Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson-Don Reid

The Mulligans of Mt. Jefferson


Don Reid

David C. Cook, Jan 1 2012, $14.99

ISBN: 9781434764942



In the 1930s the fifth graders Cal Vaxter and Harlan Stone were BFFs who were losing a fight to sixth graders. Buddy Briggs intervened. They became the Three Musketeers.



By 1959, Cal the Methodist Preacher was separated from his beloved Elle and their children; Harlan, married to Darcy with twin teenagers, ran the family store Stone Jewelers; Buddy the police lieutenant is married to Amanda with their teenage daughter married and pregnant. A masked intruder invades Harlan’s home and shoots the owner in front of Darcy while the twins are away at Boy Scouts Camp. Harlan is rushed to Mt. Jefferson while Buddy investigates the shooting and Cal tries to provide comfort to his severely wounded friend and his wife.



Returning to Mt. Jefferson (see O Little Town), Don Reid provides an insightful look at family and friendship inside of an engaging historical police procedural. The story line is leisurely paced to enable the readers to obtain a deep look at the three BFFs in 1959 small-town Virginia. The Mulligans (as Mr. Vic calls the lead trio) are sort of Venn diagrams with various people inside the mostly overlapping circles. With an intriguing twisting climax, fans will enjoy a glimpse back in time in which Mr. Reid showcases friendship without social media while Buddy works the case and Cal the soul.



Harriet Klausner

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