In 1988 coming from Long Island affluence, though the poorer side of the extended family, Madeline Dare surprises her family and fiends when she marries railroad worker Dean Bauer and moves to his hometown of Syracuse, New York. Madeline struggles with her venture outside of civilization especially since her spouse is on the road, make that the rails, in Canada a lot. While Dean is away from home, Madeline writes fluffy articles for the Syracuse Weekly newspaper.

Madeline visits Dean’s family farm. Her father-in-law shows her the dog tags of Lapthorne Townsend, her favorite cousin from the Oyster Bay, Long Island kin, that he discovered in a field in which two unidentified girls were found murdered with their throats cut in 1969. With a need to prove Lapthorne’s innocence, Madeline investigates the cold case homicides.

A FIELD OF DARKNESS is a terrific chick lit amateur sleuth starring a delightful in your face protagonist on a crusade to prove her relative could not have killed anyone two decades ago. The story line is filled with plausible twists as the heroine stumbles, rumbles, and tumbles her investigation. Madeline’s asides on social issues add to the fun of a wonderful tale ably augmented by strong support characters who mange to bring the best and worst, most times both of magnificent Madeline.

Harriet Klausner