Sunday, July 11, 2010

Book Review: PECOS VALLEY REVIVAL

Book Title: PECOS VALLEY REVIVAL

Author: Alice Duncan

Author's website: http://www.aliceduncan.net

Genre: Historical cozy mystery set in Rosedale (a thinly disguised Roswell), New Mexico in 1923.

Publisher: Five Star/Cengage

Publisher's website: http://www.gale.cengage.com/fivestar/

ISBN 978-1-59414-926-9

Pages: 250

Price: $25.99 (hardback)

Publication date: January 2011

A really fun read! Alice Duncan has written a charming story of a fictitious 1920s town called Rosedale, New Mexico in which a young woman Annabelle finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery not unlike the novels she often checks out of the library.

The town seems like a regular small town on the edge of the Wild West with the addition of a cattle drive through the middle of town which brings cowboys to town twice a year. The cattle drive brings the cowboys who stay for the rodeo. The whole town comes out to the rodeo. It’s the biggest thing happening in Rosedale until next year. But this year is special because a fabulous preacher came to town at the same time preaching the gospel in the tent revival fashion.

Annabelle and her friend Myrtle are the center of Rosedale. Myrtle is smitten with the new preacher man and wants her friend Annabelle to come to the tent revival. Annabelle is too sensible for that, then her beau Phil goes the revival, she thinks she might consider it. But when the preacher’s sister, the gorgeous angelic looking young woman catches Phil’s eye… well, Annabelle gets to the revival meeting. That’s when the whole town comes apart…

Pecos Valley Revival grabbed me. I could not put it down. I had to know what happened next… Are Richard & Josephine having an affair? What about Hannah? Kenny’s kind of a jerk, who will he fight with next? Will Phil break up with Annabelle? Will Jack get what he deserves? If Esther is so perfect, why does Annabelle find her irritating? How is it that Hazel knows everything?

Set for release in January 2011, this is a delightful read. It left me hoping that there will be other stories from Rosedale, New Mexico.

1 comment:

~ Roxanne said...

This is the post I tried to comment on earlier. The book sounds interesting and the review has gotten my attention!