The Edge of Town by Dorothy Garlock
Warner - 2001
ISBN: 0446527696 - Hardcover
Fiction / Literary
Some language and sexual content

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.com
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Ms Garlock's latest saga takes place during the 1920s in a small, backwater Missouri town, adeptly named Fertile. The main focus is a farming family, the Jones, living on the edge of town and innocence. Widower Jones has been striking out a living on his hardscrabble farm for years. His kids are a friendly, stable lot full of goodness and joy. Julie, a major character, is the oldest and in charge of the house. Everyone loves to visit the Jones family, including the strange man who watches them from a distance. Although his appearances are brief paragraphs throughout the storyline, each one is fear-provoking enough to strike terror in the heart of the reader.

Lately, there's been a lot going on in Fertile. Widow Stewart and her daughter have come to live with her brother. She's looking for a new husband. Because of his cruel father, the Jones' neighbor has returned to a lukewarm welcome. But Julie has taken a fancy to him. A new police chief arrives and seems to have his own agenda, and although crime in Fertile has been escalating somewhat, there has been one frightening crime no one has wanted to speak about or deal with for years. The determination of one man will hopefully change this and make the young girls feel safe again. Changes are coming to Fertile - some will survive, but others may not….

The lives of these characters and the predicaments they suffer will possess you 'til the last page is turned. And when you put the book down, it's the simplicity and generosity of these well-drawn characters you will remember. A wonderful read.

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