Book Review: Caught in the Middle by Gayle Roper (Amhearst Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Good plot, interesting main character, good emotional balance

Cons: Most characters not fully developed

The Bottom Line:

The series starts well

With laughs, romance, and suspense

Leaves you wanting more

"It's Not My Body!"  "It Was in Your Car."

When I first read Caught in the Middle, it was the first in the Amhearst Mystery series, a series of three Christian mysteries with light romance. Ten years later, they are being republished as romantic suspense and a fourth book added to the series. This makes the perfect excuse to reread. And this first book in the series was as enjoyable this time as it was the first time around.

Trying to start life away from her boyfriend, Merry Kramer got a job in Amhearst, Pennsylvania, at the local newspaper. It's been a few months, but Merry is beginning to feel like she is making friends even though the transition of living in a new place is still hard.

This particular night, she returns home from covering a late night meeting. When she goes to get some Diet Coke out of the trunk, she finds the body of a stranger. Who was he? Where did Merry pick him up? And why is her life now in danger?

Meanwhile, a human interest piece on a local artist turns very interesting. Curt Carlyle is certainly handsome. And he's treating Merry well. But with her old boyfriend still fresh in her mind, is Merry ready to move forward?

It's been roughly ten years since I read this book, so I had pretty much forgotten all but the basics. However, looking at the first page of the second one gave away a key plot element of this one. Did that slow me down? Not on your life! I still plowed through this well written book as quickly as I could, hooked on every word.

The plot was engaging. Even though I accidentally spoiled the who, I couldn't remember the why. The story is fast paced, which certainly helped. And the ending still held a couple twists that surprised me. If I hadn't been spoiled, I would have loved it even more.

While there are quite a few characters in the book, most of them don't get enough page time to be fully developed. They are adequate for their part of the story, however, so it really isn't a problem. The exceptions to this are Curt and Merry. Both are real people and easily identifiable. Merry especially is sympathetic. Through a well done flashback, we learn about her relationship with her past boyfriend. And we get to watch her struggle with her decision to move forward and start life alone in a strange town. Her faith and determination are encouraging.

The book has a solid mix of humor and sorrow. Even though we never meet the murder victim alive, we do get to meet his family, and watching their loss is heartbreaking. Yet there are several humorous scenes, usually with Merry trying to stop referring to the victim as "Your body." I laughed out loud several times during the book.

This is a Christian series, and the Christian element is well done. Christianity is a part of the main character's lives. It is never overbearing and never slows down the plot.

I enjoyed meeting Merry again. If you enjoy Christian mysteries with a healthy dose of romance, get caught up in Caught in the Middle.