[Steeplechase][BWF] If Ever I Return Pretty Peggy-O, by Sharyn McCrumb, 2.5 stars rounded down

[NancyJ]

I stumbled upon this book when I was looking for a different book set in the Appalachian mountains. I was attracted to it by the music, and it was a nice surprise that the narrator was able to sing the folksongs described in the book. A former folksinger moves to a small Tennessee town with some colorful characters. She gets to know the sheriff, and contacts him about threatening postcards linked to her songs. Her dog is eventually killed and a young girl who looks like her disappears. The story includes the staff of the Sheriff’s department, Vietnam Veterans, and the planning of the 20th reunion of the class of 1968. I was touched by several of the individual stories about the characters, but I disliked the plot related to the killings.

7 Southern Fiction tags, 7 Historical Mystery Tags