Going, Gone-Laura Crum

Going, Gone
Laura Crum
Perseverance Press, Apr 10 2010, $14.95
ISBN: 9781880284988

Forty-five year old retired horse veterinarian Gail McCarthy is married to a man younger than her. Together they raise their six year old son; home-schooling him. Gail believes the three of them could use a vacation so they paick up their things, take their horses and go to the Sierra Nevada foothills to camp on land belonging to her former boyfriend, Lonny Peterson.

Lonny arrives at their camp to greet them. Accompanying him is another childhood friend of Gail, sheriff's deputy Bret Boncantini. Lonny explains that Bret arrested him for the murders of his girlfriend Lorene Richardson and her brother Cole; they ran livestock auctions. Neither Gail or Bret believe Lonny killed them, but the lead detective believes he did as the female victim was seen fighting with the suspect over her dating her former spouse Kevin Moore and Lonny’s gun was by the body with only his prints on it. Finally a witnesses places Lonny at the crime scene at about the time of the homicides. Bret is limited on what he can do so Gail investigates following a lead that Cole was involved in illegal dealings. However, a calculating killer watches her carefully preparing for one more murder if needed.

The Laura Crum mysteries will obviously be enjoyed by amateur sleuth aficionados, but also by horse lovers. Going, Gone is an entertaining whodunit as several murders including a child occur in front of a pristine stark natural background. Gail stands by her friend and being a civilian can do what Bret as a law enforcement official cannot even as she breaks laws to prove her case. Although the typical amateur sleuth risking their life is an intricate part of the strong plotting, fans will enjoy Going, Gone as there are plenty of viable suspects with Lonny remaining at the head of the class.

Harriet Klausner