BWF - Out of the Deep I Cry - Julia Spencer-Fleming - 4 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

Clare Fergusson, former Army helicopter pilot and current Episcopal priest in Miller's Kill, New York, has a serious roofing problem and there's no money available to fix it. After calling the vestry members in for a strategy session, one of them, Lacy Marshall, decides to liquidate her trust and gift the money to St. Alban's roof repair. Currently the trust is subsidizing the local free clinic run by Dr. Alan Rouse.

Shortly after delivering the bad news, Dr. Rouse disappears. Clare and Chief of Police, Russ Van Alstyne, work clues left behind to try to find him. Ironically, Mrs Marshall's father also disappeared over sixty years earlier and the clinic was set up by her mother as a memorial.

The story is told in various chapters of "Then" and "Now" and goes from the 70's, to the 30's, to the 50's, and modern time. In flashbacks we follow the disappearance of Mrs. Marshall's father and how her mother came to set up the clinic in his name. There is also a parallel story of a local woman and her protests at the clinic for using vaccines that she believes caused her son to become autistic.

As usual, the growing attraction between Russ and Clare is a big part of the story and to my surprise we finally meet Russ's wife, Linda, who is talked of but never seen in the first two books. I love the flawed characters of Russ and Clare. In addition to the great characters, the colorful locale adds depth to a well plotted mystery. I was hesitant when I first started the series, thinking it would be too religious. Instead, Clare's job as priest serves to open up a variety of interesting subplots.