When the town loony, Tanner, contacts the police and announces he has run a man over, the police are very skeptical for one simple reason: Tanner does not drive. He tools around town on foot with a hubcap for a steering wheel. The police humor him, giving him speeding tickets from time to time, but generally leaving him alone.

The dead man is identified as Lester DeLoach, aka Tariq with local ties, whose wife Coreen Collins also has local ties. Trudy and her casual boyfriend, Phil, who runs the local newspaper, had been at a recent opening at the gallery, where Coreen was displaying her artwork, made from soldered car parts.

The police investigate this murder at a very slow, nonchalant pace, (perhaps things really are slower in the South). It takes them several days to get in touch with Coreen and other partners of the gallery and when they find a loan hubcap and a cell phone near the area take their time in tracking down the owners.

Trudy finds the air let out of her tires on several mornings and thinks nothing more of it other than bad luck and bad roads. The entire police department is very laid back about the murder no one seeming concerned that another murder might occur.

As a character, Trudy might have been better portrayed as an amateur detective, sticking her nose in her cousin’s police business. Lacking the training, she lacks credibility, although she deals very patiently and cleverly with Tanner, playing along with his fantasy of driving a car to achieve her goal.

The solving of the mystery plods along, dismissing or ignoring obvious suspects and never seems to be a top priority of the police. When the conclusion finally does occur, it is very bland and the reader may not even care if the crime is ever solved.

The setting, while full of local color and interesting characters goes off in too many directions that never seem quite unified. There is potential for stronger outings, possibly with sharper police work and a more unified setting and cast of characters.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry