When motorcycle-riding Stella Crown hires a new farmhand to help run her Pennsylvania dairy business, she gets more than she bargained for. A Mennonite widow arrives, burdened not only with grief but also by rumors of infidelity and murder. Stella herself is feeling deep sorrow over the loss of her longtime friend and employee Howie and is worrying over her shaky finances. Soon she is also coping with an influx of nasty in-laws, heartbroken beaus, and spiteful vandalism. Determined to protect herself and her farm, Stella sets out to discover the truth while trying to give her new employee the benefit of the doubt.
Meanwhile, Stella's good friend and fellow biker Lenny is riding a crisis. One moment jovial, the next angry and suspicious, Lenny is haunted by pain and secrets he won't share with Stella. His odd behavior is soon complimented by bizarre attacks on his home and business. Now there are two people close to Stella with undisclosed pasts, and the old saying "Three can keep a secret, if two are dead" suddenly gains new and terrible meaning.
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"Good blend of information about Mennonites and bikers. It seems a strange combination, but the author is of that faith, and the rest I surmise she has knowledge of. Strong characters. Story was soft, but well developed."
— Kae (4 out of 5 stars)
“Milk cows, motorcycles, and Mennonites seem like an odd combination for a mystery, but Judy Clemens makes it work...Glimpses of good-guy biker culture and the inner workings of a dairy farm create a rich, convincing backdrop.”
— Boston Globe“If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of meeting one of the most original figures in recent crime fiction—Stella Crown, twenty-nine-year-old Pennsylvania dairy farmer and dedicated biker—Judy Clemens’ perfectly realized second book about her is a good place to start…The elements of Stella’s life, as diverse as they are, ring loud and true, thanks to Clemens’ ear for what farmers and bikers sound like, especially when they’re under pressure.”
— Chicago Tribune“A delightful story, brimming with life and quirkiness and stocked with memorable characters.”
— Contra Costa Times“Fans of well-written mysteries, motorcycles, or Mennonites will enjoy this fast read that ends in a highly satisfying twist.”
— Lima News“[An] engrossing, strong mystery…Satisfying and surprising. Subtle local color—controversy between two fissiparous Mennonite churches—is an added plus. In this second Stella Crown mystery, Clemens has a winner.”
— Publishers Weekly“Readers who fell hard for Harley-riding heroine Stella Crown in Clemens’ 2004 debut, Till the Cows Come Home, will be delighted to see her again. Yes, Stella can be hard to love, but running a dairy farm in rural Pennsylvania is no walk in the park…As Stella struggles with trust issues, readers will find themselves wishing for a ray of sunshine to brighten her weary world.”
— Booklist“Stella Crown is a great character—strong, independent, and, when necessary, combative. I liked her and the very real dairy farm setting. I even liked the cows."
— Barbara D’Amato, Anthony and Agatha award-winning author“Clemens and Stella Crown are unique, and the mix of bikes, violent death, and the respectfully rendered faith…[is] fresh and compelling.”
— ThisWeek Community Newspapers" The second Stella Crown mystery. Really need to be ok with lots of dairy farming info, but a good read generally and relaxing, something I am looking for now as we prepare for our journey cross country once again. "
— Shirley, 11/30/2013" I'm really enjoying this mystery series. I'm learning about Mennonite, motorcycles and dairy farming. I never would have expected that combination. "
— Amy, 9/28/2013" The 2nd Stella Crown mystery. I love these easy to read mysteries! "
— Meg, 6/19/2013" Not much to the mystery, but I like the character (motorcycling dairy farmer) and reading about the farm & community. "
— Kimberly, 5/16/2013" Love these books! This was even better than the first. Stella Crown is a different kind of heroine, and all the other characters are interesting and likable! "
— Joan, 12/5/2012" Better than the first in the series! I really enjoyed the justice that occurred with the wrapup at the end. Lots of mentions of Nick, but no appearance implying a strong likely reappearance in the third installment. "
— Kat, 11/30/2012Judy Clemens, author of the Grim Reaper mysteries and the Stella Crown mystery series, was born and raised a Mennonite and is still involved with the church. She lives in an old farmhouse with her family and their four housecats in rural Ohio, where she is pleased to see women in leadership in every aspect of the community.
Tavia Gilbert is an acclaimed narrator of more than four hundred full-cast and multivoice audiobooks for virtually every publisher in the industry. Named the 2018 Voice of Choice by Booklist magazine, she is also winner of the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. She has earned numerous Earphones Awards, a Voice Arts Award, and a Listen-Up Award. Audible.com has named her a Genre-Defining Narrator: Master of Memoir. In addition to voice acting, she is an accomplished producer, singer, and theater actor. She is also a producer, singer, photographer, and a writer, as well as the cofounder of a feminist publishing company, Animal Mineral.