A solid one and a half stars--and a mental note to avoid this series, forever. In the summer, I like "lite" reading: mysteries, nanny diaries, chick lit, and thrillers. And, especially, series where I can read a long string, watching characters develop. But they have to be well-written.

This book read like the author's daily journal, if the author was a heroic, whip-smart journalist ready to take on all challenges. When I say it read like a daily log, I mean that the story wandered all over the place (as real life does), making it occasionally incomprehensible. First the bear, then the Amish, then a corn maze, then the old boyfriend, then grisly murders--and oh yeah, what about that soldier bravely serving his country in the middle east? Did he kill somebody? Throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, all couched in prosaic writing. Bleah.

The extra half star comes from a twist: Kramer makes the Amish the bad guys. That takes cajones. Not enough to save the book, however.