Leslie York, a small town deputy sheriff, is sent to check out gunshots only
to find that a local young man has been killed. In the car is his
girlfriend, Mandy Cordova, the only witness. Leslie takes pictures of the
fast disappearing crime scene and talks to Mandy about what happened. Mandy
tells her that several men pulled Todd from the car, beat him, and then shot
him with his own gun. Add a fast approaching flood, no suspects, and no
murder weapon and you have a fast moving drama reminiscent of J. A. Jance.
Leslie's investigation is going nowhere. Todd appears to be a clean cut kid
with no drinking problem and no drug use. On top of everything else, Leslie
feels Mandy's story is more than a little shaky.
When the river starts overflowing its banks, Leslie is sent to warn and
evacuate the people who will be in the most danger. In the process she
becomes trapped on the wrong side when the rushing water takes out the
bridge. Unable to do anything about Todd's murder, she tries to focus on
helping the others who are also trapped with her. Soon, however, Leslie
finds herself investigating another murder. This time there are too many
suspects and the murder weapon is obvious to all.
Sprinkle the story with a little romance and you have a good read! J. A.
Jance fans will like this one.
Reviewed by R. L. Large for The RunningRiver Reader (tm)
Copyright 2000 R. L. Large
GUILT BY ASSOCIATION
by Marilyn Meredith
ISBN 1-928602-02-9
Available as a download and trade paperback book
Mystery, Publication Date: 1999
Treble Heart Books/MountainView Publication
http://trebleheartbooks.com
Just as deputy sheriff Leslie York is beginning to investigate a murder, her
work is interrupted when a flood threatens the community of Copper Creek,
California. Leslie and her dear friend Mark Wesley help neighbors move to
safety. After a bridge washes out, the pair is stranded and takes shelter in
one of the citizens' homes with several other community members. Three
married couples and a retired school teacher in her sixties form a congenial
group, but trouble looms when a real estate developer from the Bay Area,
Stuart Greenwalt, joins the party. Greenwalt's past and present dealings
with the rest of the group lead to tension, antagonism, and another death
for Leslie to investigate. She has personal concerns as well, including
worry over her teen-aged son on the other side of the river and indecision
about whether she should marry Mark. Can she hold onto her career and also
be a minister's wife? If one of her neighbors has his way, Leslie may not
live long enough to resolve any of her problems.
In this taut, fast-moving novel, Marilyn Meredith deftly describes the
powerful flood, presents sharply drawn characters, and keeps the suspense
building. At the same time she handles Leslie and Mark's warm but unsettled romance with the tenderness it deserves. Leslie is an attractive, competent heroine, and Mark is her supportive friend and ally. The author combines a
neat writing style with a fine ear for dialogue as the friendly
conversations of early chapters gradually give way to sly insinuations and
bitter arguments. Clearly, as the author demonstrates, good people can
display an unexpectedly nasty side under certain conditions.
By the time GUILT BY ASSOCIATION reaches its satisfying conclusion, we have
enjoyed a wild and exhilarating ride.
Reviewed by Ilene Sirocca for The RunningRiver Reader (tm)
Copyright 2000 by Ilene Sirocca
Others driven from their homes by the flood gather together and one of them turns up dead. When Leslie begins to suspect the victim's death was murder, she finds herself in jeopardy.
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