Hal'S Own Murder Case

Rating:
Summary: an excellent mystery, and wonderfully evocative of real life
Review: Deb Ralston mysteries are very addictive, and this one is no exception. I didn't get to read them in order, which would have been preferable since developments in the lives of the characters then make a lot more sense. In this one, Deb is almost nine months pregnant with Cameron at the beginning and is the only one who can go to New Mexico to find her errant son Hal and his girlfriend Lorie, who hitched a ride there together without permission during spring break. Of course, Hal is eventually found in a sleeping bag next to the murdered body of a young woman, and Lorie turns up missing. So Deb ends up helping the police chief of this very small town in investigating the murder (and finding Lorie) so that Hal can be cleared of the whole thing and they can go home. Although there is a lot of tragedy and sadness in this book, much humor is evident throughout...I have read this book over and over, laughing at how funny/difficult it is for adults to get through to Hal, who lives seemingly in a world of his own logic. :)