Review of The Next Great Discovery

[Bertha Jackson]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Next Great Discovery" by Katherine Bennett.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The Next Great Discovery: A Heartland to Hometown Mystery by Katherine Bennett is the first book in this crime thriller mystery series. The story begins with newspaper reporter Leni Spencer at the Barton County, Missouri, fairgrounds to get information on the Quilt Quild's fifty-third annual quilt raffle for the newspaper. While there, the newspaper editor calls her to inform her of a death on her uncle's farm, where the statewide yearly corn husking competition was to be held. Once at the farm, Leni finds out that her cousin, Tiger, is the victim of a brutal crime. Native American Detective Doug Joseph is the only detective at the Hawkinston Police Department, and he cautions Leni to be careful with her investigative reporting of the murder as she could be in danger. Leni is not too concerned until her best friend, Natalie, is murdered. Is there a connection between Tiger, Natalie, and the college? Who murdered them, and why?

Katherine Bennet's character development is fantastic with her descriptions of Native Americans, their artifacts, and the characters' unique personalities. It was interesting to learn how old grain (grist) mills were operated before electricity was invented. The information on the Nektosha band of the Pottawatomi tribe during the 1838 Trail of Death, the New Orleans Mardi Gras, and Hurricane Katrina kept me intrigued because they brought realism to the story. The story's plot was full of activities like fraud, murder, kidnapping, computer hacking, arson, etc., that kept the mystery evolving in different directions until the pieces began falling into place, and all was revealed at the end of the book. I enjoyed the life lessons that are interspersed throughout the book. One example is that it is never good to jump to conclusions.

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars because of its positive aspects, my reading enjoyment, and the fact that I found nothing negative about this professionally edited book. I always enjoy reading books where I learn something new, especially about archeology and Native American culture, which I did in this book.

I recommend this book to mature Christian readers who enjoy mysteries and crime thrillers with historical or archeological themes. However, you should avoid it if you have no tolerance for non-borderline profanity or religion, as it contains both.

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The Next Great Discovery
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[NetMassimo]

This mystery seems intriguing and the Native American setting enriches the story. Even if usually historical fiction is not my thing, in this case he historical and archeological elements are an interesting part of this novel. Thank you for your great review!

[Charmaine Mahlangu]

Crime thriller is always filled with excitement and unexpected twists that's what makes me love it . This sounds exciting and adventurous. Detectives never seem to learn that this job puts them in the wrong with the wrong people but then again , it's what they signed up for. Well done on your review .