An Unattended Death. By Victoria Jenkins. (Sag Harbor, NY: The Permanent Press, c2012. 214 pp.)

Recommendation submitted by:
Carolyn Petersen, Assistant Program Manager, Library Development

Set in Shelton, WA, the first book, in what may be a new police procedural series, does a good job of capturing the ambiance of this lumber mill town.

When a body is found floating in the Puget Sound slough the investigation of an “unattended death” falls to Irene Chavez. Irene had moved back to Shelton from her job as an LA police detective as she felt Shelton would be a better place to raise her son. As it is August, the county sheriff’s department is short staffed so Irene gets the case. Irene’s  instincts tell her that the death of Anne Paris is a homicide instead a sailboat accident. The more Irene investigates Anne’s upper crust East Coast family and house guests, the more she realizes that many folks had reasons to feel wronged by Anne Paris.

Excellent character development, a strong sense of place, and a well crafted mystery with a totally believable solution make this reader hope that the author will add a second book in this series.

ISBN-13: 978-1579622848

Available in the Pacific Northwest Collection at NW 813.6 JENKINS 2012

Avaialble as an eBook. Not yet available in Talking Book or Braille format.