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12 Rose Street

A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery by Gail Bowen

12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen

Review: Joanne Kilbourn is serving as as campaign manager for her husband, Zach Shreve, who is running for mayor of Regina, Saskatchewan against the incumbent. The race is close. And then the brutal torture and murder of the one-named Cronus, a slum lord makes news, and may decide the race, in 12 Rose Street, the 15th mystery in this series by Gail Bowen.

Cronus was estranged from his family, and in his will left all his property and money to Zach. In a campaign speech, Zach promises to clean up the homes that are broken down, filthy, and not fit for anyone to live in. However, one such home on Rose Street, No.12, although painted a grotesque color, is maintained by professional workers every week. No one seems to know why. What is so special about No. 12 Rose Street?

Soon Joanne is threatened by someone with information from her past. If she doesn't scale back and slow down the pace in which Zach is moving up in the polls, videos will be sent to the TV stations and papers that will humiliate not only her, but Zach and their children. Still, Joanne and Zach are determined to do all they can to challenge and unseat the incumbent mayor and the city council which they feel have been in power too long. There are cover-ups, corruption, violence, threats and betrayals that must be shown to the public. Will the citizens of Regina believe what Zach has been trying to prove? And before someone can irreversibly damage his campaign?

The primary appeal of nicely plotted and well-structured 12 Rose Street is the central character of Joanne Kilbourn. She's a loving spouse and mother and very perceptive of what goes on around her. She solves crimes more by thoughtful consideration than through action, though she isn't averse to getting her feet on the street, as it were. Here, the story is an interesting one, with secrets from the past intertwined with the dynamics of a mayoral campaign in the present. And despite the threat hanging over their heads, Joanne and Zach's relationship is a sweet one, with delightful repartee offsetting the often aggressive actions of others. A solid entry in this series, and one that is recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of 12 Rose Street.

Acknowledgment: McClelland & Stewart provided a copy of 12 Rose Street for this review.

Review Copyright © 2015 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved

Location(s) referenced in 12 Rose Street: Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

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12 Rose Street by Gail Bowen

12 Rose Street by A Joanne Kilbourn Mystery

Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Format: Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-0-7710-2400-9
Publication Date:
List Price: $27.95

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Page Author: Lance Wright
Site Publisher: Mysterious Reviews

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