Deadly Currents by Beth Groundwater is the first book in the new “RM Outdoor Adventures” mystery series. Publisher: Midnight Ink, March 2011
The Arkansas River, heart and soul of Salida, Colorado, fuels the small town’s economy and thrums in the blood of river ranger Mandy Tanner. When a whitewater rafting accident occurs, she deftly executes a rescue, but a man dies anyway. Turns out, it wasn’t the rapids that killed him—he was murdered. Tom King was a rich land developer with bitter business rivals, who cheated on his wife, refused to support his kayak-obsessed son, and infuriated environmentalists.
Mandy’s world is upended again when tragedy strikes closer to home. Suspicious that the most recent death is connected to Tom King’s murder, Mandy goes on an emotionally turbulent quest for the truth—and ends up in dangerous waters.
What a wave of a ride! This story kept my attention as I watched Amanda (Mandy) Tanner slip into the fascinating world of whitewater rafting and investigating. Trying to protect her uncle’s name, Mandy starts asking questions that someone does not want answered. Faced with a family heartbreak, Mandy moved up her efforts to find the murderer. The closer Mandy gets, a killer watches, ready to make a move. Striking out at her does not stop Mandy, but spurns her on. The author did a good job at twisting me around because I should have seen the killer but I didn’t. That’s a good mystery. I love the setting and this is from someone who will never get that close to nature’s water. The wonderful cast features an exuberant Mandy, her best friend Cynthia, who tagged along on Mandy’s investigations, her brother David, who I hope we see more of and her boyfriend, Rob. This was a wave-smashing soak-yourself-to-the-bone ride and I’m looking forward to the next adventure in this energizing series.
previously posted on the Cozy Chicks blog