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Midnight Clear
A Callahan Garrity Mystery

by Kathy Hogan Trocheck



      After ten years of silence Callahan Garrity's younger brother, Brian, shows up with an unexpected Christmas present-- a cute three-year old daughter he kidnapped from his estranged wife. Determined not to take the child back to his wife, Brian leaves her with Callahan and their mother. When he doesn't return at the appointed time, the wife shows up and demands her child back. When Brian is told, he vows to "fix" his wife.

When Callahan discovers her sister-in-law dead, her brother is the natural suspect. Her efforts to keep her brother out of jail are frustrated by his irresponsible behavior. Nevertheless, determined to learn the truth, Callahan, an ex-cop turned P.I., sets out to investigate.

Although Ms. Trocheck takes rather longer than I like to get to the actual meat of the book -who killed whom and why- I didn't mind the time she took to set the stage. I enjoyed meeting the various characters and exploring the various relationships in the book. I especially liked the relationship between Callahan and her mother, and the warm ones between both women and those who work for them.

Ms. Trocheck has a pleasant, no-nonsense style that kept me turning the pages. In Callahan Garrity, she has created a witty, resourceful person, who can easily become yet another guilty pleasure for me. Although Midnight Clear is set against the backdrop of Christmas, it's an engaging book that readers can enjoy anytime of the year. I look forward to reading the earlier books in the series and getting addicted.

The Book

Avon / HarperCollins
November 2005 (Reissue edition, orig pub. 1999)
Paperback
0061098000
Mystery - Cozy/P.I.
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
NOTE: Holiday: Christmas

The Reviewer

Mary Lynn
Reviewed 2006
NOTE: Reviewer Mary Lynn is the author of Dear Cari.
© 2006 MyShelf.com