Product Description

“He would never leave us.”

Just like that, business investigator Callie Webber finds herself involved in the life of a young wife and mother whose husband has disappeared. . . possibly the victim of foul play.

“I won’t go away until my husband comes back,” Luisa said, her face threatening to crumble into tears once again.

“Your husband left you?” I asked.

“No,” Luisa said, sniffling. “He didn’t leave. Something happened to him. And we’ll stay here until we find out what that was and where he is!”

Callie has come to the beautiful Smoky Mountains hoping to award a million–dollar grant to the charity set up in her late husband’s honor. But in the search for a missing migrant working, a body is discovered, which puts the grant on hold and her new romance with her mysterious boss in peril. Trusting in God, Callie forges steadily ahead through a mire of clues that lead her deeper and deeper into danger.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #289798 in Books
• Published on: 2003-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

Customer Reviews

Intrigue in the Smokies
Callie Webber is coming home - sort of. Her latest assignment for the J.O.S.H.U.A. Foundation is to investigate MORE, a non-profit set up by her in-laws in her late husband's memory. This is the first time Callie has been back to visit his death, and she's a little nervous about how it will go.

She's just relaxing at an impromptu family reunion when an explosion at the church shocks them all. It's just some stink bombs, but the body nearby is definitely dead. It's just the latest in a series of crimes targeted at Luisa, a migrant who stayed past harvest season because her husband is missing. It doesn't take Callie long to realize that these events directly relate to her investigation of MORE, so she begins to investigate. Will she be able to track down a migrant missing 6 months? Who is behind the vandalism aimed at Luisa? And who killed that John Doe in the church parking lot?

I was once again thrilled to be in Callie's presence. She's a great character I've really come to care about. Unlike the last two in the series, I didn't feel the second half had quite the breakneck pace, but I did feel the novel was more evenly plotted overall. There were still several twists I saw coming only a few pages before Callie, and the ending was certainly a surprise.

With each book, I'm more and more glad I found this author. If you haven't discovered Mindy Starns Clark, pick up the first book today. You'll be very glad you did.

TLA
Like Mindy Starns Clark as a writter and enjoyed this book. Hard to put down.

Books are a dime a dozen....but this one is quite good!!
As I sit here and reflect on this book, I'm amazed that Ms. Clark can tie together so many story lines in one book, and still have the finished product be so well put together, and really, an all-around inspiring read. The problem with most mysteries, I feel, is either the plot lines are nothing new and interesting, or they have so much blood and gore that you get either lost by the end of the book, or you become disgusted. Neither is the case with Ms. Clark's book. While it is number 3 in a series of 5 books, the pre-existing relationships are well explained, so this book can be read as a stand-alone, as I did.

Callie Webber is an investigator for J.O.S.H.U.A. foundation, which supplies grants to non-profit start-ups. In this novel, her assignment is to return to her hometown and review her former in-laws company, M.O.R.E. Callie is a bit nervous about this, as she hasn't returned to her hometown for several years, evr since her husband was killed in a tragic accident. While she has grieved and begun loving again, she's a bit hesitant to return and see her in'laws, as well as the canbin where she spent so much time with her husband. Happily, when she arrives she is instantly comforted, as she sees that the cabin she spent so many happy moments at has been completely redocarated by the leasing agency, so she relaxes right away.

Callie goes to begin investigating M.O.R.E., and in quickly immersed in many mysteries. Why is migrant worker Luisa the target of so many crimes? Stink bombs, a murder, attempted burning of her home, and many other tragedies are befalling this poor woman. Also, there is the puzzling question - what happened to Luisa's husband? He was a fine, hard worker who loved his family. Now, a letter has arrived from New York, supposedly from him, saying he was there. Why on earth would a settled family man up and leave? Luisa suspects foul play, and soon, Callie also does. Many more smaller mysteries are intertwined throughout this book, but, at the end, I came away feeling that all my questions were answered, and Ms. Clark successfully tied up all the loose ends throughout the book. I would recommend this book if you love a good mystery, and are fed up with the gore found throughout so many of today's books.