad Moon on the Rise, Katy Munger's sixth Casey Jones mystery, Casey is up to her old tricks. She is approached by an elderly black woman, Corndog Sally, a fixture in downtown Raleigh. Sally begs Casey to locate her grandson, Trey, who has disappeared from his high school, along with his mother, who has been in prison on drug charges and has apparently resumed her old habits after her release. Casey begins her search for Trey and is shocked to find out that his father is one of her former lovers. This begins a pattern in the book: Casey's investigation leads her into contact with several former colleagues and lovers.

Casey finds out that Tonya, Trey's mother, served her sentence at Silver Top prison in fictional Bartow County, in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina. She and Bobby head to the area to investigate. Casey calls another former lover for a report on the local sheriff. By the time he calls back to tell her that Shep, the sheriff, is a stand-up guy, Casey has already determined, using her usual method, that he's one of the most standing-up guys she's met.

Shep finds out who Casey is and why she's there. He tells her that there's something ominous going on at Silver Top, but he hasn't been able to crack the case. She reluctantly agrees to go undercover as a prisoner, hoping to help Shep and also find out what happened to Tonya and Trey. She adopts the name Debbie Little, in honor of Bobby's favorite snack cakes. Not surprisingly, Casey remains herself, making friends and enemies with her bold, outspoken ways while trying to find out what is going on with the guards and some female prisoners. Her time on the inside gives us new information about her previous prison experience and its profound effect on her.

Fearful that Shep will be unable or unwilling to extricate her, Casey asks Bobby to get her out. He can't do so legally, but as always provides an ingenious, offbeat solution. Casey calls on yet another old flame for more assistance. To say more would entail spoilers. I will reveal that yes, we do learn the origin of Corndog Sally's name. I must confess to one disappointment: had I written this book, at some point one character would have said to another, "There's a bathroom on the right."

As the wag said, those who study history are doomed to knowing that they're repeating it. Casey is self-aware enough to recognize that once again she is getting a little too personally involved in her new case--and if she were to forget, Bobby would remind her--but that's part of her charm and arguably a big part of her success. She succeeds as she always has, by knowing her strengths and not being afraid to play to them.

As in the previous volumes, Casey tells her own story, and Munger's style fits well with her characterization. Humor and bawdiness are blended nicely with a serious adventure. There is definitely a valedictory sense to this novel, a revisiting of old relationships and settling of accounts. I wonder if we'll see Casey again. If not, Munger has given her a fine send-off, with appreciation for the experiences and relationships she has had and the suggestion of attractive new possibilities. Obviously, the book will be of more interest to those who have already met Ms. Jones and her well drawn cast of supporting characters. If you have not yet encountered Casey Jones, I suspect you will enjoy meeting her, and I suggest you do so by beginning with her first adventure, Legwork. ( )