Temporarily managing the office while Mary is away, Rose receives a mysterious phone call from a woman named Chariot Stevens who is desperate to talk with Rhonda, an evangelical biker who is, as always, off on another mission.

Even though Rhonda is not at home, Chariot arrives at the campgrounds from South Dakota and announces that she is on the run, not only from the police who want to know what she knows about her boyfriend Jason's brutal murder, but also from the men who killed him.

Rose's protective instincts immediately kick in and she slowly begins to coax Chariot's story out of her, a story that includes a Midwestern drug ring, a Senator, Chariot's young daughter who is in foster care, and Chariot is afraid, in danger.

Between helping to keep the campground running and trying to avoid Lou Ellen who is trying to convince her to go to the Elks' upcoming dance, in a new dress no less, Rose begins to investigate Chariot's claims that she is innocent and that Jason's attackers are coming after her next. When Sheriff Montgomery wants to agree to Chariot's extradition to South Dakota, Rose comes to her defense and asks for more time to help discover what it was that got Jacob killed and to prove that Chariot had no hand in it.

Somehow, from several states away, Rose is able to learn who killed Jason and why and help Chariot make a better life for herself and for her daughter.

The third entry in an intriguing series, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, tells the story of a group of lost souls who have found solace and acceptance in each other in their new homes at Shady Grove Campground. They continue to welcome people in need of rest, both physically and spiritually. Rose has become a caretaker, like Mary and Rhonda before her, now that she has been able to heal from her divorce and change of lifestyle.

While the mystery is interesting and there are plenty of red herrings, the geography (South Dakota to Arkansas) makes Rose's solving of the mystery a little bit improbable, but somehow it works and will leave readers with a good feeling about the folks who live at Shady Grove. Full of unpretentious, well-meaning people, this series has a down-home, folksy feel that will welcome readers new and old.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry