Review of Spring Upon a Crime

From the Publisher of Spring Upon a Crime

Wilderness guide Crystal Rainey leads a group of college students to a private campground amidst the awe-inspiring Olympic Rain Forest. The excursion is ruined when the charming hostess Roxie is discovered standing over the land owner’s body, murder weapon in hand.

Enlisted to investigate the crime to absolve her friend, Crystal descends on the quiet city of Forks to find loggers, developers, and eco-protesters circling the property, intent on either exploiting or protecting the bastion of old-growth forest. The list of suspects is intimidating. Can Crystal find answers in a community determined to keep her in the dark?

My review

Spring Upon a Crime is very much a product of our times. It exemplifies the fight over what to do with natural resources such as old growth forests. Kudos to the author for tackling this difficult subject.

The protagonist, Crystal, is likable and easy to follow on her adventure. Other characters are also appropriate for their roles…up to a point. In particular, there were two plot twists in which characters that had been foes suddenly became allies. In both cases, I felt the transitions weren’t believable and found myself going, “Whaaat?” Eventually, the character turnabouts made sense, but at the moment they occurred, I felt disoriented.

Setting is handled well. I could see the forest, the clear-cut, and even the camp for a band of staunch environmentalists. The plot is well-planned and has the requisite twists and turns. For me, though, the writing style itself got in the way of these elements. At times, it felt somewhat stilted and methodical.

Overall, a good read for those with an interest in the wilderness and followers of the series. And despite being in the cozy genre, it hits the spot for dealing with some difficult issues.

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