By Betty Lou Roselle
Tara Ratzlaff and her husband owned a native grass and wildflower seed farm/business for over twenty years. When they decided to retire, Tara decided to pursue writing. The Moth Came Back is part one of the Native Prairie Mysteries and uses the backdrop of a seed farm business for a violent murder.
Twenty-eight year old Carmen Karlaff is the owner of this family business with her semi-retired father Chet and her brother Kirk, a sometime employee who would rather pursue his music career. Kirk’s dog Wizard provides much humor with his antics throughout the story.
Ratzlaff nicely creates the world of a small town community where everyone knows each other’s business. They care about each other which makes the reader care about them.
It is almost time for Carmen and her workers to start to harvest, when one of the workers Gary Pitterson discovers a dead body in the big bluestream field. The deceased man turns out to be Matthew Golding, the brother of Carmen’s best friend Jessica.
Twenty years ago as a young man Matthew had gotten drunk at a party. Afterwards he got in his car to drive home and hit a young woman, crippling her. Panicking he decided to flee the scene instead of facing justice. His father died soon after of a heart attack many believe was brought on by his son’s actions. His mother suffered from depression until her death. Somehow Jessica managed to not only survive but maintain a positive attitude in the midst of all of this.
As Jessica is overcoming the shock of losing her brother after he finally decided to return home, she is accused of murder. Sheriff Poole is certain she killed her brother so she didn’t have to share the inheritance with him. Everyone in this town is sure Jessica could not be responsible but Poole refuses to listen to any of them.
Carmen, who is fascinated with mysteries, springs into action as an amateur detective to save her friend. Along with Jessica, she enlists the help of Nick, the new foreman she hired for the farm. A bit of mystery surrounds his past which Carmen decides to investigate as well. There’s a nice chemistry between them which might lead somewhere in the future. Pamela, the young woman who was crippled on that fateful night contacts Jessica and offers important new information.
I don’t want to give any clues away but this is an easy read. I love that the author describes her writing as cozy mysteries because that’s exactly how it feels. The story flows along effortlessly to its conclusion.
The Moth Came Back is a Camel Press book published by Epicenter Press and available from The Moth Came Back by Tara Ratzlaff, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)