Flash forward two years. Rep’s wife Melissa has just accepted a tenure-track position at a university in Milwaukee. Rep has convinced the partners of his firm he should try to open a branch in Wisconsin, so the two head north to try and make a go of it. What Rep doesn’t expect is that Vance Hayes will follow right along.

Not literally, the man is really dead, but Sue Key comes to Rep’s office with a complaint about how a picture of her was misused and is in possession of a note Vance wrote Sue’s mother directing her to Walt Kuchinski, if anything every happened to Vance. Walt is the attorney with whom Rep is sharing office space,.

Now Rep doesn’t like coincidences, nor is he comfortable with Vance reaching out from the grave two years later. Rep settles Sue’s case and plans to call it a day until Sue’s apartment is broken into and the only thing the court transcriber can find missing are some depositions from Vance Hayes. Little by little, Rep is drawn further into the case, as is Melissa and Walt, who brings a group of his Vietnam Vet cronies. The group begins to follow a trail that begins with a smarmy photographer who takes pictures for a smoking fetish website, takes a brief trip in time back to the Vietnam War era and ends up back with Vance Hayes. For some reason, Rep and Melissa cannot let this puzzle go, a puzzle that will take them deep into the north woods, just in time for the start of deer season.

Putting Lipstick on a Pig has a lot of different elements that don’t always connect along the way, though by the time all is said and done, most ends have been tied up and connected. The finale ends rather abruptly and may leave some readers feeling as if they may have missed something.

Rep and Melissa often engage in erudite sparring, though it is not as natural when Rep attempts it with his colleagues. While Rep takes the lead in the, Melissa’s character seems eager to take the spotlight, and someday may overshadow Rep and take over. At times, it feels that there are a few too many fingers in the pot, but that offers plenty of suspicion and suspects.

Loyal readers will be happy to catch up with Rep and Melissa in their third adventure.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry