THE WREN

Author: Kristy McCaffrey ISBN: 1593740433 11/2003 HISTORICAL Publisher: THE CREEK - WHISKEY CREEK PRESS
Time Period: Victorian: Texas 1877

Ten years have passed since her ranch was attacked, her folks murdered and MOLLY HART was abducted. Now, at nineteen, she’s finally returning home to north Texas after spending the remainder of her childhood with a tribe of Kwahadi Comanche. What she finds is a deserted home coated with dust and the passage of time, the chilling discovery of her own gravesite, and the presence of a man she thought never to see again. MATT RYAN is pushed by a restless wind to the broken-down remains of the Hart ranch. Recently recovering from an imprisonment that nearly ended his life, the drive for truth and fairness has all but abandoned him. For ten years he faithfully served the U.S. Army and the Texas Rangers, seeking justice for the brutal murder of a little girl, only to find closure and healing beyond his grasp. Returning to the place where it all began, he’s surprised to stumble across a woman with the same blue eyes as the child he can’t put out of his mind. Visit Kristy's website: http://www.kristymccaffrey.com/

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE WREN is Kristy McCaffrey's first novel and a pretty good one too. Set in the rough and tumble of a small Texas town, the story evolves from a murder mystery to a romantic adventure while giving you a glimpse of some interesting secondary characters that will no doubt show themselves in novels of their own.

Molly Hart has been missing from her parents' ranch for ten years. Thought to have been abducted by Comanche and then killed, Molly returns to her deserted homestead to find everyone except her two sisters were murdered that fateful night. It's up to Molly's steely determination and her childhood friend Matt Ryan to solve the mystery of just who did away with her parents and why they took her too.

Matt Ryan has carried the weight of Molly's "death" with him for ten years and is now faced with the undeniable fact that she is alive. Even more disturbing than that, Matt must accept his feelings for Molly are more than just brotherly affection. He is determined to help Molly discover the truth about her family and keep her safe from his own desire. The problem is, Molly desires him too.

Though THE WREN is a poignant and heartfelt story, on the surface it is a light read that doesn't draw you in as deep as I would like. Some of the plot is obvious and I didn't get wrapped up in Matt and Molly's romance as much as I did the mystery. The characters and their personal dilemmas are enjoyable, none the less. Kristy McCaffrey is definitely an author to watch.

Shannon Johnson