The Thanksgiving Day Murder (Mass Market Paperback)

My biggest complaint was with the title. In the beginning of the book, it's not supposed to be clear whether Sandy Gordon's wife ran away, was kidnapped, or was killed. However, the title The Thanksgiving Day Murder, made me aware that Natalie was dead.

Overall this is a good story that's easy to read.

This time, former nun turned cleaver, super sleuth, Christine Bennett meets a distraught husband who has an incredible story to relate. Nearly one year ago Sandy Gordon and his lovely redheaded second wife Natalie attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City. Both in a happy, festive mood and looking forward to an upcoming romantic cruise vacation, Natalie impulsively rushes off down a side street to purchase balloons from a street vendor and completely disappears without a trace. Sandy swears, first to the skeptical police and, even almost a year later, to Chris that there was absolutely no reason for her to leave. That they were madly in love and happy to be together -- looking forward to life and maybe even to starting a family. Sandy begs Christine to help him find out what happened to Natalie even though the police have backed off and a private detective that he had hired some months earlier had been unable to come up with any new leads.

It is a puzzle that Chris just has to try her hand at. And it eventually begins to unravel on thread at a time.

Ms. Harris is masterful at these intricate plots. She manages to keep me guessing nearly every time by zig-zagging and using a few well placed red herrings. As usual, Chris Bennett and her husband, Jack, are so likable. I really enjoy the cozy little details about their lives that get woven into the story. It keeps her from seeming like robo-sleuth as she cuts through the mystery and gets to the truth. A diverting side plot also gives us an interesting view of Chris' family.

It's a great, fast paced read.

The heroine is an ex-nun, however, this is only casually mentioned and is not dwelled on. I do not think it would alienate readers regardless of their religious beliefs.

Lee Harris proves it is still possible to write a mystery without all the blood and gore.