The reunion takes place at their old high school where LeGrande confronts Fred, promising to relate stories about Fred's recently deceased wife. Fred had always worshipped his wife and is not eager to have her memory tarnished. The confrontation results in a fist fight, with Fred taking several punches at LeGrande. A short time later, Fred finds LeGrande lying dead in the hallway. Understandably, Fred becomes the police's prime suspect. In order to avoid being prosecuted for a crime he didn't commit, Fred undertakes the job of finding the real murderer.

Probably the best thing about No Place for Memories is the characters. They are genuine people. Fred, in his seventies, has the usual aches and pains that accompany aging. He is stubborn, and short tempered. He was devoted to his wife, now devoted to her memory. He is not drawn to social gatherings, though he is an astute observer of the feelings and viewpoints of others.

His daughter, Margaret, recently divorced, has a rather unusual view of her role as a woman. She is, however, fiercely determined to rear her three high school through college age children without any outside help. Her oldest daughter, Sarah, and her boyfriend, Dane, provide a unique perspective of the emerging generation.

The plot is pretty mundane. The troublemaker gets murdered, presumably for the trouble he made or will make. The motive for his murder while conceivable, is rather unlikely. The story line is presented in a logical manner which makes it easy to follow.

While No Place for Memories did not teach me any significant tidbits of information with which I can impress my husband or co-workers, I did learn something about human nature. The interaction of Fred with his daughter, granddaughter, and his granddaughter's boyfriend were especially interesting.

--Andy Plonka