"Desert Lost"

Betty Webb's "Desert Lost" is another in her Lena Jones mystery series.  Webb has done her research as usual and where she has looked at polygamy and its affect on the women in a previous book in this series, this one looks at what often happens to the young boys in a polygamous society.  In order for plural marriage to work, there have to be fewer men so young men who have limited education and social or work skills are dumped onto the streets of large cities far from their childhood homes and left to fend for themselves.  Lena learns about this polygamy side effect while trying to solve the murder of a woman whose body she found while staking out a storage unit in Scottsdale.  In the meantime, she's supposed to be moving in with her boyfriend but solving murder takes precedence as usual and the relationship begins to suffer as a result.  Her second job (consulting for a Hollywood TV show) also demands her attention.  Will she be able to uncover the murderer, perform her second job, and juggle a romantic relationship as well as help some of these "lost boys?"  Oh, and did I forget to mention that one of Lena's former foster mothers has re-entered her life?  Betty Webb has written a complex, realistic tale fleshing out more of Lena's history and adding more depth to her character.  Don't miss this latest Lena Jones mystery!  pazt