In Plain Sight
An Ivy Malone Mystery

By Lorena McCourtney

     Ivy Malone, the unlikely but delightful heroine of Invisible (also reviewed on this site) is back. Although in her own words she is still a LOL (Little Old Lady) she has more than proved to be a force to be reckoned with, and now the dastardly Braxtons are on her trail. A temporary escape seems necessary, and so she agrees to live in with her niece Sandy while her parents are living in Hawaii prior to relocating there. The pleasant lakeside town of Woodston sounds like the sort of place where nothing much is likely to happen, but Ivy is soon to be proved wrong. Soon there is another body, another exasperated detective and Ivy's "mutant curiosity gene" plus her strong faith in God are going to make her a formidable opponent once again…

     There is a whole lot to enjoy in here as in the first book. Firstly the character of Ivy herself who seems so real - compassionate, fun-loving without being frivolous and inquisitive. If the first book had a lot to say about the woes and some benefits of getting older, this book has perhaps a slightly lighter tone and more to say about trying to make as much of one's "golden years" as possible. This is not to say that this isn't a book for people of other age groups, and despite its strong Christian message you don't need to be one to enjoy it. This is one to read and savor because it is about life, and if this makes it sound worthy, then it is also about solving murders, and with more than a dash of humor to boot. There is a lot in here, and all of it is enjoyable.