From Library Journal
In the debut of this series (When Did We Lose Harriet?, LJ 9/1/97), lead character MacLaren Yarbrough did her detective work in Montgomery, AL. In this book, she returns to her small hometown of Hopewell, GA, and the book is much the better for the change. MacLaren is drawn into a murder investigation when the pastor of her church tells the police he had a dream that may hold clues to a killer's identity. Finding himself under suspicion, the pastor turns to MacLaren for help. With the help of a wonderfully portrayed Southern setting, MacLaren seems right at home in her tiny town and is much more believable than in the first book in the series. Light touches of humor and the charming interplay between MacLaren and her magistrate husband make this a fun read for mystery fans.Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
In the second MacLaren Yarbrough mystery, MacLaren finds herself trying to single-handedly solve two mysteries: Was it really Pastor Luke Blessed who killed gentle young Amanda Kent -- and who shot MacLaren's husband, Joe Riddley?


From the Publisher
Meet MacLaren Crane Yarbourgh, a spunky Southern woman on the sunset end of sixty with a knack for getting tangled up in mystery and murder. This time, the quiet rural community of Hopewell, Georgia, is rocked by a grisly killing--the first murder in Hopewell in forty years. But was it really Pastor Luke Wallace who killed gentle young Amanda Kent? Or did the police miss four other likely suspects in their haste to pin the murder on Luke? In search of answers, amateur sleuth MacLaren Yarborough pieces together a grim puzzle--with her beloved husband, Joe, who is magistrate in Hopewell, as one of the pieces. When he ends up in the hospital, unconscious from a gunshot wound, a simple investigation becomes for MacLaren a life and death struggle to save the man she loves. But Why Shoot the Magistrate? is an engaging who done it--a skillful weaving of elusive clues and close calls, spiced with the unflagging faith, savvy wit, salty observations, and down-home wisdom of its feisty, golden-age heroine.


From the Author
Pat Sprinkle has written a number of mystery novels, including When Did We Lose Harriet? (book one in the MacLaren Yarborough series) and the best-selling Sheila Travis series. She has also authored several non-fiction books, such as Women Who Do Too Much and Women Home Alone. She lives in Miami with her husband and two sons


From the Back Cover
When a popular youth pastor is accused of a grisly crime, MacLaren Yarbrough won't rest until she finds the truth. Her gut instinct tells her Luke Blessed is innocent. Still, how could the dream he had on the night a young woman was murdered depict the crime with such chilling accuracy? As MacLaren tracks down clues from all corners of Hopewell, GA, four like suspects emerge. But the police aren't buying her theories. Even her husband, local magistrate Joe Riddley, resists her amateur sleuthing. This case, he feels, is too dangerous. Just how dangerous, both of them are about to discover. The assailant strikes again, leaving Joe comatose from a gunshot wound to the head. And suddenly, a new question stares MacLaren in the face. It's the most perplexing question of all -- and the most personal: Why shoot the magistrate?


About the Author
Patricia H. Sprinkle is a freelance writer whose nonfiction books include the companion to this volume, Children Who Do Too Little. She is also a best-selling mystery writer and an active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She is a frequent speaker at seminars and women’s conferences and lives in Miami with her husband. They have two grown children.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When a popular youth pastor is accused of a grisly crime, MacLaren Yarbrough won't rest until she finds the truth. Her gut instinct tells her Luke Blessed is innocent. Still, how could the dream he had on the night a young woman was murdered depict the crime with such chilling accuracy? As MacLaren tracks down clues from all corners of Hopewell, GA, four like suspects emerge. But the police aren't buying her theories. Even her husband, local magistrate Joe Riddley, resists her amateur sleuthing. This case, he feels, is too dangerous. Just how dangerous, both of them are about to discover. The assailant strikes again, leaving Joe comatose from a gunshot wound to the head. And suddenly, a new question stares MacLaren in the face. It's the most perplexing question of all -- and the most personal: Why shoot the magistrate?

Author Biography: Patricia H. Sprinkle is a freelance writer whose nonfiction books include the companion to this volume, Children Who Do Too Little. She is also a best-selling mystery writer and an active member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She is a frequent speaker at seminars and women's conferences and lives in Miami with her husband. They have two grown children.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal