Valley
of the Lost
A
Molly Smith Mystery
Vicki
Delany
Poisoned
Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-595-X (159058595X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-595-5 (9781590585955)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): In the bucolic mountain town of Trafalgar, British
Columbia, a young woman is found dead of a heroin overdose, her baby
lying at her side. While this should be an open-and-shut drug case,
restraint marks on the victim suggest that the death might not have
been completely accidental.
As the investigation into the young woman’s death and life
grows, the case becomes increasingly personal for Probationary
Constable Molly Smith and Sergeant John Winters. Only two things are
known about the dead woman: her first name is Ashley, and she has a
three-month-old baby boy. Who was she? And was this is just a drug deal
gone wrong, or is there something more sinister at play?
Smith’s mother, Lucky, has taken in the orphaned baby: does
he hold the key to solving his mother’s murder?
Meanwhile, Winters’ wife, Eliza, is considering accepting a
modeling contract with the same resort development that seems to be
ripping the close-knit community apart. Has the controversial project
pushed a member of this quiet community to murder?
Review:
In the pastoral mountain village of Trafalgar, British Columbia,
Detective Sergeant John Winters and probationary Constable Molly Smith
investigate the suspicious death of a young mother in Valley of the Lost,
the second mystery in this series by Vicki Delany.
Molly’s mother, Lucky, actually found the young woman's body,
chancing across it in the woods. Next to her lies a crying infant, a
boy. Lucky, who operates the Trafalgar Women’s Support
Center, takes the boy under her care. His mother appears to have died
of a heroin overdose. The autopsy reveals that she had indeed overdosed
but there were also restraint marks on her wrists indicating that she
may have been murdered. And most puzzling of all, she had never given
birth. The infant boy could not be hers. Only the dead
woman’s roommate can actually identify her, but by her first
name only -- Ashley. She tells Winters and Smith Ashley had never
revealed her last name. No one else in the small village will even
admit remembering talking to her. How can they find the
girl’s family if they cannot identify her? Winters and Smith
make tentative links to a psychologist who worked with Ashley to help
her kick her drug habit but who suddenly denies having seen her
recently, and a number of people associated with the development of a
huge resort that may endanger the habitat of some local wildlife
species. The connections between these are not clear, but one thing is
certain: a baby boy is their only clue.
The contrast between the peaceful, seemingly idyllic community of
Trafalgar and big money land development, drug trade, and murder form
the foundation for this riveting mystery. The author effectively
integrates an engrossing whodunit within a social commentary on small
town life. Her observations ring true primarily due to the credible
characters she has created. The intricate, well thought out plot also
helps, and will keep readers guessing until the surprise ending. Valley of the Lost
is an impressive sequel to the first book in the series and is highly
recommended.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Valley of the Lost 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 Valley of the Lost? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
In the Shadow of the Glacier
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), October 2007
ISBN-10: 1-59058-448-1 (1590584481)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-448-4 (9781590584484)
Valley of the Lost
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), February 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-595-X (159058595X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-595-5 (9781590585955)
Winter of Secrets
Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover), November 2009
ISBN-10: 1-59058-676-X (159058676X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-676-1 (9781590586761)
Omnimystery
keywords for Valley of the Lost
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Location(s) referenced: British Columbia.
