The Cantaloupe Thief: A Branigan Powers Mystery

Richardson-Moore's (The Weight of Mercy) weighty novel of redemption, the first in a series, introduces readers to Grambling, Ga., and Branigan Powers. Branigan, a reporter for the Grambling Rambler, has been assigned to explore why the murder of Alberta Resnick, a member of the town's founding family, has gone unsolved for 10 years. Branigan uses a personal and professional contact, Pastor Liam Delaney, to explore the possibility that the murderer was a transient, someone who would have been largely overlooked at the time of the murder. Liam proves to be a very atypical pastor who served the town's homeless first as a reporter before joining the church. This is what attracts the homeless to Branigan's mission and shelter, Jericho Road; he can share the message of God's love and hope over a slice of pizza or cold beer. As Branigan investigates, the reader is given an up-close look into the lives of the town's homeless population as they deal with alcoholism, drug addiction, and the other difficult circumstances that landed them on the streets. Richardson-Moore uses her experience as an investigative journalist and real-life work with the homeless to make a compelling story, and to breathe life into her complicated, multifaceted characters. (June)