Different Paths

June 9, 2008
When someone assaults veterinarian Carla Beaumont and hijacks her truck in Clemens’s engaging fifth mystery to feature Pennsylvania dairy farmer Stella Crown (after 2007’s The Day Will Come
), it appears the perp was after drugs. But Stella is quick to see a pattern after other females in male-dominated professions are subjected to various attacks, one of them fatal. Less to her credit, Stella tends to judge people too hastily, as she does Carla’s new boyfriend, whom she meets in the hospital where Carla is recuperating. Stella’s also quick to jump to conclusions about any number of suspects. As with previous books in the series, the chief attraction rests in Stella’s relationships with such people as her boyfriend, Nick, and her farmhand, Lucy, as well as in the daily trials, tribulations and pleasures of running a small dairy farm. Stella may not get high marks for her sleuthing, but she’s persistent, loyal and determined, qualities that should continue to attract new readers.

Tavia Gilbert presents a readily accessible interpretation of Clemens's romantic mystery involving strong women in male-dominated professions. In Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Stella Crown owns a dairy farm, says what she thinks, and rides a Harley. After a series of crimes against her women friends, she begins her own investigation, with the help of boyfriend Nick, to assist the police in identifying and stopping the perp. Gilbert captures the anger, frustration, and fear of the mostly female characters as well as the easy camaraderie and loyalty of these good friends. She never tries to outdo the characters with outlandish vocalizations, and she does an exceptionally good job with the changing voices of male teenagers. This engaging audio will enchant listeners. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine