mystery; didn't hold my interest; lost track of story.

I was familiar with this author's work but only as a science fiction writer and I didn't realize that she wrote in other genres. I am now even more impressed with her writing after reading this book.

The story's central character is Sarah Drexler, a judge in Oregon but the action takes place almost entirely in California. Sarah travels from Oregon to California to visit with her father, daughter and son who are all working in a nursery started by her father after his retirement. The night she arrives her father has an appointment with a private investigator but no-one knows what the PI is investigating. It appears that they never will find out because the next morning both the PI and Sarah's father are dead. At first it was believe Sarah's father died of natural causes but the police officer investigating the PI's death believes both deaths may be homicides. As Sarah and the officer investigate they discover that the deaths may be linked to the disappearance of three students of Sarah's uncle many years previously.

What makes this story different from the usual murder mystery are the inner thoughts Sarah has about her life as a daughter, wife and mother. I really felt I knew Sarah and I liked and admired her. ( )