Excellent read, but some major lapses of reality.

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	• The Virgin of Small Plains: A Novel Nancy Pickard Ballantine Books, 2007 - 368 pages average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Enjoyable Romantic Mystery

This book exceded my expectations. I didn't expect to like it but I ended up loving it, in fact I could hardly put it down. I was continually reminded of my own high school sweetheart and the time he left town for college and never came back. I could totally relate to Abby and her feelings for Mitch. The murder mystery was good, even though I figured out a few important pieces early in the book, but I enjoy solving the mystery before the book ends. This would make an excellent movie so I hope a producer gets ahold of it as I would love to see it on the big screen. Read it! You won't be disappointed.

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Loved Every Second!

I couldn't put this book down...in fact, I didn't! Read it all in one setting, it was so good! Although predictable in the end, it was one of those books that you HAVE To finish!

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A Strong Mystery

A mystery with a solid arc that pays homage to the story's emotional centerpiece from the first to the last page. Characters react to events at two critical points in their lives, and their core values are put to the test in light of their maturity. Though I figured a few things out early on, the road to get confirmation was filled with doubt, as twists kept plopping down on the page like debris from a twister. It is a story of considerable power dealing with the choices people make throughout their lives, how they justify those choices, and how they reach for redemption later on. The few quibbles about coincidences are insignificant. Highest praises...5 out of 5.

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Excellent read, but some major lapses of reality.

The cover and frontspiece had glowing reviews of this book. So I bought it. I found the characters compelling, with three strong protagonists -- Abby, Mitch and Rex. The mystery developed in a natural way, and the love story between Abby and Mitch was beautiful, as was the involvement of her beloved birds. I pressed on to find out who killed the girl, Sarah, and why. And why Mitch's parents were so afraid they sent him away, and why Rex's mother, Verna, was so terrified when the truth might have been about to surface.

The book was a wonderful read -- right up to the end, which was a major disappointment. First, I wasn't ever sure who actually murdered Sarah, or why she had to be murdered in the first place. If they were going to murder her, why did they wait so long? It wasn't clear how she was killed either. The only one who had a credible motive to kill her really, was Nadine, out of jealousy. On the other hand, why then would she want to adopt a baby that reminded her of the past she was trying to erase? The story also dropped the ball on Rex and Patrick, for whom there was no closure, and never established where Patrick was the day of the murder.

But the biggest flaw was that the doctor, Quentin, would have gone along with the coverup the way he did, or at all. It simply makes no sense. It is put forth that he did it so life as usual could go on for him and his friends, but I refuse to believe that it could be that simple. Quentin Reynolds is portrayed as a compassionate, honest doctor and I just can't see him doing this to protect his despicable friends.

I can understand, sort of, that the sheriff was involved in the cover-up to protect his friend, and that's why there was no forensic investigation. And even though DNA evidence wasn't available in 1987, fingerprints were that would have matched a driver's license. It wasn't explained why no one else in the town had any interest in looking into the girl's death. In short, the ending of the book didn't live up to its promise, and left me with the feeling of being let down by the author.

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A Beautiful Story

As soon as you pick up this book, you are thrown into the world of Small Plains, Kansas. The mystery was enough for me to keep the pages turning alone, but the romance made me fall in love with the book. The tiny American small-town with its beautiful, tranquil expanses and violent storms is the perfect backdrop for a story where it seems at once that anything can happen, and that each character is hurtling towards an inevitable fate. This book is worth passing along to friends just so you have someone to talk to about it.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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