FRIDAY: State Fair

Benni Harper Ortiz and the gang are back again for mystery #14 after a bit of time since #13 - it was well worth the wait.

Benni and her family and friends are passing time at the Mid-State Fair. There's a special exhibit of African American quilts and black cloth dolls. In case you didn't guess, race plays a big role in the story. One of the characters is the first manager of the fair to be black and some folks don't like it much. Benni learns a lot from her husband (who is Hispanic) and her African American friends about what it's like to be a minority in America.

In this story, Benni juggles her grandma, Dove, Dove's sister, Garnet (who is keeping a secret from everyone - and who's been watching a lot of CSI lately and loves helping Benni with the case), the racial tensions in her community, and the murder of a boy - a white boy who had been dating a mixed-race girl, the daughter of the black fair manager.

I enjoyed the latest entry in the series. It was easy to fall back into rhythm with the characters and the mystery kept me guessing until the end. 

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