Review: The Virgin of Small Plains
Nancy Pickard's Latest Mystery Novel
This 2007 Edgar Award nominee revolves around an 17-year old murder and the toll it has taken on three families. It is powerful reading -- one of Pickard's best.
The Virgin of Small Plains begins with a murder of a young girl in 1987 in a rural Kansas town named Small Plains. The girl is found in the town cemetery, naked and bloody, but her identity is never made known. The townspeople buried her and gave her a headstone. Over the years, the mystery girl has taken on almost mystical qualities. It is said that she grants wishes and can heal the ailing. She has become known as the Virgin. Her murder was never solved.
The Virgin's death did not have a positive effect on everyone, however. The lives of three teenage friends -- Abby, Rex, and Mitch -- were never the same after that night. Mitch was forced to permanently leave town by his parents (did they suspect him?); Rex was haunted by having found the body and the secret he was forced to keep; and Abby -- Mitch's girlfriend -- was blamed for running the love of her life out of town.
Mitch Newquist Returns
Old emotions and old secrets come to the forefront when Mitch returns to Small Plains after seventeen years, determined to learn the truth about the Virgin and his banishment. He has never forgotten Abby nor has she forgotten him, but his questions stir up buried fears and emotions. Many wish that he would led the past be the past. Eventually, the past is revealed, but at a terrible cost.
The Virgin of Small Plains is a masterful, powerful novel, filled with regret and loss -- and redemption. Nancy Pickard creates characters with subtle flaws and likeable quirks, who could be your next door neighbor or even yourself. It is one of the best mystery novels of 2006 and very deserving of the Edgar Award nomination.
About Nancy Pickard
Nancy Pickard is the author of sixteen mystery novels, the best known of which are her Jenny Cain books. She has also penned several collections of short stories and co-authored a non-fiction book about writing. Ms. Pickard has been nominated three times for the Edgar Award and he is a past recipient of the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. She lives in Prairie Village Kansas.
Related Links
- Shop for your own copy of The Virgin of Small Plains
- Edgar Award Nominees Announced for 2007
- Nancy Pickard Official Site
