Great summer reading

Serendipity: the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for.

That's how I found Bad Water, and my new favorite author, Toni Dwiggins

After finishing the classic reminiscence "Loafing Along Death Valley Trails: A Personal Narrative of People and Places" by William Caruthers, I was searching for non-fiction on the topic of Death Valley.  Having practically grown up in the ghost town of Garlock, a gold mining town that's not all that far from the great valley itself, I already know the area pretty well. I've already read much of what's been written, so I'm always looking for something new to add to my list of titles. In my search results, amongst the titles I've already read, or rejected, was a novel that looked interesting.

If you think you'd like a great who done it with a large helping of geology on the side, or if you are one of the many thousands that have become fascinated with the mysteries of Death Valley, or if you like to ponder the many ways a domestic terrorist could attack a critical system, you'll love Bad Water.

This is Toni's first novel in her Forensic Geology series. I felt the first few chapters are just a bit rough, but once the plot gets going the writing smooths out and as the plot develops it takes over. Young Cassie Oldfield and her mentor Walter Shaws are the forensic geologists called in to help solve a case that's far more complex and deadly than the authorities have ever guessed. It's a hard one to put down, and hot weather definitely fits the story line, so enjoy it this summer!

I've just started Toni's second novel, Volcano Watch. Stay tuned for a review on that title.

Toni's books are available in paperback and Kindle formats on Amazon. More about her on Amazon's author page.