Book Review: Lying Wonders

Reviewed By: Harriet Klausner

Lying Wonders     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Susan Rogers Cooper
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Milt Kovak # 7
St. Martin’s, Jan 2003, $22.95, 224 pp.

His former lover Laura Marshall hysterically demands that Prophesy County, Oklahoma Sheriff save her teenage son Trent from the Seven Trumpets religious community that she swears kidnapped him. Though he prefers distance from Laura, Milt reluctantly follows up on her complaint and quickly learns that Trent’s girlfriend Amanda Nederwald has failed to come home either.

Milt visits the Seven Trumpets estate, but before he sees anyone, he finds the corpse of a young female that is later verified is Amanda. Trent remains missing. Milt visits the church where he notices that most of the flock consists of pregnant women. His interview with the founder Brother Grigsby goes well, but also leaves Milt feeling a bit creepy. He returns with his wife, psychiatrist Dr. Jean McDonnell, so she can provide him with a quick assessment of Grigsby. As Milt and his department investigate the homicide and missing boyfriend, his niece becomes a recruitment target of the Seven Trumpets.

LYING WONDERS is an exciting police procedural that readers will enjoy due to the clever interweaving of the overflow of Milt’s past personal life into the murder investigation. The story line never slows down even when the hero’s sister and niece go at it. Milt is a strong character that makes the rest of the cast seems real because he comes across as a person with complex relationships. Though his sarcastic behavior in his second encounter with Grigsby seems out of character for the calm sheriff, Susan Rogers Cooper provides a delightful who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Harriet Klausner