The Scent of Rain and Lightning

This is one of those rare books that synchronizes characters, plot, and pacing to perfection. The story centers on Jody Linder, who at age three tragically loses both her parents in one night. One is murdered, the other goes missing. As the book opens, the man accused of this crime, Billy Crosby, is unexpectedly released from prison after serving 20+ years of his life sentence. From here, through flashbacks, the story unfolds and the mystery builds. Pickard’s descriptive skills are masterful. She brings to life rural life on a ranch and presents multi faceted very believable characters. She captures the subtleties of human interaction, presents real life situations and shows the politics of small town psychology. She also keeps you show more guessing. Was the right man convicted? There are enough twists and surprises, so that once started, the book is hard to put down. Although categorized as a mystery, it’s a book to be enjoyed by anyone who likes a good story. It's easy to understand why Nancy Pickard is an award winning author.

Review previously posted at: www.princetonbookreview.com
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This satisfying novel is more character study than whodunit, though it has elements of both.

Twenty-three years before the book begins, Jody Linder lost both parents in a night of shocking violence – her father shot to death in the family home, her mother disappeared without a trace. As the novel opens, Jody receives the horrifying news that the man convicted of her father’s murder has had his prison sentence commuted due to irregularities in the trial, and is returning to their home town. No one knows if he plans revenge on those who put him behind bars, or whether he simply means to resume his former life of drinking, beating on his wife, and terrorizing anyone who crosses him.

Pickard does a good job with virtually all the show more characters – the Linder family members, the townspeople who are still agitated over the trial, Jody herself, and the man to whom she is drawn despite a personal history that makes their relationship impossible. Even the returning prisoner manages to be more than a straw man. (He’s still totally unpleasant, but his whining, bullying, everybody-picks-on-me attitude is, unfortunately, all too recognizable). The setting – a small Kansas town surrounded by cattle and wheat ranches – is always present and is itself another character, indelibly marking those who live there.

The observant reader will probably have come to some conclusions at about the halfway point of the book, but it’s unlikely they will get all the details right. The conclusion, where secrets are revealed and lives are shattered, is probably the weakest part of the novel, as some of the characters’ actions seem unlikely, or contradictory to earlier characterizations.

It’s still a worthwhile read, and the characters will stay with the reader for a while. show less

Although I originally expected this to be primarily a crime thriller, to me it was more a story of family tragedy, for both the Linder and the Crosby family, as it reveals itself over 20-plus year time period. For me, the crime thriller aspect was resolved in my mind to early in the book, although it was interesting to see how the details of this story ultimately panned out.

It was the way that Ms. Pickard used the natural environment & weather in rural Kansas metaphorically to express fear, doom and ultimate peace of spirit that really kept my attention. Underlying themes such as familial bonds, murder, revenge and the always timely discussion about the fairness of the American justice system are woven into the story and also give the show more reader something to think about. show less

I wasn't sure, to be honest, what I was going to think of this book. It sounded interesting, in a way. In another? I just couldn't really decide if it was going to be one of this books you fell in love with, or if it would be a "meh"'. I am happy to say that was more of a "wow" than a meh. Packard has written a story of strong, yet flawed people who may not be perfect, but they are totally real and believable. The mystery, spaced over a period of 25 years, kept my attention. And, unlike many mysteries, it actually took me quite a while to figure out "who dunnit". Overall, I would recommend it.

It is undeniable that author Nancy Pickard has a flair for writing about murder mysteries that take place in small town settings. "The Scent of Rain & Lightning" is the second novel that I've read by Nancy Pickard, the first being "The Virgin of Small Plains" which went straight into the list of my favorite mystery novels of all time. Thus, when I picked up this book, I had a lot of expectations. And despite how pre-hyped (and over-hyped, I must add) the book had been in my mind, it came through on all my expectations.

Nancy Pickard has a knack for concocting mysteries that are sure to make your head spin, and have you grasping at clues to piece the puzzle together, and yet you'll find yourself completely clueless until the very end, show more until the author allows it to slowly unravel in all its glory. I pride myself in being a darn intuitive reader, and I must admit (far from humbly) that I can usually predict who the killer is, or the motive, much earlier than the ending of the book - but Pickard's novels always render my intuition useless, and leave me guessing until the very end, which is why I happen to love them. I love that there's an author who can trump my intuition, and leave me begging for more.

However, what makes this novel so great, it is not just the mystery itself, but the characters that the writer creates. You cannot help but feel empathy towards the mother who has lost her son, the daughter who has lost her parents, and with them, her childhood, and the son who may not like his father but feels obligated to defend him. The book is full of wonderful, meaningful characters that are real, and easy to relate to, even if you may not like them. After reading her books, one is convinced that author Nancy Pickard has never stepped foot outside spent her entire life in a secluded, rural, remote and small farm-town somewhere in the Midwest; her description of the town of Rose, Kansas is so spot-on, and her description of the dynamics and relationships between the townspeople is excessively real and believable.

Will Jody be able to forgive Billy Crosby, in order to move on with her life? Will she be able to let her guard down, and allow herself to care for Collin, the son of the man who killed her father? Will she ever find her missing mother? Will her wounds ever be filled, and will she ever move on with her life, fall in love again, or feel safe again?

Overall, I highly recommend this novel to someone who likes to read about murder mysteries, but also to those who like reading about the interpersonal interactions between people from a small-town like Rose, Kansas. Above all, I recommend you to read it for the riveting mystery, and for the characters, like Jody, who you'll remember long after you are done with the novel. show less

Jody Linder is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her parents has been released from prison. Jody was just three years old when her parents were murdered, and her grandparents, uncles, and aunt have spent the the last 23 years sheltering her from many of the circumstances surrounding the murder. With Billy Crosby's imminent return to their small Kansas town, Jody begins probing the memories of family and friends, and what she learns causes her to question everything she thought she knew.

The combination of characters, place, and atmosphere made this a difficult book to put down. Even though I've never been to the western part of Kansas, the author described it so well that I could picture it. The dialogue merged show more seamlessly with the narrative passages. I particularly admired Jody's grandmother, Annabelle, who, when she saw how Crosby's wife and son had been ostracized by the community, treated them with dignity and grace, knowing that the rest of the community would follow her lead.

This book was good enough that I was disappointed with the resolution of the central problem and the tensions between and within the characters. To borrow imagery from the book, huge thunderclouds loomed, but the storm dissipated into a soothing rain. I kept wondering how one of the characters was going to confront an awkward situation. The author solved it by removing the situation rather than allowing the confrontation that seemed inevitable. I also felt a bit cheated that the romance hinted at throughout the book develops outside of the story. The reader is told about it, but isn't allowed to experience it. Disappointments aside, I was favorably impressed by my first experience with this author's writing, and I'll be looking for more of her works.

This review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher through LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program. show less

Nancy Pickard is a great storyteller. She has combined memorable characters, a page turning sense of drama and a surprise ending. I thought I knew who "did it" but I was wrong. It was well written and I liked the setting and realistic descriptions of working farm life through the generations.