In Sickness and In Death by Lisa Bork is the third book in the “Broken Vows” mystery series. Publisher: Midnight Ink, September 2011

Jolene Parker isn’t sure what to think when her police deputy husband, Ray, unexpectedly brings home a new foster child. The impulsive son of a jailed car thief, twelve-year-old Danny has talents that include picking locks and hotwiring cars.

Following Danny’s brief joyride in the car that he says is his dad’s, a horrific surprise turns up in the trunk: a woman’s arm. While Ray hunts down the victim’s identity, Jolene tries to determine whether Danny’s father did the deed. And it drives her straight into the killer’s sights.

A stolen car; a gross finding and being foster mother to a 12-year old is all that Jolene can handle as she struggles to overcome a recent loss. When it looks like the boy’s father may be charged with murder, Jolene uncovers clues and being in harm’s way doesn’t stop Jolene from finding a killer who is seeking her out. The mystery had me guessing with plenty of twists and turns, but it was Jolene’s relationships that had me devouring page after page from the first paragraph to the ending in this character-driven tale. With a good plot, a strong heroine, likable secondary characters, this well-done and evenly-paced story was a very enjoyable and satisfying read.