Early's Pride
By Bobby Jaye Allen 

     Early's Pride is Pride Park, a 14-acre parcel donated to Early by the Early family for use as a recreational park. The park's covenant included a 99-year land-use restriction. That restriction is about to expire and unless the council renews the restriction for 15 years, rezoning the parcel to commercial use is possible.

     Rick Cameo is the director of services and wants to rezone the Park to an urban retail center, citing increased tax revenues, new jobs, convenient shopping.

     He is opposed by the majority of citizens, among whom is Joyce Fellmeyer, local veterinarian's wife and council woman, whose veterinarian clinic is threatened by the possible rezoning.

     When Cameo is found murdered, Joyce decides the two-detective squad is inadequate for the job, and enlists the aid of Brady Kincaid, chief-of-campus-security at Lombardy Teachers College where Joyce's sister, Claudia, is dean of women. Brady has years of experience investigating homicides, and Joyce believes he can solve the case.

     Assisting Brady are Geraldine Pozy, reporter for the Early Eagle who brings invaluable help to Brady, and Lincoln Henderson, who is to renovate the Early Hotel. Together they establish a link between Cameo's murder and the murder of Maureen Sevall,owner of the antique store and one of Cameo's opponents.

     It is pleasant to renew our acquaintance with some of the characters from Allen's first book, Every First Saturday; to see how their lives have developed. The plot is well-crafted with enough clues to keep the reader on his toes. The dialogue between Bebout and Newkirk, the two detectives, and between Pozy and Lincoln is refreshing. The story is full of atmosphere of the small town, its politics and its police.

     Early's Pride is a fast paced suspense story.