A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD by Julia Spencer-Fleming

The Book: Julia Spencer-Fleming, A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD. Thomas Dunne Books-St. Martin's Minotaur, 2003 (first edition). Signed and dated (11 April 2003). Fine condition.
First read: 2003
Owned since: 2003

It's another one of those weeks in which real life will interfere considerably with maintaining this blog, as I'm not likely to be online much in the next 48 hours. Today's the Maine state primary; tomorrow I'm headed to Portland and then to Boston, to see this fine author and Craig Johnson, respectively, signing their latest books.

This is the second novel in Julia Spencer-Fleming's Millers Kill series; the first is IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, but I own it only in paperback, and I keep giving my copies away. The sixth book in the series, I SHALL NOT WANT, is out today -- and because you really should read the earlier books in the series before you pick up that one, Julia's publishers are giving away free e-book editions of the first two books between now and June 13. Click here for details -- and when you've read those books, go buy the later ones from your favorite independent bookstore.

Millers Kill is a small Adirondack town with a female Episcopalian priest, Clare Fergusson, and a strong, upstanding police chief, Russ Van Alystne. Clare is a former Army helicopter pilot who is used to making decisions and taking the consequences; Russ is an Army veteran who would rather not force confrontations. The two are instant soul mates -- a problem, since Russ is married and genuinely loves his wife.

The books do a masterful job of looking at the real issues small towns face, especially small towns in New England. A FOUNTAIN FILLED WITH BLOOD addresses violent prejudice against homosexuality and willful environmental contamination, among other issues.

I'd write more, but I'm late already. I predict that I will be 15 minutes late to everything today. Sigh...