A mystery, a couple, a dog and a Winnebago

By: 
Jan Jones

I was curious when I selected “Dance of the Winnebagos” by Ann Charles.

Claire Morgan and her grandfather have traveled from Nemo, South Dakota, to Jackrabbit Junction, Arizona, in his trusty Winnebago motorhome. Her grandmother loved the area so much that her ashes have been scattered beneath a large cottonwood tree near the Park.

Gramps has planned this trip with two of his old army buddies to meet “hot babes.” Thirty-year-old Claire has come along as a chaperone of sorts.

Claire has a reputation for finding trouble. When Gramps’ beagle, Henry, finds a human leg bone, Claire has to wrestle it from him as Henry doesn’t like Claire. Park owner Ruby Martinez’s late husband Joe promised she and their daughter would be financially secure, but he died without telling her where his fortune was stashed. Now the bank is preparing to foreclose, taking the park and three old copper mines. A mining company has offered to buy the mines, so Ruby has enlisted the aid of her nephew, Mac, to determine their true value.

Claire knows that the mining company will extract the copper through “open pit” mining. That would devastate the entire area, and she couldn’t allow her grandmother’s ashes to be disturbed. Instantly, Claire swings into action to prevent the sale and save Ruby.

Ruby is also contending with her very rebellious 15-year-old daughter, Jessica. She wants to send Jess to a private school, but the girl refuses to cooperate and tries to get Claire and Mac to help her.

As expected, sparks fly between Claire and Mac. The two quickly establish a love/hate relationship, with Gramps and his friends adding spice and insults along the way.

When Mac inspects one mine, he comes out to find that his spark plug wires have been cut. Later his brake lines are punctured. He has no proof, but he suspects Sophy Wheeler. Joe was married to her until she ran off to Los Angeles. The former showgirl now runs her family’s diner during the day and sneaks into the mines at night to look for Joe’s hidden loot.

Digging through Joe’s papers, Claire finds three passports belonging to the same man. Each has a different first name, but the last name is Martinez. Was this Joe’s missing cousin? Was the thigh bone his? Was Sophy involved?

Both Mac and Gramps warn Claire to steer clear of Sophy. Naturally, stubborn Claire ignores their advice and sneaks into Sophy’s house. When she finds a room stacked with valuable antique furniture, she is sure that it once belonged to Joe as he owned an antique store in town.

When Mac is trapped and nearly killed in a mine, the pair doubles their efforts to find Joe’s hidden treasure. While Mac is in Tucson checking on mine deposits, Claire breaks into Sophy’s shed. She finds his old El Camino, but before she can do more snooping Sophy arrives with a shotgun.

She reveals that the men were making lots of money “fencing” stolen antiques, but when Joe’s cousin got greedy, she got rid of him, just she plans to get rid of Claire. To her surprise, Claire is saved by her nemesis, Henry.

Gramps solves Ruby’s money troubles by buying the mines and deciding to stay in Jackrabbit Junction. The relationship between Claire and Mac has turned into a solid romance, and Jess has agreed to behave and go to the local high school. The icing on the cake comes when a tiny clue sends Claire back to the basement where she finds a hidden stash of cash. It turns out that Joe really did look after Ruby and Jess.

We can’t tell who is leading a secret life, but it is fun to guess. Read about more secrets through your public library. Drop by soon and check it out.

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