I Shall Not Want by Julia Spencer-Fleming

I discovered Julia Spencer-Fleming and her wonderful series just after the first book was published.  I Shall Not Want, the sixth title in the series proves that this author is getting better with every book.  The plots are becoming more involved and all the characters, not the principle ones, are finely drawn. All the books titles are taken from hymns – (the most unusual title being A Fountain Filled with Blood).  The  books take  place in upstate New York, in the Adirondack mountains, in the mythical town of Millers Kill.  Clare Ferguson is an Episcopal minister and Russ Van Alstyne is the chief of police.  They strike up an unlikely friendship even though they appear to have little in common.  Clare is young and single and compassionate and Russ is older, married and suspicious.  Somehow they manage to remain just friends although there is a growing attraction between them.

In this book, Clare puts herself and her church on the line to help provide the basics to the Hispanic migrant workers in the area.  When one of the men stumbles across a dead body and then two more bodies show up in rapid succession, Russ and his deputies work overtime to find out what’s going on before more bodies appear.  Clare in the meantime is trying to protect the migrant workers while getting information that may be helpful to the police.    I don’t want to give away too much of the plot, but the characters are the real stars of the story.  Start at the beginning of the series to watch Clare’s adjustment to being a minister in a small northern town as well as the growing friendship and affection between Clare and Russ.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Karen – Fort Mill                                               ISBN 9780312334871