Kay Taylor Burnett

No Odes to Widows Kay Taylor Burnett

While standing in line to purchase fresh-baked bread at a local bakery in Alpine, Texas, three women form an unlikely friendship. Katherine Bell, Doris Kemp, and Susanna Perez have little in common except that they are all widows. They support each other through good times and bad and are about to become involved in a local crisis. The community is shocked when a young Texas Highway Patrolman is murdered while on duty, leaving behind his young wife and child. As the authorities follow the leads in the case, the three widowed friends investigate on their own, spurred on by Doris, a criminal justice professor at the college, who wants to practice what she reads and teaches. Their investigation produces more questions than answers. Could the shooter be the same person driving the sports car that almost ran Katherine off the road the night of the murder? Is there a link between the murder and the strange activity taking place at Katherine's neighbors' home? As Katherine, Doris, and Susanna follow the trail of murder, love, and betrayal, their support for each other never waivers. This murder investigation reveals each widow's wilderness of loss and grief and their unique paths to personal resolution.