Publisher's Weekly Review
Devotees of Henry's Alaska mysteries will be delighted to see 63-year-old Maxine "Maxie" McNabb, the Winnebago-driving, free-spirited widow introduced in Dead North (2001), starring in this gentle whodunit, the first of a new series. Summoned from Alaska to Grand Junction, Colo., to the bedside of her ailing old friend Sarah Nunamaker, Maxie and her adorable mini-dachshund Stretch wheel in just in the nick of time or do they? Sarah's final words to Maxie seem urgent, but leave her little to go on in order to investigate the wrongs to which Sarah mysteriously alludes. Much to the dismay of Alan, Sarah's adopted son, Maxie discovers she's been appointed Sarah's executor. She must also contend with a break-in at Sarah's home and her late friend's penchant for secret hiding places and secrets in general. Then Ed Norris, a college mate of Maxie and Sarah, drops a real bombshell when he reveals the identities of Alan's biological parents. A box of photos, an address on a card and a surprising stranger later lead or mislead Maxie and Stretch to Salt Lake City, where Maxie faces even greater dangers. Cozy crime fans of a certain age will love to live vicariously through Maxie and Stretch in what promises to be a long and popular run of adventures. (Apr. 6) FYI: Henry's first Jessie Arnold mystery, Murder on the Iditarod Trail (1991), won both Anthony and Macavity awards. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Kirkus Review
Unlike her musher friend Jesse Arnold (Death Trap, p. 645, etc.), senior citizen Maxie McNabb drives an RV, owns a mini-dachshund instead of a husky--and is rarely tormented by serial killers. Nonetheless, her plan to spend time with an ailing friend is disrupted by violence. Firing up her RV, Maxie heads south from her Alaska home to her old friend Sarah Nunamaker in Grand Junction, Colorado. Sarah, who has only a few months to live, wants Maxie's company. More urgently, she needs Maxie's help with some problem that she refuses to explain. Maxie arrives to find Sarah's house ransacked and Sarah in the hospital. By the next morning Sarah is dead, not from natural causes, and Maxie, her executrix, must settle Sarah's estate, which she has left to her adopted son and any natural children of her own, the existence of whom no one has ever suspected until Ed Norris, Sarah's college boyfriend, claims that Sarah's adopted son, Alan, is actually his. Emphatically denying this birthright, Alan makes it clear that he resents Maxie's and Ed's presence. Puzzled and stung, Maxie searches Sarah's home for the secret hiding places her friend loved to devise, in between dodging car collisions at the Colorado State Monument and research at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Luckily, Maxie is no Miss Marple, and those who like Henry's chatty style will like this departure, too. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Retiree Maxie McNabb, a spry 63 years old, gets a call for help from her old friend Grace and immediately sets off in her Winnebago on the lengthy jaunt from Alaska to Grandunction, Colorado. When Maxie arrives, Grace is hospitalized, muttering deliriously about secrets--and then she dies abruptly. This mystery starts a new series by Henry, author of the popularessie Arnold novels. She appears to have another winner on her hands. The strong older characters are well developed and will appeal to fans of Mrs. Pollifax and Peter Abresch'sim Dandy mysteries. The story builds suspense effectively, and the descriptions of the West, particularly the national parks, will draw the Nevada Barr crowd. There's even an appealing dog, a dachshund named Stretch, to attract canine mystery readers. Only a less-than-convincing ending keeps this one from straight As, but it's still a fine series debut. --John Rowen Copyright 2004 Booklist
Library Journal Review
Mature but spunky Maxie McNabb, sometime resident of Homer, AK, responds to lifelong friend Sarah Nunamker's plea for a final visit to her in Grand Junction, CO. After an RV trip south with her dachshund, Stretch, then a short, enigmatic conversation with reference to her and Sarah's longtime fascination with secret hiding places, Maxie finds herself executrix of Sarah's estate. With few clues why anyone would want her friend dead, enter old acquaintance Ed Norris. Add Sarah's adopted son Alan and recently acknowledged twins to the pool of suspects in this Monument National Park-set cozy. By the time the characters assemble along the Serpents Trail, one of the curviest roads in the United States, there aren't many surprises. RV fans and dog lovers will enjoy this program read by Lee Adams; recommended for all collections.-Sandy Glover, Camas P.L., WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.