"Threats At Three"

"Threats At Three" is the next novel in Ann Purser's Lois Meade Mysteries.  Although deaths do occur in this story, none are murders but there is plenty of sleuthing to be done and Lois Meade is just the one to take on the task with the help of her cleaning crew and Inspector Cowgill.

Derek, Lois' husband, is busy heading up the committee to raise money to "save our shed" for the community.  Lois (on the advice of her daughter,Josie) has taken on a new part-time cleaner, Paula Hickson.  Paula's husband has left her with a teenage son, younger twin boys, and a baby boy so she has her hands full but she wants to earn some extra money to support her family and has found child care so that she can work two days a week.  However, when her teenage son disappears, Lois puts all her efforts into discovering what happened.

Inspector Cowgill has a new assistant, Chris, and would probably retire if it didn't mean he'd see less of Lois.  If only his nephew would propose to Josie, he could become family and not need excuses to see her.

I found this story a little different than some of the other Lois Meade mysteries.  There are some characters with no redeeming features who are pressuring other characters to do their bidding.  Some characters I thought I'd have a hard time liking actually redeem themselves!  It's a good read and has enough suspense that it kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next so I didn't want to put it down!  pazt