The Serpents Trail

I was in the mood for a soft-edged, intriguing mystery filled with excellent characters, and that's exactly what I found in The Serpents Trail. Already familiar with Sue Henry's Jessie Arnold mysteries set in Alaska, I wanted to see what a wandering sixtysomething widow with a small dog and an RV could do.

Maxie McNabb is in the minority in the crime fiction community of characters. She's in her sixties. She's widowed after two happy and fulfilling marriages and has no inclination to go that route again. Her friends and her dog Stretch supply all the companionship she needs. She's also got itchy feet and loves to travel all over the continent in her Winnebago. I rapidly fell in love with her independent spirit and level-headedness. show more Another aspect of her character that I deeply appreciated was that she possesses no desire to be either a victim or a hero. She's smart; she knows her capabilities; and she gets help when she needs it. We need more characters like Maxie McNabb in crime fiction.

In many ways, the mystery is a treat, with Sarah's habit of creating secret hiding places all over her house and having a will that creates altogether too much interest amongst those who may inherit. People aren't always who they seem either, and that will and those suspicious characters are the deciding factors in Maxie's little trip to Salt Lake City to do a little sleuthing in Sarah's family tree. The only jarring note in the entire book was the fact that the ending wasn't quite convincing-- but that doesn't bother me much. I've already ordered other books in this Maxie and Stretch series! show less

Maxie McNabb and her dachshund Stretch board their mini-Winebago to travel from their home in Alaka to Colorado where Sarah, Maxie's best friend since their college days, is dying of advanced heart disease. Sarah requested that Maxie come for a final visit as she has some very important matters to discuss with her dear friend. Maxie arrives nearly too late as Sarah has been rushed to the hospital. As Maxie sits with her dying friend, Sarah tells Maxie that she has written everything down for Maxie to read for herself and that Sarah has hidden the papers in a secret place. Unfortunately Sarah dies before she is able to tell Maxie exactly where to look but thinking back to their younger days when the 2 young women devised hiding places show more for their girlish secrets, Maxie is able to find Sarah's papers. Sarah had inexplicably changed her will very recently and Maxie, who has been named executrix of Sarah's estate, is shocked to learn that Sarah gave birth to a daughter, Jamie, while in college and gave the child up for adoption. Jamie recently found her birth mother and Sarah adjusted her will to accomodate her much to the disapproval of Sarah's son, Alan. Several break-ins at Sarah's home convince Maxie and the police that someone else is searching for Sarah's papers and the evidence seems to point to the fact that Sarah did not die a natural death but was murdered. As Maxie searches for the killer she will find her own life in danger.

The Maxie and Stretch mystery series is a pleasant way to spend an afternoon or two. Maxie is a feisty one for sure and at 63 she does not let much get in her way. Sue Henry does a great job with her research into the areas where Maxie drives her mini-Winnie and this story was full of information about some of Colorado's picturesque hiking trails and monuments. If you enjoy a cozy mystery series, I would recommend this one. show less

I disagree with library mouse's review, I loved this book. However, as a 60-something woman who camps alone, I found a lot here to relate to, which may not be the case with the other reviewer. I thought the writing flowed well and I liked the character of Maxie. I have the second in the series in my Nook already and I look forward to reading it. I'm not sure that a fictional character's choice of vehicle is a reason to dislike a book...it's fiction...

Maxie McNabb is about my age. She has been widowed twice. She lives in Alaska and now has a small RV and travels the lower 48 states in the winter and returns to Alaska in the summer. She is hurrying toward Grand Junction, Colorado where her best friend from college is dying. She arrives to find her friend in the hospital although she was expected to live an additional two or three months. She has a brief conversation with her friend who then dies. Someone is breaking into her friend's house looking for something and her friend said she (Maxie) would read about it. Maxie and her little dog, Stretch, live in the rv parked by the house. She finds hints that her friend had a child out of wedlock while in college. Another friend, Ed, used show more to be crazy about the friend and was the father of her child. Maxie gathers what facts she can. She and her friend, were fascinated by hidden compartments and puzzle boxes. She searches the house and finds some clues hidden away but they are stolen. She finally comes face to face with a killer on a trail within the Colorado monument and faces being pushed over. She is rescued by her friend's children. show less

Boring, boring, BORING. Stilted language (Henry doesn't believe in contractions, so her dialogue is clunky and formal), and prissy Maxie considers herself ethically superior to everyone walking the planet, despite the fact that she drives a massive gas-wasting RV and is such a priggish Senior Citizen. Get over yourself, Sue Henry.

Cozy Mystery. With her mini-dachshund, Stretch, by her side, 63-year-old retiree Maxie McNabb cruises across America in her Winnebago, indulging her wanderlust. So when Sarah, a dying friend in Grand Junction, Colorado, calls and asks Maxie to come visit, she does. Unfortunately, when Maxie arrives, Sarah is in the hospital and soon dies from very unnatural causes. Who would kill her? Maxie remembers Sarah's penchant for secrets and hiding places and begins puzzling out the answer, but the closer she gets to solving the crime, the more she's in danger. If you long to gather up the dog and hit the road in an RV but gas prices are keeping you stuck in park, head over to the library and check out this 1st book in the Maxie and Stretch series.

Fun read, whodunit centered on Grand Junction Colorado. Maxi and her dog, Stretch live in a mini-winnebago and deal with the dearh of Maxis friend Sarah. Cover picture is Ansel Adams photograph site in Wyoming, not the Colorado Monument in Colorado.