The Tooth of Time (Maxie and Stretch Series #2) » (Unabridged)

Sue Henry is also the author of the Alaska-set Jessie Arnold mysteries, the first of which, Murder on the Iditarod Trail, won both the Anthony and Macavity Awards for Best First Novel. Henry is a former college administrator and has lived in Alaska for 30 years. She spends much of her spare time RVing around the Lower Forty-eight or researching Alaska.

Maxie McNabb, the irresistible Winnebago-driving sixty-something-year-old, is back–and criminals from the frigid Iditarod Trail to the scorching Southwest had better beware. With her canine companion, Stretch, in tow, Maxie is "the most refreshingly original protagonist to come along in years" (Rick Riordan). And this time, she sets out to turn one on-edge town back into a peaceful pueblo….One of the best parts of zigzagging the country in her Minnie Winnie is the possibility of endless adventure–and Maxie McNabb is always up for trying new things. So she and little Stretch head for the languorous heat of Taos, New Mexico, where Maxie plans to learn how to weave.But everything changes for the sleepy town when a local woman attempts suicide. A casualty of her husband's midlife crisis, she has been replaced by a newer, sexier model. And to top it off, a sleazy con man has set his sights on her.Even though she's on vacation, Maxie is determined to help the poor thing. And with her ...

Publishers Weekly

In Henry's agreeable second outing for Maxie McNabb (after 2004's The Serpent's Trail), the 63-year-old Alaskan with the insatiable curiosity continues to explore the lower 48 in her "Minnie Winnie," accompanied only by her feisty mini-dachshund, Stretch. Her travels take her to Taos, N.Mex., where she meets an old friend from Alaska, makes new friends among the weavers of Taos and gets acquainted with a woman who may or may not have attempted suicide, Shirley Morgan. When Shirley disappears, Maxie finds herself in danger and flees Taos. The resilient and resourceful Maxie soon returns to Taos to face the danger and deal with a deadly and unsuspected killer. Maxie's cherished independence and her willingness to seek out new experiences alone and single should resonate with fans of cozy and atmospheric mysteries, though so far this series lacks the lovingly detailed descriptions of the environment that characterize Henry's Jessie Arnold books (Murder at Five Finger Light, etc.). (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.