Practical Sins for Cold Climates by Shelley Costa is the first book in the “Val Cameron” mystery series. Publisher: Henery Press, January 2016

When Val Cameron, a Senior Editor with a New York publishing company, is sent to the Canadian Northwoods to sign a reclusive bestselling author to a contract, she soon discovers she is definitely out of her element. Val is convinced she can persuade the author of that blockbuster, The Nebula Covenant, to sign with her, but first she has to find him.

Aided by a float plane pilot whose wife was murdered two years ago in a case gone cold, Val’s hunt for the recluse takes on new meaning: can she clear him of suspicion in that murder before she links her own professional fortunes to the publication of his new book?

When she finds herself thrown into a wilderness lake community where livelihoods collide, Val wonders whether the prospect of running into a bear might be the least of her problems.

The more I read this light drama, the more interesting the story-line became which propelled me to keep going as I had to know how this will play out in the end. I like the pacing of this story and the comfortable tone that make it easy to follow along with the characters. The author did a good job on character development, especially the protagonist, Val, whose self-journey was a contributing factor in the telling of this tale. The mystery was good and I liked how it was set up to keep moving forward as the clues were presented with some intriguing twists that culminated in the killer’s identity being exposed. With all that was going on, the author never let me stray from this action-filled drama. The ending left me wanting more and I’m so happy that there’s another book coming in September and I look forward to more adventures with Val.