Family Practice: A Susan Wren Mystery

A brutal shooting at a nearly deserted medical clinic in Hampstead, Kans., leaves Dr. Dorothy Barrington dead and her 11-year-old patient, Jen Bryant, critically wounded. As head of the family medical practice and self-appointed matriarch over the Barrington siblings and spouses, Dorothy had not lacked for enemies. Police Chief Susan Wren, introduced in The Winter Widow, finds it hard to remain objective as she watches Jen, who had been in her care for the weekend, fighting to stay alive. Wren discovers that the eminent Barringtons have much to hide, resulting in a wealth of suspects in a plot that, despite its stormy climax (in a tornado), is undermined by its cast of frequently one-dimensional characters. A standout is Dorothy's youngest sister, Ellen, a refreshingly original eccentric. The hint of a budding romance between Wren and a male co-worker, Ben Parkhurst, is not compelling, and readers are likely to care more about the fates of Ellen and Jen than about who killed Dr. Dorothy. (Nov.)