Book Review: Letter from Home

Reviewed By: Lynn Rhoades - columnist

Letter from Home     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Carolyn G. Hart
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Woman Main Character   Amateur Sleuth   Historical
Berkley Prime Crime, $22.95

Gretchen Gilman is thirteen the summer of 1944 when she gets a part-time job reporting for her small town Oklahoma newspaper. When the mother of one of her friends is murdered, Gretchen finds herself with the best sources for reporting the biggest story of the summer, yet torn between conflicting loyalties. If this sounds like a coming of age story, it is -- and quite nicely told. But it is also a page turning mystery, as Gretchen tries to determine the truth: is her friend’s father a murderer on the loose or has he been framed?

Although veering a little close to Nancy Drew territory with Gretchen’s beyond-her-years’ abilities and penchant for always being at the right place at the right time, the novel is saved by Hart’s skill at weaving several emotional storylines together within a well-written framework of wartime rural America.

The use of the “letter from home” to tie up the loose ends of the mystery years later seems a bit contrived – a straightforward telling of the tale might have worked just as well – but “Letter from Home” is an enjoyable read, full of engaging characters. The mood is invitingly nostalgic, a nice contrast to the painful truths Gretchen eventually learns – that brutal crimes, bigotry and corruption existed, just under the surface of her idyllic home town. All in all, a good summer read.

Lynn Rhoades - columnist

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Lynn Rhoades - columnist