BLIND SIDE by Penny Warner

BLIND SIDE by Penny Warner
A Connor Westphal Mystery
Perseverance Press – 2001
ISBN: 1880284421 – Paperback
Amateur Sleuth

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks, MyShelf.com
Buy a Copy

Flat Skunk is hopping in Penny Warner’s latest mystery.

Connor’s job is to judge the Worse Verse contest for the Jubilee celebration. Everything is coming up frogs with green ices, corn dogs, frog shaped hot cakes, etc. The Jubilee is presenting the annual frog jumping contest and someone is taking it a little to seriously. Last year's champion is found murdered -- the frog, not the owner, although the owner does suffer a similar fate. Connor is led in plenty of directions, and it's her special abilities of reading expressions and lips that helps her to bring clues and suspects to a final outcome. But even in the end, she still wishes the mayor did it. It’s an unusual plot with some great reoccurring characters.

For me, this is a special kind of series. When it comes to deaf characters, I am a little more critical about how they are handled. Penny Warner keeps her deaf character in character. She has a way of reminding the people in the story line and the readers of Connor’s handicap with an occasional mistake or situation. The reader shouldn't be distracted by it; in fact, it makes the mystery more unique. Penny Warner has cleverly achieved the ability to blend the daily life of a deaf person in print without loosing those who are not used to it.