Hog Wild

by: Cathy Pickens

Published by: Thomas Dunne Books

Reviewed by Andrea Sisco

Hog Wild is the third book in this series by Cathy Pickens, a civil litigator who also teaches law and ethics at the McColl School of Business, Queens University, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Not much is going on in Dacus, South Carolina, so when a pig goes missing, it's big news. Avery Andrews has returned to her hometown to practice law. She's setting up her office and tells Melvin Bertram that she'll keep an eye out for the missing animal. But life gets in the way, as it often does.

Before Avery can open her law office, Maggy Avinger seeks out her help. Maggy's husband, who apparently died from lung cancer, has requested a monument with an epitaph that says Maggy murdered him. Maggy definitely doesn't want either the epitaph or the monument. Avery tells Maggy she'll look into the situation.

Later, Avery attends (at Maggy's invitation) a plant rescue on some land sold to a land developer. Avery is checking to see if the land sale can be cancelled. A body is found in an abandoned mine shaft (death by bullet) and other deaths quickly follow. All the victims received anonymous letters that accuse them of personal shortcomings. Suddenly the small town of Dacus is a hotbed of crime and Avery is on the trail to stop a killer.

I love cozy mysteries and all things Southern. In the North, we call people 'crazy.' In the south they are 'eccentric.' Eccentric people make for better stories. Cathy Pickens' Hog Wild is delightful. It's a fast read filled with quirky characters, a strong independent heroine, and a fun plot.

Armchair Interviews says: Check out the other two novels in this series. If they're as much fun as Hog Wild, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Author's Web site: http://www.CathyPickens.com