The Old Buzzard Had It Coming (Alafair Tucker Mysteries, 1) - Softcover

"As vivid and unforgettable as a crimson Oklahoma sunset" -Carolyn Hart Life on the Oklahoma frontier in 1912 was anything but easy, yet Casey's sweet-tempered debut manages to make readers nostalgic for simpler times... the appealingly homey world Casey creates rings true. With so much going for her, readers will be right pleased to see a sequel. -- Publishers Weekly (6.6.2005) "Alafair Tucker, a competent farmwife and sympathetic mother of nine, takes it in stride when twin daughter Phoebe brings handsome John Lee Day home. He's from the less prosperous neighboring farm, and his pa is a known drunk-as well as a wife and child beater. When Pa's corpse is found in the snow, Alafair, who helps the widow prepare the body, discovers that the man was shot. With John Lee as the prime suspect, she's afraid Phoebe may have been mixed up in murder, too. Set in 1912 Oklahoma, this first novel, which was named the Best Unpublished Mystery of 2004 by the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, should please even the most demanding fans of historicals with its authentic situations, fully drawn characters, and clever plotting. Casey, who holds an MLS, lives in Tempe, AZ."--Library Journal Mystery readers everywhere, rejoice! This first of the Alafair Tucker mysteries introduces an engaging new heroine to treasure. Set during the cold winter of 1912 on the Oklahoma frontier, Alafair Tucker is a farm wife and mother of nine. She determines to discover the murderer of an abusive neighbor, even when the clues point to his eldest son, who Alafairs daughter Phoebe loves and who is hiding in one of the familys outbuildings. ""Don't be misled by the unfortunate title and cover design. Casey's novel brims with wit, humor and the occasional devastating sorrow. Alafair and Shaw and their wholesome brood stand in sharp contrast to the murdered man and his family. Their children run through household duties as if sired by the Gold Shoe Bunny so their mom can work her investigation around the authorities and the expectations that she'll stay within her female sphere. She works those expectations to her own advantage. Alafair is naturally curious, wise, and a bit too courageous for her own good now and then, when she's also lucky. If the wholesome meter gets to tipping, a welcome touch of magical realism saves the novel from sentimentality. A deep pleasure to read, and a few of Alafaire's recipes are included! I can't wait"" -Historical Mystery Society "Donis Casey...gives us a tale full of wit, humor, sorrow and, more important, the truth. Her Alafair Tucker deserves to stand beside Ma Joad in literature's gallery of heroic ladies." --Tony Hillerman As the mother of nine, Alafair Tucker's hard but basically peaceful life on a farm on the Oklahoma frontier in 1912 is changed forever when one of her daughters--17-year-old Phoebe--is involved in the murder of an obnoxious neighbor. Phoebe is the girlfriend of the chief suspect, the dead man's son, and might even have been his accomplice in the crime. Under Donis Casey's gifted hand and shrewd historic eye, Tucker adds solving a mystery to her busy schedule. It all could easily have gone soft and cute, especially the many long visits to the Tuckers' fellow farmers. But by avoiding all the built-in traps, Casey has produced a sharp and suspenseful first novel. -- Dick Adler, Chicago Tribune (10 July 2005)

Praise for The Old Buzzard Had It Coming... "As vivid and unforgettable as a crimson Oklahoma sunset...a book to savor-lyrical, authentic, and heart-warming." -Carolyn Hart "Alafair Tucker deserves to stand beside Ma Joad in literature's gallery of heroic ladies." -Tony Hillerman Alafair Tucker is a strong woman, the core of family life on a farm in Oklahoma where the back-breaking work and daily logistics of caring for her husband Shaw, their nine children, and being neighborly requires hard muscle and a clear head. She's also a woman of strong opinions, and it is her opinion that her neighbor, Harley Day, is a drunkard and a reprobate. So, when Harley's body is discovered frozen in a snowdrift one January day in 1912, she isn't surprised that his long-suffering family isn't exactly grieving. Helping Harley's wife prepare the body for burial, Alafair discovers that Harley's demise was anything but natural-there is a bullet lodged behind his ear. She's concerned when she hears that Harley's son, John Lee, is the prime suspect in his father's murder, for her 17-year-old daughter Phoebe is in love with the boy. Alafair is worried that Phoebe is in for a broken heart, but as she begins to unravel the events that led to Harley's death, she discovers that Phoebe might be more than just John Lee's sweetheart.... Oklahoma native Casey and her husband live in Tempe, Arizona. The Old Buzzard Had It Coming is first in her series featuring Oklahoma pioneer wife and mother Alafair Tucker. http://www.doniscasey.com