WHITEOUT
VICKI DELANY
ISBN: (13) 978-0-373-26624-1/(10) 0-373-26624-3
January 2008
World Wide Mystery, an imprint of Harlequin
225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9
Trade Paperback
$5.99
344 pages
Mystery
Rating: 4 cups

Joanna Hastings decided to leave Toronto and live in a small country town. She needs peace of mind and a change of pace to set things right. She is surprised by the curiosity about her. She finds some work for the people in the town, going as far as giving computer lessons to Tiffany as a way to make some income. She finally feels she is getting somewhere when an unexpected death occurs and a lot of questions need to be answered.

Tiffany Jordan has always felt out of place in Hope River. Her grandmother Maude does her best, but Tiffany misses her mother. She tries to make friends wherever she can and that is not easy in the small town. Meeting Joanna is an awesome thing because she can learn about computers and still have some fun.

Everyone thinks Joanna is crazy when she moves out to Hope River, but she needs a change of scenery. Befriending Tiffany helps her feel that she is accomplishing a basis and helps to heal an old wound. When an old man wearing a coat that looks exactly like Tiffany's is found dead on her property, Joanna begins to question her new life and the friends she has made. She is disappointed that she has found only trouble here and is determined to figure out what is going on. At the same time, she must keep her head above water with as much work as she can handle. Will she be able to do it all?

At first, I was not sure if this book would appeal to me. Ms. Delany's writing style convinced me and had me turning pages until the last page. I could not always sympathize with what Joanna was going through, but I could cheer her on. The idea of finding a place to start over really resonated with me. I am not sure what it would mean for me should I move to the country, but I was able to appreciate her desire to get away to a place where she could think. I feel the mystery is not central to the story in this particular book. I kept thinking about Joanna and the problems with which she was dealing. Ms. Delany has caught my eye and I look forward to other books written by her.

Krista
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance
Reviewer for Karen Find Out About New Books