Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels
The five books in the Million Dollar Mystery series by Christian author Mindy Starns Clark are a wonderful addition to the world of moral mysteries, and prove beyond question that Christians can be the heroines of really good fiction. Clark is not an LDS author, but the books generally live up to our standards and readers never need to be uncomfortable with the content. They can be left out where your teens will find them—or even given to your teens—with complete assurance.
In Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels, the second book in the series, private investigator Callie Webber is taking time off for a while. Her job investigating non-profits who have applied for a grant has been very demanding and she needs a break. However, as a favor to the owner of a non-profit she volunteers for, she does agree to look into a non-profit that offers very impressive assistance to other non-profits. When a woman she mentored is arrested for the murder of a boyfriend, however, her vacation turns out to be as dangerous as her paid job is. The woman has had a rough past, but Callie knows that she has truly changed now, and become a Christian. Whatever problems Shayna faced in the past, and still faces today as she struggles to overcome a painful past, she simply isn’t a murderer. Even though she’s supposed to be taking a break, Callie can’t turn her back on a woman she feels certain is innocent, but someone doesn’t like her snooping and will do anything at all to stop her. The search for the real killer leads Callie into a terrifying world that will make your heart ache, but keep you reading no matter how much housework you have to do. Every book in this series is that way. Start them when you have nothing else to do because you won’t be able to put them down, and when you finish them, you won’t be able to get them out of your mind. This is one of the few mystery series’ I could start over as soon as I finished.
In this second book, Callie is anticipating a meeting with her boss, who has, through telephone calls and emails, become her best friend and who might even be more…if they could ever spend time together in person. Unfortunately, the long-awaited moment is postponed when a beautiful woman who seems to know Tom well, even calling him “my Tom,” appears at the airport and tells Callie her boss will not be taking the trip to Singapore that was to have him landing at this airport. Instead he is headed for a mysterious trip South that he prefers not to discuss and a wealthy, gorgeous man named Kirby seems ready to take Tom’s place. It looks like Callie has more than one mystery to solve in this breathtaking second book in the Million Dollar mystery series.
As with all of Clark’s books, this novel is moral, uplifting, and spiritual. There is no swearing and no sex, and the Christianity fits our own. The series should be read in order because the books build on each other, although each book provides sufficient background so you could read out of order if you don’t mind having a few surprises spoiled.
The Million Dollar Mysteries have rapidly become one of my favorite mystery series, both for their safe morality and for their captivating characters, tense plots and satisfying endings.
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