Welcome to Lost Trails, Montana, the setting of C.J. Carmichael’s Bitter Roots Mystery series. In BITTER ROOTS, the first book, takes us to a small town where the worst crimes that occur are pranks played on a retired schoolteacher, that is until a young woman's body is dumped on the clinic's steps in the middle of the night. Thus, we find that the townspeople have more than one secret. Zak Waller was content to live his days as the Sheriff's dispatcher and has flown under the radar his whole life with no desire to call attention to himself. He can't help investigating the murder on his own, convinced there is more to it, and finds an ally when his old friend Tiff Masterson returns to town. Tiff is back to start over and is pulled into the mystery after finding the victim worked for her family. Tiff and Zak are only two of the interesting characters in this series.
In the second book of the series, BITTER TRUTH, a typical 91-year-old woman dies in her sleep, and most people would think nothing of it. In Lost Trail, ranch owner Lacy Stillman is healthier than most people younger than her, so when she is found in her bed the day after receiving glowing reports during her checkup, Zak is instantly suspicious. There are too many people who have something to gain from her death. Tiff agrees to help investigate. Full of twists, turns, and shocking secrets, this story kept me guessing until the very end.
In BITTER END, book three, Zak is finally ready to step into a new phase of life. After solving a couple high profile murders, he has earned his deputy’s badge to go along with his dispatcher duties. The newest murder brings home the need for more change in the top spot of law enforcement in Lost Trail. The murder mystery drew me in and the secondary stories kept me turning the pages. I really enjoy the way the author paced the story and developed the characters, and there are twists to make things even more interesting.
In Book Four, BITTERSWEET, Sybil Tombe turns up missing and Sheriff Zak Waller is puzzled. Who would want to harm the librarian? As he and his deputies try to unravel the mystery, they realize there was more to the mild-mannered librarian than anyone knew. When a child disappears in the middle of the investigation, Zak knows they need to find them both before their time runs out. Zak and his deputy/girlfriend are the main focuses of this story outside the mystery, but we do revisit the characters from the other stories.
I love how Carmichael continues to develop the characters and their relationships as well as the town of Lost Trail, Montana, throughout the series. I love reading Carmichael's books because the characters and the story always hook me from the beginning and don't let go until the end. I couldn't put any of these down and I am excited that there is a fifth book coming. I can’t wait to return to Lost Trail, Montana.