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Five Star
First Edition Mystery
At Risk of
Being a Fool
By
Jeanette Cottrell
July 2005
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Read excerpts |
Jeanie
McCoy is a retired teacher. Her husband of forty years doesn't remember
who she is, and the rest of her family has split to the winds.
She's
coping just fine, thanks very much.
Jeanie
works part-time at a program for high-risk youth, spends hours every day
at her husband's memory loss facility, and lets her sense of humor keep
her afloat. When sudden violence erupts in Salem, Oregon, the only
apparent connection is Jeanie's small classroom, where juvenile
offenders study for their GED exams. In her heart, she's sure that none
of her kids could be engaged in such a relentless campaign of random
violence.
As the
net of suspicion tightens around the classroom, Jeanie's fears take a
personal turn. The targets aren't just strangers anymore; they're
friends. Her husband's delusions grow more intense. Are they only
delusions, or does Edward know more than he's able to tell her? If he
does, will he be a target, too? With growing unease, Jeanie realizes
that in protecting her students, she might be protecting a murderer. The
only way to know the answer is to solve the crime herself.
Only
Jeanie McCoy can see all the pieces to the puzzle. Only her student
Sorrel Quintana, a girl of violence and hidden tenderness, can
understand the tensions within the class. These mismatched collaborators
must halt the destruction, protect the innocent, and bring the offender
to justice. |
