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    Review of RESTORED TO DEATH by Nancy Bell

    A JUDGE JACKSON CRAIN MYSTERY

    Thomas Dunne, St. Martin's Minotaur, March 2003

    When his sister-in-law is murdered and his brother-in-law identified as lead suspect, Judge Jackson Crain decides he has to investigate. Ron just isn't the type to brutally murder a woman--even a woman as cruel as Dora. When a second woman is killed, Ron would seem to be off the hook, but Post Oak, Texas is a small town and two brutal murders is a lot. Unfortunately, his investigation seems to point the finger directly at the one person he really doesn't want to doubt, his new girlfriend.

    Author Nancy Bell (see more BooksForABuck.com reviews of novels by Bell) offers a charming look at small-town Texas. The gossip, religious extremism, and kindness all ring true. Bell is also convincing in her description of battered and abused women--who, sadly, seem to make up the majority of the females in this story.

    As a mystery, RESTORED TO DEATH is only adequate. It is hard to believe that even a small-town police force would fail to follow up on the connection between the two victims. For me, the resolution was so forced that I kept looking for the last chapter--the one that explained that the supposed solution was wrong and that the real killer remained to be found. Too much of the mystery was left as coincidence and meaningless.

    Two Stars

    Reviewed 6/27/03

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