In this charming stand-alone sequel to Boo
, Gutteridge pens a delightful suspend-disbelief-and-enjoy-it romp featuring the quirky characters from Skary, Ind. After bestselling writer and Skary resident Wolfe "Boo" Boone finds God and gives up writing thrillers, the horror theme that the town employed to attract tourists goes bust. Busybody Missy Peeple brainstorms ways to rebrand the town, while Wolfe experiments with selling cars, then recommends romance novels as a clerk at the town bookstore. Wolfe's fiancée, the Martha Stewartesque Ainsley Parker, is distracted from wedding plans by Wolfe's former editor, who plots to make her the Next Big Thing in homemaking stardom. Newcomer and presumed psychologist Dr. Jack Hass—yes, you read that right—is ready to provide counseling for everything from losing weight to pepping up the sheriff's depressed tomcat. Meanwhile, howling, ghostly figures walk the streets of Skary, the vet neuters a rampaging cat at gunpoint, and the mayor loses his mind and believes he's in the Caribbean. There's the infrequent bad line ("Like a hungry seagull, his mind dove into dark waters, fishing for reason"). But what makes this completely improbable plot, complete with an old map marked with an "X," so enjoyable are Gutteridge's offbeat characterizations and her sense of mischievous delight in the story. This engaging faith fiction will delight fans of Boo
and capture some new readers. Agent, Janet Kobobel Grant.
(Sept.)
