Ice Girls Finish Last, by Reagan Davis

 

I was instantly reminded why I so thoroughly enjoy Reagan Davis' books. Her writing and deft use of words draws me in every time. This time it was the very first sentence about driving through a pounding downpour in "a jittery silence". That immediately conveyed the atmosphere and hovering mood, with the "squeaky determination of the windshield wipers" making me flashback to a few drenching Florida downpours I remember from living there. I was instantly in the scene, albeit thankful that as much rain as my now home of Alaska gets, it never quite seems to come down as pounding as those dreaded Florida thunderstorms.

In any case, this is a quick, easy read, a flashback to the beginnings of Karla's days in Bellbrook. We meet her half sister, Max, who dreams of being a police officer, and Rob(yn) who is studying to be a doctor. Together, especially with Karla's knack of quickly discerning people's "tells" if they lie, they make a great team, even in this, their younger days. They are sent detouring around after the storm washes out some roads and encounter a dazed, injured woman who cannot even remember her own name. Then, they see the notice about an escaped serial killer. Uh, oh...

Roads and phones are out and this story takes place before even GPS in cars was common, let alone cell phones. They are on their own. And, they use their collective strengths to slowly begin to put the pieces together and figure out who to trust and who not to trust. And, hey, there's even a dog stranded with them at the gas station/store. Bottom line, a fun, quick read that both fills in some blanks on Karla and the rest as well as keeps the reader engrossed and entertained. Or, maybe I should say "jittery"?