Review: Boone's Creek: Almost Home

Summary: Jenna Lewis is a search and rescue handler. She and her beloved dog Nikko are summoned to Sebring, Florida, to aid in the rescue of a family who has gone missing. Jenna feels she is out of her league until the night her own grandmother goes missing too. The horrible accident which takes Jenna’s family motivates her to rescue other people. Jenna becomes the target of a web of deceit and corruption. Even though she is afraid to let herself fall in love, she realizes she needs Joe’s help to find her grandmother. -- Publish America

I haven't read been reading many mysteries these past few months; so when I got the opportunity to read BOONE'S CREEK: ALMOST HOME by Kathryn Neff Perry, I thought I'd give it a try. This book was a quick read -- I read it in one sitting; and since it is only 170 pages, it counted for The Novella Challenge. While the mystery aspect of the story held my attention, I have to admit that I didn't really love the book.

I would say that my major gripe with the book was in the writing style, especially the dialogue between the characters. The conversations didn't really seem to be natural or flow, but rather they were extremely awkward sounding and even forced at times. I also kept noticing the use of the characters' first names in the dialogue. Maybe this wouldn't be something that bothers most readers, but I don't know many people who talk this way -- it just didn't seem natural to me.

I also had a minor issue with part of the storyline. At one point, Jenna realizes that she has a folder in her possession that a "bad guy" gave her by mistake. For some reason, she kept forgetting to look at the folder. I know she was busy trying to solve a mystery, but I have to think that most sleuths (even an amateur one) would open the folder to see what was inside.

On a positive note, I did like the main characters in this book (especially Nikko, the search and rescue dog!) Jenna was an extremely sensitive and caring woman who had faced a lot of heartache in her life and survived; and Joe, her friend and love interest, also seemed to be a stand-up guy who had faced a lot of sadness. The character of EK, Jenna's grandmother, also provided some light/humorous moments with her quirkiness. It was refreshing to see that the characters turned to God when they were having problems or even when they just wanted to thank Him for the blessings in their lives.

I have to wonder if we'll be seeing more of these characters in a future book. I think the author has set herself up for a series of Boone Creek mysteries with how she left the ending of this book. While this book wasn't one of my favorites, I wouldn't rule out reading another one by this author especially if the dialogue is a little more natural.