Donna Rose and the Slug War is a fun light-hearted mystery read with a firebrand elderly sleuth. Donna Galbreath shakes up this small town with her attitude, the feud with her neighbor, and her probing questions. Donna Galbreath stumbles discovers a body of Lyle Corrigan while digging for clams. She is not able to trust the local police chief Billy Donniker. He wasn't that smart when she taught him in 6th grade and from the looks of his investigation, time and adulthood do not cast him in a better light. The danger escalates as a resident disappears, Lyle's wife is poisoned, and Donna Rose receives a mysterious package of lemon cookies. Who is behind the attack? All sorts of secrets are uncovered: the politics of the local waterboard has people pitted against one another, past family, business and social secrets are coming to light. If that wasn't enough for her to deal with, Donna's daughter shows up on her doorstep with a problem and her neighbor causes problems.Donna Galbreath is a retired school teacher and she is one bad girl with an attitude despite her age! How can I describe this opposite of Jessica Fletcher? Donna is an agitator, a firebrand, cantankerous, an inciter, a mischief-maker (oh, the slug war!), one big nuisance, a smart aleck and a couple of other words too. This sleuth is not your stereotype of a nice elderly retired school teacher at all! This sleuth is a reader's delight.The title alone draws readers to this mystery. In the beginning, readers will not believe this woman and want to continue reading just to see what crazy thing she will do next. As the mystery develops, readers will be drawn to her character more and more. Donna's character develops during the story and becomes more multi-dimensional but still keeps her spunk. Donna's feud with neighbor Cyrus makes this an enjoyable mystery read. Through him, the reader discovers her firebrand, eccentric character. Through him, the reader also sees a slightly different side of her as the two are drawn together to solve the mystery. Donna's character grows on the reader increasingly as Donna and Cyrus challenge each other. As a teacher, Donna has some insights into adults she taught that makes this mystery an interesting read to ponder afterwards. How well do teachers really know their students --- then and when they turn into adults?
