had to chase down a copy of this book, as it was no longer available in the library. Nice hardcover first edition, not too expensive, and worth the price for a chance to join Alafair's early rural world again. This time, a member of the family is murdered, and Alafair has a reason to find out who did it that is more pressing than just curiosity. Some interesting characters join the large family, and there's a satisfying denouement. ( )

1914 Oklahoma is full of hard working self-sufficient farming folks. Among them are Alafair and Shaw Tucker and their 9 children. Two of the daughters, Mary and Ruth are volunteered to chaperone Alafair's young brother-in-law, Bill and his intended wife Laura. While having a pleasant outing, they are bushwacked. Ruth runs for help. Mary's head is grazed by a bullet. When she awakes, she finds her Uncle Bill shot dead, and his fiancé is missing. Shaw's cousin Scott, the local sheriff, immediately rounds up a group to search for the murderer/kidnapper. Alafair is exceeding worried about Mary, Shaw, and her in-laws with a bushwacker at large. Shaw has his 2 hired hands and oldest son keep a 24 hr watch over his family. Who on earth would want to kill Bill, as he never had an enemy? This series gets better and better. The author does a decent job of representing rural Americans in the second decade of the 1900s. I really am growing to love this family, even if Alafair tends to get a bit overbearing at times. ( )

This is the third book in the Alafair Tucker seres. I really enjoyed the other two, but this one wasn't as good. There really was no mystery, and "the bushwhacker in the woods thing" just seemed too unealistic. I love Alifair and her folksy manner, and the way she marshals her large brood of children. Arkansas in the early 1900's is realistically protrayed. This is a great historical mystery series, so I will continue to read more. She is just too much fun! ( )

I love Alafair and her extended and far-flung family. This one started on a very sad note and then spent time trying to understand the why as well as the who.

No spoilers here but the emotion punch of this book is extreme and hard to read in places. Yet, the book is so true to life and how things work that it compels you to keep reading.

I'll be going back to Alafair and her loving family soon. ( )

The year is 1914. The place is Oklahoma. It’s an era when life is less hectic, without computers and email, without cell phones and texts, without connections to the world wide web. A time when people could go visiting at any time without fear for their safety. When mothers didn’t worry when their kids were out all day. When young people could have fun on a picnic when their chores were done. But even in that laid-back rustic setting evil lurked. A pleasant outing with four friends ends abruptly when shots ring out, leaving in its wake the wounded, the dying, the missing. Alafair and her kin are left bereft with senseless act of violence against their family by an unknown killer. Mary, recovering physically but left with impaired memory, struggles to remember anything that may lead the law to capture the murderer. Alafair, her mother, vows to keep her and the rest of her family safe but her brood chafes under her constant supervision. While the menfolk hunt the killer, Alafair hunts for clues. Can Mary and her mother puzzle it out before it is too late? Much of the charm of this book and the entire series comes from the authentic portrayal of life in Oklahoma nearly one hundred years ago, and of the strong familial ties in this family of twelve siblings and their parents. This well performed audio version is just icing on the cake. ( )