Detour

A Beth-Hill Novel: Karen Montgomery #4

by Jennifer St. Clair

Are creatures of the night and all manner of extramundane beings drawn to certain locations in the natural world? In the Midwestern village of Beth-Hill located in southern Ohio, the population is made up of its fair share of common citizens...and much more than its share of supernatural residents. Take a walk on the wild side in this unusual place where imagination meets reality.

Karen Montgomery was an ordinary woman until she stumbled into the extraordinary... A bargain with elves worth its weight in gold. A plague of sinister ladybugs. Rogue vampire hunters, including one who tries to turn over a new leaf--with disastrous consequences. A ghostly huntsmen of the Wild Hunt wishing for redemption. Karen's life will never be the same again.

One wrong turn sends Karen down a road that shouldn't exist, to the site of an old accident and an even older mystery. With reformed vampire hunter Russell Moore's help, Karen finds the key to the mystery. But Russ keeps his own secrets...some of which are deadly.
When old friends from Russ' past come to call, Karen realizes his secrets might just mean his doom. After a terrible incident three years ago, before Karen met him, Russ wants only to live the rest of his life quietly in Beth-Hill. But his secret might not allow him the new lease on life Russ longs for.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 26, 2012

About the author

Jennifer St. Clair wrote her first novel when she was thirteen years old and hasn't stopped since. She lives with a kitty horde in a big old house in Southern Ohio. When she is not writing, she grows her own food, bakes many loaves of bread, spins her own yarn, and spends too much time on Ravelry.

Reviews

[Grampy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining book, rated PG, with no "adult" language or sexual situations. A peck on the cheek is as racy as this gets. It includes wizards, ghosts, dryads, vampires, healers, elves, and even a hybrid half-vampire/full wizard. All those paranormal beings, and not a single scary scene in the whole book. Perfect for 'tweens thru adults, particularly if you're getting a little tired of all the written pornography that passes for vampire books these days. This story has a good, sensible plot, easy to follow, and easy to root for "the good guys". Oh, it also includes a librarian, so how bad could it be? Nobody will have to worry about nightmares from reading this book, even if you read it at night, during a terrific thunderstorm, with the electricity out, while you're home alone, and you hear noises outside!

I should note that Jennifer St. Clair, author of this fine piece of fiction, has several other novels under her belt. This happens to be the 4th in the Karen Montgomery series, but it stands alone. There are several references to people and events that probably occurred in the earlier book, but nothing that I found at all confusing. However, even though it probably isn't necessary to read them in order, I enjoyed this one so much that I do intend to read the others, too. She also has written a few other series, besides the Karen Montgomery series.

I really, heartily recommend this book. Parents take note: this would be a very good and safe book to purchase for your middle-grade or older children. Have no doubt... they WILL enjoy it!