The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard

I first published this review May 12, 2011

Earlier this week we went to the grocery store. Randy went one way and I went another. When he finished mailing some items he found me in the produce section and he had purchased a book for me that he thought looked good. Not only is he great at picking out jewelry :) he is great at picking out books!

The Scent of Rain and Lightening by Kansas author, Nancy Pickard. The book is set in Kansas. It is a GREAT quick read. 

The main character of the book is Jodi. Twenty three years ago someone killed her father and her mother disappeared. The book begins with Jodi finding out that the murderer was getting out of prison that day.

One of the reasons I liked the book so much is because the author was able to help the reader experience the feelings - the emotions of everyone in the book.  Jodi, her father, her mother, the grandparents, the uncles but also the murderer's son, and the young law officer - the author lets you see  feel what the characters are feeling.

As an added bonus - even though you know what's coming, it seems so predictable - you know from the beginning that there is a murder - yet Pickard throws a small twist at the end. - or maybe not so small!

Chapter 1 confused me a bit with trying to sort out "important" characters. So after I finished reading a few more chapters, I went back to the first chapter to reread the author's descriptions so I could keep the Uncles sorted out!

One of my granddaughters thinks I'm crazy because I call the evening meal supper! So I was thrilled that on page 61 Pickard says "In the country, they called lunch "dinner," and the later meal was "supper." Yea! It's in print. - you can take the girl out of the country but can't take the country out of the girl!!

There are many quotable passages and pages you will think about later after you've laid the book down. Just things to ponder on. Like God's response to Jodi's Grandmother, Annabelle, when she is questioning Him about the children's prayer we all know as  "now I lay me down to sleep...." Another thought provoking episode was when Uncle Chase "handled" the thunderstorm for Jodi as a child. Not a deep book by any means but a very enjoyable book that makes you think.

I plan on picking up some more books of this Kansas author. She has written many and 2 are set in Kansas. Since I've read this one, the other one set in Kansas is on my list.