Dottie fears that someone is out to silence LilyAnn permanently. There have been a series of freak accidents ranging from a dead roadie to a tour bus fire that has Dottie jumping out of her skin. All this during a week with a planned video shoot and the legendary Fan Fair festival featuring country music’s biggest and brightest.

But Kate’s digging soon turns up more suspects than she can keep track of - all of them with motives and plenty of opportunity. So where does she start? There’s a stalker just released from prison, a disgruntled photographer, an enraged ex-band member, a jealous ex-husband, and a fear that maybe all this is just some concocted publicity stunt to drum up interest in LilyAnn’s new album. Kate still has her day job to keep track of as well, along with a daughter who’s exhibiting typical teenage behavior, and a boyfriend pilot who she barely gets to see. Can Kate wrap up this mystery before her personal life spins out of control, and LilyAnn ends up in the morgue?

Fall to Pieces is the third book in Tishy’s Kate Banning series, and a highly enjoyable read. I had a mixed reaction to a previous installment that I reviewed for The Mystery Reader, but feel that Kate really found her voice in this installment. Tishy beautifully explains Kate’s motives for snooping and digging, even when Kate herself knows that it’s a dangerous hobby. She also hits the nail right on the head with the mother-teenage daughter interaction in this novel.

A complaint I had with my previous experience with this series was the often abbreviated and stilted writing structure. Kate is known for her stream of consciousness ramblings, and the back and forth banter that occurs all in her own head. What I found a distraction in that previous book, was nary a problem in this one. I found this previous style reined in considerably, in my opinion, making the prose much more reader friendly.

Aside from lots of suspects and motives to keep the reader guessing, the dialogue is a real treat and a pleasure to read. There’s a conversation in the third chapter between Kate and a gallery owner that had me savoring every word and begging for more. In fact, Tishy’s ability to write compelling character dialogue really keeps things humming along, with mounting tension and building suspense.

Fall to Pieces is a well written, suspenseful read that is a must look for readers who like their mysteries with southern atmosphere. Kate has really come into her own as an amateur sleuth, and I look forward to more of her escapades.

--Wendy Crutcher