Alafair Tucker Mysteries by Donis Casey

If you enjoy reading about family life, rural America and mysteries you might enjoy a relatively new series by Donis Casey. The first book in the series "The Old Buzzard Had it Coming" was great. A review by the Chicago Tribune said:

As the mother of nine, Alafair Tucker's hard but basically peaceful life on a farm on the Oklahoma frontier in 1912 is changed forever when one of her daughters--17-year-old Phoebe--is involved in the murder of an obnoxious neighbor. Phoebe is the girlfriend of the chief suspect, the dead man's son, and might even have been his accomplice in the crime.

Under Donis Casey's gifted hand and shrewd historic eye, Tucker adds solving a mystery to her busy schedule. It all could easily have gone soft and cute, especially the many long visits to the Tuckers' fellow farmers. But by avoiding all the built-in traps, Casey has produced a sharp and suspenseful first novel. -- Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune (10 July 2005)

The books in the series in order include:

1. The Old Buzzard Had it Coming
2. Hornswoggled
3. The Drop Edge of Yonder
4. The Sky Took Him
   

I especially love the country language in these books; what fun ways she fines for the characters to express themselves!