For Better or Worse

Ginger Barnes has been working on do-it-yourself projects at her daughter and son-in-law's new home. Surrounding the home are some interesting characters that soon find a way to rope Ginger into their issues. In For Better or Worse by Donna Huston Murray, Ginger has come into her own since the death of her husband. I like her better for that (sorry, I know that is mean, but true).

Despite her husband's disapproval Susan, the mother of a toddler, wants to find a job and she asks Ginger to babysit for the child. Not sure she wants to work that much herself, Ginger agrees, mostly because the toddler Jack is adorable.

On the other side of Chelsea's house, an eccentric older woman, Mrs. Zumstein lives with her grandson. One morning a load of bricks is thrown from the third floor of her house. It's followed by three pops that sound like shots. Unsure whether to call the police, she heads over, finds no answer to her calls and returns to her projects.

Another neighbor with a baby and a possessive husband asks Gin to watch her baby while she takes a

shower. As all new mothers learn, doing small chores become a big problem with a new baby. But things are not right in any of the neighboring houses and Gin becomes uneasy about them, especially after Mrs. Zumstein falls down a flight of stairs and flings accusations at her grandson, who she thinks is her husband.

When Gin learns Susan and her husband Mike have moved from place to place over the past three years she is curious. On blind date with a man named George who turns out to be Susan's father, she learns some disturbing information.

Before she knows it Gin is involved in three dangerous situations and fears for herself and the people involved. This is a tense, taut mystery with lessons for every day living.

For a review of The Mainline is Murder also by Murray, click here.