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Emma Golden Mysteries #2
The Difficult Sister
Freshly recovered from her adventures in Oregon wine country (An Unholy Alliance, Book 1) Emma Golden is contacted by her old friend Melody Wyatt to help Melody find her missing sister Aurora. Known as "the Bolter", 50-year-old Aurora has burned her way through so many husbands and lovers everyone has lost count. Then, on an internet dating site, Aurora meets Mr. Right. She can't wait to move with him to the southern Oregon coast where, after a few short weeks, she drops out of sight. Emma and Melody head south to find her, and what starts out as a five-day girls' adventure quickly morphs into a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse, murder, and even romance.
- GenresMystery
235 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2013
1 person is currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Judy Nedry
13 books24 followers Judy Nedry is a journalist cum mystery novelist who wrote about Pacific Northwest wines and wineries for national and international magazines before turning her attention to her first love, mysteries. She parlays her experience of the wine industry and of small rural communities, into the Emma Golden Mystery Series which debuted in 2009. "An Unholy Alliance" is set in the vineyard-covered hills southwest of Portland, Oregon. The second in the series, "The Difficult Sister," is set on the remote southern Oregon coast. It was followed by book 3 in the series, "The Man Who Wasn't There," in 2015.
Her most recent novel is a stand-alone gothic thriller strongly influenced by Daphne DuMaurier's "Jamaica Inn" and by Stephen King's "The Shining". "Blackthorn" is set in an old wreck of a resort on the Columbia River Gorge in western Washington. It was released in April 2019. Like all Nedry's novel, it features a strong female protagonist in a compelling regional setting.
The author resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
From the author: Subscribe to my newsletter and find out more at www.judynedry.com
Her most recent novel is a stand-alone gothic thriller strongly influenced by Daphne DuMaurier's "Jamaica Inn" and by Stephen King's "The Shining". "Blackthorn" is set in an old wreck of a resort on the Columbia River Gorge in western Washington. It was released in April 2019. Like all Nedry's novel, it features a strong female protagonist in a compelling regional setting.
The author resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
From the author: Subscribe to my newsletter and find out more at www.judynedry.com
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
February 20, 2014
Yes, there’s an almond croissant on page two but The Difficult Sister isn’t all bakery shops, teas and innocent snooping. In fact, narrator Emma Golden is in a foul February mood when we meet her. She’s snarky and blunt. She refers to the missing woman Aurora Johnson, sister to Emma’s friend Melody, as a “certifiable whack job” and the fictional town where they poke around is nothing more than a “pathetic little hamlet.”
Emma is a recovering alcoholic, isn’t comfortable in churches. She has played the victim for years and is starting to get back on top of her game but is also wary of a natural tendency to play “Director of the Universe.” She’s headstrong. About two-dozen pages in, when the pair of women drive out to the single-wide trailer on Starvation Lane and start mixing it up with Aurora’s last known boyfriend, you start to feel that the PG rating of the first few pages is going to change. Yep.
The women are observant, pushy and forthright, but also know when to stand back. Emma has an old flame in town who happens to work in law enforcement in this very community and there are some bridges to mend. The over-arching mood is, generally speaking, light. There are lots of eating sequences, thanks to Melody’s interest in food. But soon, violence creeps into the story. First, it's off-screen and then smack in the middle of the action. The general tone of The Difficult Sister skews civil. But Emma doesn’t flinch when it’s time to get down and dirty to chase down her prey. The contrast makes for a refreshing jolt as events crescendo. Stuff, as they say, happens. Bullets fly. People die. Evil happens. There will be mud, “one slow sucking step” after another. We are a long way from almond croissants and that gives The Difficult Sister an intriguing, palpable edge.
Emma is a recovering alcoholic, isn’t comfortable in churches. She has played the victim for years and is starting to get back on top of her game but is also wary of a natural tendency to play “Director of the Universe.” She’s headstrong. About two-dozen pages in, when the pair of women drive out to the single-wide trailer on Starvation Lane and start mixing it up with Aurora’s last known boyfriend, you start to feel that the PG rating of the first few pages is going to change. Yep.
The women are observant, pushy and forthright, but also know when to stand back. Emma has an old flame in town who happens to work in law enforcement in this very community and there are some bridges to mend. The over-arching mood is, generally speaking, light. There are lots of eating sequences, thanks to Melody’s interest in food. But soon, violence creeps into the story. First, it's off-screen and then smack in the middle of the action. The general tone of The Difficult Sister skews civil. But Emma doesn’t flinch when it’s time to get down and dirty to chase down her prey. The contrast makes for a refreshing jolt as events crescendo. Stuff, as they say, happens. Bullets fly. People die. Evil happens. There will be mud, “one slow sucking step” after another. We are a long way from almond croissants and that gives The Difficult Sister an intriguing, palpable edge.
October 4, 2014
I was introduced to author Judy Nedry and the Emma Golden Mysteries in Nedry's first book, An Unholy Alliance, which is a great mystery. The second book in the series, The Difficult Sister, is another fabulous story.
Ah....internet dating (something I am so glad that I do need to explore) always sends up warning signs to me. I find it terrifying! Emma Golden's friend Melody's sister Aurora who is a serial dater and serial wife thinks she has found Mr. Right this time. She moves to the southern coast of Oregon (which is gorgeous) to find her happiness....again. When she disappears shortly after arriving there, Melody asks Emma for her help in finding her sister Aurora.
The Difficult Sister is filled with interesting characters, a great setting and an abundance of suspense! It is hard to put down! It is wonderful to visit southern Oregon on these pages, particularly Bandon which is home to my favorite ocean-side fish and chips shack. A good author like Nedry lets the reader feel like they are really there....great sense of place. I like that Nedry writes about older women who are flawed and realistic. I get tired of reading about perfect, perky, young women! The Difficult Sister is a fast paced suspenseful read. Emma is a foodie and there is romance but I wouldn't classify this as a cozy mystery. Satisfying ending.
Highly recommend this series set in the beautiful state of Oregon. You do not need to have read the first book to fully enjoy The Difficult Sister.
Ah....internet dating (something I am so glad that I do need to explore) always sends up warning signs to me. I find it terrifying! Emma Golden's friend Melody's sister Aurora who is a serial dater and serial wife thinks she has found Mr. Right this time. She moves to the southern coast of Oregon (which is gorgeous) to find her happiness....again. When she disappears shortly after arriving there, Melody asks Emma for her help in finding her sister Aurora.
The Difficult Sister is filled with interesting characters, a great setting and an abundance of suspense! It is hard to put down! It is wonderful to visit southern Oregon on these pages, particularly Bandon which is home to my favorite ocean-side fish and chips shack. A good author like Nedry lets the reader feel like they are really there....great sense of place. I like that Nedry writes about older women who are flawed and realistic. I get tired of reading about perfect, perky, young women! The Difficult Sister is a fast paced suspenseful read. Emma is a foodie and there is romance but I wouldn't classify this as a cozy mystery. Satisfying ending.
Highly recommend this series set in the beautiful state of Oregon. You do not need to have read the first book to fully enjoy The Difficult Sister.
December 21, 2022
I enjoyed this book. This is the second book with the Emma in a murder situation. I didn’t read the first book but it no way inhibited the read. I learned a lot about the Emma and her backstory as well as her relation to Melody as they both rushed to find what happened to Aurora, Melody’s sister.
They meet a number of characters throughout the book you come to love as well as hate.
I won’t give spoilers but I wish there was a redeeming end to one of their plot lines.
The book is a great read and a good gift to anyone who loves a mystery.
I was looking for a good mystery and this book satisfied my need. I will read this author again.
They meet a number of characters throughout the book you come to love as well as hate.
I won’t give spoilers but I wish there was a redeeming end to one of their plot lines.
The book is a great read and a good gift to anyone who loves a mystery.
I was looking for a good mystery and this book satisfied my need. I will read this author again.
March 17, 2014
I received an ARC of The Difficult Sister by Judy Nedry from StoryCartel.com in exchange for my honest review.
Melody Wyatt has a sister, Aurora Johnson, she has not heard from in 3 weeks. While Aurora is a free spirit who goes wherever that spirit moves her to go, she does maintain contact with her sister, Melody, if only to tell Melody about her current love interest who she may be following to some far corner of the earth where she's sure to find true love and happiness at last. Aurora is 50 years old, and she's had 5 husbands. Chances are she's off following her latest heart throb, but it still is unlike her to be out of touch with Melody for this long.
Recently Aurora had moved to Radnor, Oregon, where she had some cosmetic surgery along with make-up changes so that she was quite the attractive catch for any man looking for some arm-candy who liked to have a good time. She had hooked up with a man named Cliff Baker. She'd taken him to meet Melody once when they were on their way to his home, and as Melody remembered Cliff, he scared her more than just a little bit. Sometime after this introduction to Cliff, Aurora called Melody during the middle of the night in quite a panic, telling her something awful had happened and she needed to get out of there immediately. That was the last time Melody heard from Aurora.
Melody tried several times to call Aurora on her cell phone, but she never got an answer except for just once when Cliff Baker answered the phone, telling Melody that Aurora had left him. He didn't know where she went, and he certainly wasn't interested in helping to look for her or in finding her.
Which is why Melody decided she would go to the last place she knew Aurora had been: Bandon, Oregon, close to where Cliff Baker was supposed to be living. There was just one slight hitch -- Melody's husband, Dan, did not like the idea of his wife going off on a wild goose chase by herself. Melody, though she loved her husband of 32 years dearly, did not want him to go with her. Enter Emma Golden, who has been Melody's best friend for more than two decades. Melody's husband would be satisfied for her to go off Aurora hunting if Emma were to go with her. Emma, given this set of circumstances, could hardly say no.
The story continues from there with surprises, twists, and turns to provide a very satisfying mystery concerning where on earth Aurora might be. But The Difficult Sister is not merely a mystery about a missing woman who makes bad life choices. It's also the story of what makes a friendship work, particularly for women in the middle of their lives when the issues of children and career building have been settled. I enjoyed how Judy Nedry made both Emma and Melody strong characters each with her own ideas about how situations should be handled when the other half of their duo couldn't disagree more. When do the ties that bind friends together become too strained to keep the friendship intact as opposed to becoming broken beyond repair. For women of this age group, with the passage of time, and with any luck at all, wisdom from past experience helps guide women toward better choices than they made when young. I enjoyed reading Emma's thought processes; how she came to the conclusions she reached, and how she moved forward once she had thought through the problems she and Melody encountered. Both women certainly gave me some white-knuckle moments, but then that's what I want from a good mystery whatever form it may take. Nedry delivers on plot, character development, and what ended up being quite necessary to the story: a sense of place. Nedry has an eye for the details necessary to pull the reader into the mood she is developing as well as the description necessary for the mind's eye to see what we need to see to keep the story real. There is a part of the book that takes place in an isolated area near where Melody and Emma were staying that figured predominantly in the story line. By the time I finished reading that section, I felt drained, wet... No, make that drenched, and covered with mud. I also had a death grip on my Kindle. That is exactly what a well written mystery should do for the reader, and in my opinion, Judy Nedry got it perfectly.
I was unfamiliar with Judy Nedry's writing when I downloaded her book from StoryCartel.com. After finishing The Difficult Sister, the first thing I did was go to Amazon and buy her first book, An Unholy Alliance. It was not necessary to read the first book before reading the second installment, which was another thing I liked about The Difficult Sister. I never felt like I was missing part of Emma Golden's story because I had not read the books in order. I do look forward, however, to getting to know both Emma and Melody a little better, and I'm hoping there will be a third book in this series. It's that good.
Melody Wyatt has a sister, Aurora Johnson, she has not heard from in 3 weeks. While Aurora is a free spirit who goes wherever that spirit moves her to go, she does maintain contact with her sister, Melody, if only to tell Melody about her current love interest who she may be following to some far corner of the earth where she's sure to find true love and happiness at last. Aurora is 50 years old, and she's had 5 husbands. Chances are she's off following her latest heart throb, but it still is unlike her to be out of touch with Melody for this long.
Recently Aurora had moved to Radnor, Oregon, where she had some cosmetic surgery along with make-up changes so that she was quite the attractive catch for any man looking for some arm-candy who liked to have a good time. She had hooked up with a man named Cliff Baker. She'd taken him to meet Melody once when they were on their way to his home, and as Melody remembered Cliff, he scared her more than just a little bit. Sometime after this introduction to Cliff, Aurora called Melody during the middle of the night in quite a panic, telling her something awful had happened and she needed to get out of there immediately. That was the last time Melody heard from Aurora.
Melody tried several times to call Aurora on her cell phone, but she never got an answer except for just once when Cliff Baker answered the phone, telling Melody that Aurora had left him. He didn't know where she went, and he certainly wasn't interested in helping to look for her or in finding her.
Which is why Melody decided she would go to the last place she knew Aurora had been: Bandon, Oregon, close to where Cliff Baker was supposed to be living. There was just one slight hitch -- Melody's husband, Dan, did not like the idea of his wife going off on a wild goose chase by herself. Melody, though she loved her husband of 32 years dearly, did not want him to go with her. Enter Emma Golden, who has been Melody's best friend for more than two decades. Melody's husband would be satisfied for her to go off Aurora hunting if Emma were to go with her. Emma, given this set of circumstances, could hardly say no.
The story continues from there with surprises, twists, and turns to provide a very satisfying mystery concerning where on earth Aurora might be. But The Difficult Sister is not merely a mystery about a missing woman who makes bad life choices. It's also the story of what makes a friendship work, particularly for women in the middle of their lives when the issues of children and career building have been settled. I enjoyed how Judy Nedry made both Emma and Melody strong characters each with her own ideas about how situations should be handled when the other half of their duo couldn't disagree more. When do the ties that bind friends together become too strained to keep the friendship intact as opposed to becoming broken beyond repair. For women of this age group, with the passage of time, and with any luck at all, wisdom from past experience helps guide women toward better choices than they made when young. I enjoyed reading Emma's thought processes; how she came to the conclusions she reached, and how she moved forward once she had thought through the problems she and Melody encountered. Both women certainly gave me some white-knuckle moments, but then that's what I want from a good mystery whatever form it may take. Nedry delivers on plot, character development, and what ended up being quite necessary to the story: a sense of place. Nedry has an eye for the details necessary to pull the reader into the mood she is developing as well as the description necessary for the mind's eye to see what we need to see to keep the story real. There is a part of the book that takes place in an isolated area near where Melody and Emma were staying that figured predominantly in the story line. By the time I finished reading that section, I felt drained, wet... No, make that drenched, and covered with mud. I also had a death grip on my Kindle. That is exactly what a well written mystery should do for the reader, and in my opinion, Judy Nedry got it perfectly.
I was unfamiliar with Judy Nedry's writing when I downloaded her book from StoryCartel.com. After finishing The Difficult Sister, the first thing I did was go to Amazon and buy her first book, An Unholy Alliance. It was not necessary to read the first book before reading the second installment, which was another thing I liked about The Difficult Sister. I never felt like I was missing part of Emma Golden's story because I had not read the books in order. I do look forward, however, to getting to know both Emma and Melody a little better, and I'm hoping there will be a third book in this series. It's that good.
February 11, 2014
Great pace, excellent tension
Emma Golden's best friend Melody has a wayward sister who has gone missing. Said sister is addicted to love, though seems to have poor luck with it, so she's gone off with a man Melody is sure is bad news, and since then, she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.
Emma agrees to accompany Melody to a tiny town in Southern Oregon, as that is where Aurora and her new beau were headed, and a pace paced, suspenseful story ensues. This is more suspense than mystery—the real mystery being what the heck happened, far more than who dunnit (or did anybody), but the tension is excellent and the pacing perfect. Emma, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic, has a nice mix of down-to-earth sense and self destructive impulse to keep her interesting, and the setting is wonderful. If I have a grumble, it is that there is a romance in here that feels rushed and so struck me as a little off, but I am romantically cynical, so that might just be me. The main story of it was great and I enjoyed it.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was shared with me by the author.
Emma Golden's best friend Melody has a wayward sister who has gone missing. Said sister is addicted to love, though seems to have poor luck with it, so she's gone off with a man Melody is sure is bad news, and since then, she seems to have dropped off the face of the earth.
Emma agrees to accompany Melody to a tiny town in Southern Oregon, as that is where Aurora and her new beau were headed, and a pace paced, suspenseful story ensues. This is more suspense than mystery—the real mystery being what the heck happened, far more than who dunnit (or did anybody), but the tension is excellent and the pacing perfect. Emma, a middle-aged recovering alcoholic, has a nice mix of down-to-earth sense and self destructive impulse to keep her interesting, and the setting is wonderful. If I have a grumble, it is that there is a romance in here that feels rushed and so struck me as a little off, but I am romantically cynical, so that might just be me. The main story of it was great and I enjoyed it.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was shared with me by the author.
January 22, 2014
Ms. Nedry’s second Emma Golden novel is even better than the first.
Her descriptions of the beautiful yet desolate environment of the small economically depressed towns of the southern Oregon coast contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere of the novel. It is almost a character itself.
The exploration of Emma’s character, her wit and courage as well as her defects, make a fascinating read, as much as the central search for the “difficult sister”.
Intriguing and hard to put down before the last satisfying page.
Her descriptions of the beautiful yet desolate environment of the small economically depressed towns of the southern Oregon coast contribute significantly to the overall atmosphere of the novel. It is almost a character itself.
The exploration of Emma’s character, her wit and courage as well as her defects, make a fascinating read, as much as the central search for the “difficult sister”.
Intriguing and hard to put down before the last satisfying page.
January 21, 2014
This book pulls out all the goods for the perfect suspense novel. Keeping you on your seat from start to finish, is one way it impresses. Throw in the vivid details and great characters and you have this book!
January 17, 2014
This book had all the right elements for a suspenseful mystery book. An interesting case/event, uncertain outcomes, and a touch of humor. I can see myself rereading this book from time to time.
September 6, 2016
Ms Nedry's latest novel is fast-paced and fun. Emma Golden is someone I'd like to have as a friend. Wise, witty and not ashamed of her age....she is a heroine with spunk!
March 12, 2014
Very good read - loved the story line and the suspense.
April 26, 2015
Goodreads Win
In book 2 in the series we find Emma Golden helping her old friend Melody Wyatt search for her missing sister Aurora. Aurora is a 50 year old who leaves a trail of husbands and boyfriends some who are less than desirable.
Last thing her sister knows that Aurora met a guy on the Internet and moves to be with him but then no one has heard from her since. Emma and Melody go on a five day south to find her but things do not go as smoothly.
Along the way, they find themselves caught in murder as the woman might become the next victim. Not to mention a reunion of Emma’s first love who is a part of the local police force. Will their nearly forty year romance be rekindled?
In this book we get mystery and romance in one as it was a interesting read.
In book 2 in the series we find Emma Golden helping her old friend Melody Wyatt search for her missing sister Aurora. Aurora is a 50 year old who leaves a trail of husbands and boyfriends some who are less than desirable.
Last thing her sister knows that Aurora met a guy on the Internet and moves to be with him but then no one has heard from her since. Emma and Melody go on a five day south to find her but things do not go as smoothly.
Along the way, they find themselves caught in murder as the woman might become the next victim. Not to mention a reunion of Emma’s first love who is a part of the local police force. Will their nearly forty year romance be rekindled?
In this book we get mystery and romance in one as it was a interesting read.
October 17, 2014
The Difficult Sister follows Emma Golden as she helps her friend look for her missing sister. Melody’s sister Aurora is known for running off with questionable men, so after she goes MIA the women decide to check in on the last man she was with. While snooping around town Emma not only has to deal with Aurora’s scary ex, things become even more complex when the sheriff turns out to be someone from her past.
For the most part, I liked the story of Emma and Melody trying to find Aurora. Emma is a complex character and interesting, although sometimes weirdly judgmental. The story itself was really fast paced and held my attention, and was a solid suspense.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
For the most part, I liked the story of Emma and Melody trying to find Aurora. Emma is a complex character and interesting, although sometimes weirdly judgmental. The story itself was really fast paced and held my attention, and was a solid suspense.
I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 9, 2014
I got this as part of the first read contest. This one was a good read. It was a fast pace mystery. It was fun to read and a quick one to boot.I did not read the first and was not lost. I really like Emma as the main character. I also like the way the author writes. I will definitely look to her other books. I will definitely go back her first Emma Golden Mysteries.
December 10, 2014
I read this book in one day! I was drawn in by the characters and momentum of this thriller. Also, being a "foodie", I enjoyed the descriptions of food and the humorous moments when the characters just had to get a bite to eat.
April 22, 2015
A well crafted read.
Emma Golden is believable and engaging. Her friend Melody is well drawn. Their search for the difficult sister puts them in the path of evil personified. To tell you more would ruin the story. Read the book.
Emma Golden is believable and engaging. Her friend Melody is well drawn. Their search for the difficult sister puts them in the path of evil personified. To tell you more would ruin the story. Read the book.
September 29, 2014
very good story that was ruined by the ending.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews