The third in the Starvation Lake Mystery series finds local newspaper editor Gus Carpenter involved in the investigation of the bingo night burglaries in the small town of Starvation Lake. While the residents are attending bingo at the local Catholic Church, homes are being broken into, but strangely, nothing appears to be missing; the thief just rifles through personal and financial papers.
As tensions mount, things take a turn for the worse when someone is murdered during another break-in. The victim is the mother of Gus' ex-girlfriend, local police woman Darlene Espers. Even worse, the murder occurred during the burglary of the home of Bea Carpenter, Gus' ailing mother.
The town of Starvation Lake is fraught with more turmoil. Even as the local sheriff is under fire to solve the burglaries, one of his deputies is working against him while planning his own election campaign. Then there is the born-again Christian group that's not only kicking up a fuss, but threatening to disrupt the season for the local hockey team, the lifeblood of entertainment and pride for this small community.
Working with newcomer Luke Whistler, a seasoned older reporter, Carpenter finds himself looking into the mysterious disappearance of a beautiful young nun decades earlier, and how her disappearance may be linked to both his mother and the events in Starvation Lake today.
I've enjoyed all three of the author's books, and his characters and writing just keep getting better. Mr. Gruley has created another fun and satisfying mystery with The Skeleton Box....be sure to add it to your summer reading list!
