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Betsy Thornton

Author of High Lonesome Road

9+ Works 180 Members 8 Reviews

Series

Works by Betsy Thornton

High Lonesome Road (2001) 39 copies
A Whole New Life (2006) 35 copies
The Cowboy Rides Away (1996) 29 copies
Dead for the Winter (2004) 27 copies
Ghost Towns (2002) 23 copies
A Song for You (2008) 12 copies
Dream Queen (2010) 9 copies

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Reviews

Better than I thought it was going to be. Started out as your ordinary mystery, but interpersonal relationships were tangled up, people unclear about acting as true to themselves, leaving past mistakes behind, and procrastinating or getting sick which delays results. Add in a little alternative culture of free thinkers and activists to create a mix of characters that is more real than a few cardboard bystanders. Even the unsatisfactory (from the protagonist's point of view) ending is more realistic.
What isn't realistic is that we don't see the police doing any investigation; it looks like the defending attorney/hired investigaor & the accused's friends are doing all the investigating. Or maybe that is realistic: once the police have a good suspect, why go any further?
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½
 
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juniperSun | 1 other review | Oct 24, 2022 |
I keep reading these books because they were written about my part of the world. I like reading about the places I know in AZ. The best parts of the book are the descriptions of place and some of the supporting characters. I want to learn more about them: Troy, Pepper, Lucas, Stuart, but it seems as if the main character - who is supposed to be a victim's advocate - has no clue about how to talk with people and tends to make a lot of (faulty) assumptions and judgments about the other characters. She doesn't even do her reports, as required by law. For someone who is supposedly a professional advocat, her centering in herself and grounding in theory to help do her work are both sketchy at best. There were no clues in this book that allowed the reader to discern and try to identify the killer. The murdered woman is someone I would have wished to be the main character, not the shallow, emotionally unapproachable main character. I'm giving the book 2 stars, and I'm being generous.… (more)
 
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brickhorse | Oct 21, 2015 |
I thought this was a Western mystery, but technically it is a mystery in an Arizona setting. There is a horse and cattle and a pickup truck and boots and guns, but very little riding, herding, some driving, but little wearing, or even shooting. Still, it's a fun read by a woman who writes in the subject matter of J.A. Jance, but better IMO.

Chloe Newcomb is a Victim Witness who aids, protects, and advocates for victims of violent crimes, often of domestic violence. On a call, she faints at the sight of an old boyfriend, from her East Coast leftist college days, who was shot through the head; of course she and the reader don't believe it is suicide, which it isn't, and shortly thereafter, neither do the other characters. The catch is that she knows him by one name, but he has gone by another name for 10 years, so not only the murder, but why he is icognito is in question. The dead man has a daughter, another ex-girlfriend and an ex-wife, former friends, and Chloe has colleagues, a love interest who is hands-off married, a cat, and a neighbor who is the true heroine in this story, again IMO.

I got a little lost keeping characters straight. The author brings in a few male names who are referred to just a little, then brought up later, so I had to backtrack to remember him/them. Women are easier because they are fuller characters with more invested in the story. The plot flows easily and smoothly. The beautiful Sonoran Desert apppears again and again, and Dudley (Dudleyville) is a fine place for much of the action. A trip to Douglas has me itching now to travel southeast to check out what I've missed in the past.

Who did it? It was creepy enough to keep me interested, and the final scene is leave-it-up-to-the-imagination satisfying. This quick read was a first novel from a new writer. I'll be looking for more from her.
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brickhorse | Aug 11, 2015 |
Having read and enjoyed all of Thornton's Chloe Newcombe mysteries which are also set in Dudley (a thinly disguised Bisbee), I was excited to see this first book in a new series. As I've come to expect from Thornton, the setting is vivid and adds so much texture to the story. In addition, the mystery kept me guessing from beginning to end. However, all the various parts of the book never really gelled into an enjoyable read for me.

Thornton inserts derogatory comments about Arizona SB1070 (the highly inflammatory immigration law) and the state's (lack of) gun control. I happen to agree with her on both counts, but if she feels that way about guns, why does one come in so handy in one particular scene? It certainly could have been written differently.

Although the book is listed as a "Kate Waters" mystery, Kate does very little investigating in the book. Instead it's MacGregor's expertise that is put to good use. I liked MacGregor even though he seems to be one of those men who are drawn to damsels in distress. He's a good investigator and a nice guy.

Kate Waters is certainly a damsel in distress. A very annoying one. I have to admit that she is the main drawback in this book. The woman has just escaped from an abusive relationship. She lives in fear that her ex will find her. She is extremely paranoid. All that being said, then why on earth did she go do something and leave her house unlocked for the entire day because she knows a friend will be stopping by? That almost beggars belief. And-- once again-- if Kate is so paranoid, why can she never remember to charge her cell phone? A bit difficult to call for help if her phone's dead, isn't it?

I did enjoy the mystery in Empty Houses, and as always, I can't get enough of the setting, but with Kate Waters as the main character, I doubt very much that I'll continue with this series. What a shame.
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½
 
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cathyskye | Jul 2, 2015 |

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Works
9
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3
Members
180
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#119,865
Rating
½ 3.6
Reviews
8
ISBNs
28

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