Murder on the Horizon

Search and Rescue Mystery, Book #3

By M. L. Rowland

ISBN#: 9780425263686

Author’s website: http://www.mlrowland.com/

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

Synopsis:

The Search and Rescue mystery series returns readers to Timber Creek, where the hot, dry Santa Ana winds are blowing. But more than just the threat of wildfire endangers the tiny mountain community…

Gracie and her Search and Rescue teammates are searching along the highway in the middle of the blisteringly hot Mojave Desert when they make a grisly discovery—a trash bag containing human body parts. Not long after, Gracie’s growing friendship with a ten-year-old runaway draws her unwittingly into the secretive, hate-filled world of the boy’s family—a group of gun-toting extremists. As a wildfire roars into Timber Creek, Gracie finds herself caught up in an explosive plot that, unless she stops it, will destroy countless innocent lives.

Review:

What a great, read!  This is the first mystery by M. L. Rowland that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last.  Murder on the Horizo’ is the third of the Search and Rescue Mystery series, and it can be read as a standalone.  Personally, I would like to go back to read the first two because not only is this very well written, but the protagonist, Gracie, is an intelligent, spunky woman who makes the perfect sleuth.

Gracie Kinkaid is a seasoned member of the Search and Rescue team serving Timber Creek, California, and a manager of a church-owned camp where retreats and other specialty functions are held.  Allen, a soft-spoken man covered in tattoos is the head cook.  An ex-con, he had earned his degree on the inside and he worked hard at the camp.  Gracie’s dog, Minnie, is her constant companion.  Camp Ponderosa, Minnie, and Search and Rescue were her priorities.

There were three Search and Rescue challenges that changed Gracie’s life that season; the first was being on a callout when she and her team found a trash bag of human body parts.  The second was meeting an eleven-year-old boy named Baxter who was a chronic runaway.  Third was a wildfire that raged out of control that threatened her world – Timber Creek and Camp Ponderosa – which could lead to a callout if evacuations began.

Camp Ponderosa was operating on a shoestring until the following spring when bookings would bring the next influx of operating money.  In the meantime, Gracie and Allen did as much of the required maintenance between themselves to save the expense of adding a new maintenance manager.

Family challenges brought the simmering rage inside Gracie front and center, situations that would require her to find a way to forgive, or continue to battle within herself and with her mother.

Baxter, the bright, inquisitive adolescent continued to run away, and his destination began to be Gracie’s home.  Until the day that she was confronted by his ‘family’.  She would need to cut Baxter loose, another challenge as she genuinely cared for the boy, or risk being targeted personally and professionally by the ‘family’ members.  And they hadn’t yet begun to inflict their nightmare on Timber Creek…

Gracie Kinkaid’s character has been shaped by adversity, and the dichotomy of simmering rage and gentle caring are not unnoticed.  Her character is fully three-dimensional, someone who I could see as being a close acquaintance as she calls few people friends.  Each of the characters in the novel are as developed as necessary for their role.  Baxter and, of course Gracie, are my favorites because they share similar traits even with different backgrounds.  They are definitely people who are worth cheering on through even the very worst moments.

The plot is completely engaging, keeping my attention throughout.  The plot twists kept me on my toes, even when I thought that the bad guys were caught.  The author is an absolute master of suspense who plies her craft well, bringing yet one more surprise than this reader anticipated.  This is not a lightweight read, but while it has bad guys in every sense of the term, one also sees the potential in a young boy and a woman whose life circumstances could easily shape them to be one of the bad guys.  They choose, however, to go against their upbringings to be better people.  I highly recommend Murder on the Horizon to adults of any age and older teens, who appreciate well-written, gritty suspense.  It is a powerful novel that stays with the reader after the last page is turned.