The
Sky Took Him
An
Alafair Tucker Mystery
Donis
Casey
Poisoned
Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-571-2 (1590585712)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-571-9 (9781590585719)
Publication Date: January 2009
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): It’s a sad duty that brings Alafair Tucker to
Enid, Oklahoma, in the fall of 1915. Her sister Ruth Ann’s
husband, Lester, is not long for this world, and the family is
gathering to send him to his reward. Alafair had planned to make the
trip on her own with her youngest daughter Grace. So she is surprised
and gratified when her eldest daughter Martha volunteers to come along
and care for Grace, freeing Alafair to comfort the soon-to-be-bereaved.
But her niece’s irresponsible husband, Kenneth, has
disappeared at a most inconvenient time. When it comes to light that
Kenneth has been involved in some shady dealing with Buck Collins --
the most ruthless businessman in town -- everyone is convinced that
Collins has done him in. In fact, no other possibility is considered,
not by the family or by the local lawmen. But Alafair suspects that
things are not so simple.
Over the next few days, Alafair and Martha come face-to-face with
blackmail, intimidation, murder, and family secrets that stretch back
over twenty years. And in the process, they discover things about each
other that will change their relationship forever.
Review:
Donis Casey's stellar fourth mystery, The
Sky Took Him,
has Alafair Tucker traveling to her sister's home in Enid when she
learns her brother-in-law is dying. But the missing husband of her
niece becomes her real concern. What has he gotten himself in to now?
When Ruth Ann, Alafair's sister, writes telling her of her husband's
imminent death, Alafair knows she must come quickly. This is what
family is all about. She, her eldest daughter, Martha, and youngest,
Grace, take the train from their home in Muskogee, Oklahoma to her
sister’s home in Enid. Here they find Lester very frail and
totally bedridden. His business rests in the hands of his partner and
his only daughter, Olivia. Olivia's husband, Kenneth, is also involved
but Lester has little trust or confidence in his son-in-law. For
reasons known only to Kenneth, he is away on business. When he
doesn’t return home when he is scheduled to, Olivia gets in
touch with the businesses he had said he was contacting, only to be
told no contacts were ever made. Where had Kenneth gone, and where is
he now? Some members of the family suspect that Kenneth has gotten
himself into some illegal situation. This gives Martha cause to worry
that her mother will haul off and get herself into some pickle again.
It seems Alafair has a habit of sniffing around where she
isn’t welcome and running afoul of those who could do her
harm. Will she be able to find Kenneth? If so, what condition will he
be in?
Although the mystery in The Sky Took Him starts out as a simple case of
a missing person, it soon becomes clear that the real mystery is
Kenneth himself. He owes a “ruthless business man in
town” thousands of dollars that was used to invest in an oil
well driller. He may be shipping smuggled goods to Mexico through the
family business. He has evidently hidden something, because his office,
his home and the oil well site are all broken into and trashed. What is
he trying to hide? And from whom?
But this book is more than a mystery. It's also a study in family
relationships. Alafair and Martha take a hard look at their own
mother-daughter relationship and communicate their feelings about life
and death, the love of parents and children, of untold dreams and hopes
for the future.
The
Sky Took Him is an awesome
book that contrasts a gripping mystery with the story of a caring,
loving family. Balancing page-turning suspense with passages of love
and laughter, this is one of the year's best books.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of The Sky Took Him and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read The Sky Took Him? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
The
Old
Buzzard
Had It Coming
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), July 2005
ISBN-10: 1-59058-149-0 (1590581490)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-149-0 (9781590581490)
Hornswoggled
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), September 2006
ISBN-10: 1-59058-309-4 (1590583094)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-309-8 (9781590583098)
The Drop Edge of Yonder
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-446-5 (1590584465)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-446-0 (9781590584460)
The Sky Took Him
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), January 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-571-2 (1590585712)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-571-9 (9781590585719)
Omnimystery
keywords for The Sky Took Him
...
Location(s) referenced: Oklahoma.
