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Another cozy bloodbath from Jance. In this episode their is a strange confluence of fan service (husband finally publishes his book, connections to her daddy, series baddies get what's coming to them finally, baby!, and visits from the horrible in-laws) with a complicated grouping of cultural references to the mid-2000s (prostate cancer, dog fighting, the rights of same sex couples) and in the background grinds along two very thin criminal investigations and a department on very short staff. It says a lot for Jance as an author that she is able not only to propel this overly complicated book to its finish, but that that finish feels complete and the page count between the front and back covers doesn't feel bloated. There are some echos of Fargo in here, any hugely pregnant law enforcement officer is going to feel like a call back I guess, but there isn't a scene that feels like an explicit nod to the Cohen Brothers. My one sincere complaint about this novel is the incredible (in the root sense of not being credible) and transparent criminal escapade that leads to the murder that starts the book. The entire conspiracy is obvious from the moment the perpetrators are introduced, and the absolute stupidity of it just beggars belief. This is a dumb scheme that uses too much violence for too small a goal. Even Jance didn't seem able to believe her own plot, and so buried this one under a couple of other side plots and a far showier investigation. No harm done, but I saw what you did there Jance.