Mystery Book Review: Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany

Mysterious Reviews, mysteries reviewed by the Hidden Staircase Mystery Books, is publishing a new review of Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany. For our blog readers, we are printing it first here in advance of its publication on our website.

Valley of the Lost by Vicki Delany
A Molly Smith Mystery

Poisoned Pen Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 1-59058-595-X (159058595X)
ISBN-13: 978-1-59058-595-5 (9781590585955)
Publication Date: February 2009
List Price: $24.95

Review: In the pastoral mountain village of Trafalgar, British Columbia, Detective Sergeant John Winters and probationary Constable Molly Smith investigate the suspicious death of a young mother in Valley of the Lost, the second mystery in this series by Vicki Delany.

Molly’s mother, Lucky, actually found the young woman's body, chancing across it in the woods. Next to her lies a crying infant, a boy. Lucky, who operates the Trafalgar Women’s Support Center, takes the boy under her care. His mother appears to have died of a heroin overdose. The autopsy reveals that she had indeed overdosed but there were also restraint marks on her wrists indicating that she may have been murdered. And most puzzling of all, she had never given birth. The infant boy could not be hers. Only the dead woman’s roommate can actually identify her, but by her first name only -- Ashley. She tells Winters and Smith Ashley had never revealed her last name. No one else in the small village will even admit remembering talking to her. How can they find the girl’s family if they cannot identify her? Winters and Smith make tentative links to a psychologist who worked with Ashley to help her kick her drug habit but who suddenly denies having seen her recently, and a number of people associated with the development of a huge resort that may endanger the habitat of some local wildlife species. The connections between these are not clear, but one thing is certain: a baby boy is their only clue.

The contrast between the peaceful, seemingly idyllic community of Trafalgar and big money land development, drug trade, and murder form the foundation for this riveting mystery. The author effectively integrates an engrossing whodunit within a social commentary on small town life. Her observations ring true primarily due to the credible characters she has created. The intricate, well thought out plot also helps, and will keep readers guessing until the surprise ending. Valley of the Lost is an impressive sequel to the first book in the series and is highly recommended.

Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Valley of the Lost and to Poisoned Pen Press for providing an ARC of the book for this review.

Review Copyright © 2009 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.

If you are interested in purchasing Valley of the Lost from Amazon.com, please click the button to the right.

Synopsis (from the publisher): In the bucolic mountain town of Trafalgar, British Columbia, a young woman is found dead of a heroin overdose, her baby lying at her side. While this should be an open-and-shut drug case, restraint marks on the victim suggest that the death might not have been completely accidental.

As the investigation into the young woman’s death and life grows, the case becomes increasingly personal for Probationary Constable Molly Smith and Sergeant John Winters. Only two things are known about the dead woman: her first name is Ashley, and she has a three-month-old baby boy. Who was she? And was this is just a drug deal gone wrong, or is there something more sinister at play? Smith’s mother, Lucky, has taken in the orphaned baby: does he hold the key to solving his mother’s murder?

Meanwhile, Winters’ wife, Eliza, is considering accepting a modeling contract with the same resort development that seems to be ripping the close-knit community apart. Has the controversial project pushed a member of this quiet community to murder?

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