Book Review: "Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels" by Mindy Starns Clark

Wooden Nickel = Be Cautious

Callie Webber has come back to her Chesapeake Bay home to relax after working hard for the J.O.S.H.U.A. foundation. However , she ends up investigating another charity, one that helps out troubled women with clothes and accessories to start a new job. Callie is drawn to one of the young women, Shayna and is eager to get her started with her new career. But then Shayna's boyfriend goes missing. Eddie Ray then ends up dead in the trunk of her car. Not believing the rumors that Shayna is a murderer Callie goes to investigate who it really is. The clues she discovers all lead up to finding out that Eddie Ray might have stumbled onto something that he shouldn't have.

This is another wonderful work from Mindy Starns Clark. Callie continues to be a likable heroine, who shows that she can remain calm and cool in heated situations. I also liked that the detective working with Callie was female as well showing that women can do men's jobs. The suspense in this book is excellent, you are kept guessing the whole way through. The reader is introduced to many clues throughout the book, but it is only at the end that you see how they all fit together. This book really makes you guess Tom's identity. At first I was annoyed that he kept ditching Callie and wouldn't offer her any answers to her questions. It was totally understandable why she would be frustrated, angry and why she would resort to snooping. It all came down to a trust issue but I can see why Callie would question Tom when he won't tell her anything. I even thought for a while that the other guy could possibly be Tom, he was a good guy for Callie though at the very least. I liked the references to geocaching, it was really cool to learn more about that activity. Once again this is an superb addition to the series, highly recommended for mystery fans.

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels by Mindy Starns Clark is published by Harvest House (2003)