Claire is angry that the perpetrator has never been brought to justice, and fearful that the killer may still be pursuing her daughter, Meg, and herself. This fear becomes more intense when Claire learns that Meg saw and could identify the man that ran down her father in the street in front of their home.

Although her duties at the sheriff’s office primarily consist of ticketing drivers for speeding and other traffic violations, Claire is suddenly faced with inquiring into the death of her elderly neighbor, Landers Anderson. Claire discovers Landers in his garden apparently bludgeoned with a shovel.

An autopsy reveals that Landers died of a heart attack, but that he had been attacked with the shovel prior to death. Having had more experience with violent crimes than others in her department, Claire is given the assignment to head up the investigation into Anderson’s death.

When someone makes an unsuccessful attempt to kidnap Meg, Claire is convinced that her husband’s killer has tracked her down. She has her hands full with two serious crimes to investigate -- one of which is on a very personal level indeed.

Although Blood Country could be categorized as a police procedural, it has elements which suggest romantic suspense and it also has a cozy air about it. It is set in a small town where everyone knows everyone else and news travels via the gossip channel faster than any other media. Claire states that she is not yet ready for a relationship having all too recently lost a man with whom she was deeply in love, but she has several men exhibiting a romantic interest in her -- an idea to which she is not completely adverse.

Ms. Logue does a reasonable job of plotting, although the plot itself is not particularly unique or intricate. Nor is it difficult to deduce the identity of the villains. In fact, it’s made a little too obvious with a decided lack of red herrings to divert the reader’s attention.

Sticklers for detail may notice that the author makes some botanical mistakes. Blood Country takes place in Wisconsin in the early spring, when the bulbs are just beginning to poke their heads through the earth. Yet one character is out in the woods picking morel mushrooms. As a morel lover who has lived in the Midwest, I know that morels do not make their appearance until later in the spring, usually after the daffodils and early tulips have bloomed. Also assuming that the case takes more than just a few days to solve, it is hard to believe that Claire could find any early tulips to grace the grave of her elderly neighbor. Not that the outcome of the plot hinges on either one of these occurrences.

There are a few overly melodramatic moments in the story. In one instance, the villain is pursuing Claire’s sister, who decides the only way to stay alive is to pretend the villain has killed her. Her thoughts as she feigns death are a bit much. Later, when Claire realizes who is probably responsible for her husband’s murder, she gets quite eloquent.

Blood Country is capably written, with reasonably interesting characters, and readers may discover a few little surprises at the end that merit a chuckle or two.

--REVIEWER NAME