Overview
Wheel of Misfortune
Though the town of rural Ogeechee aren't all that far from bustling Atlanta, it still retains the charm and quirks of some sleepy Southern communities. Topping that list is old Tanner Whitcomb, who drives through Ogeechee in an imaginary car with a hubcap for a steering wheel. So when he reports that he's run over somebody, Officer Trud Roundtree puts on a straight face and goes to investigate.
She finds a dead body with a tire mark on it.
Trudy has seen the victim — a handsome, expensively groomed man — somewhere before. Putting Tanner's claims of guilt aside, Trudy follows a trail leading to a posh Atlanta art gallery — and a drama of greed, passion and manipulation. Even Trudy's own past becomes part of the complex mystery as she closes in on a killer who, having murdered once, is more than willing to kill again.
Editorials
Snooper
Berry has a lot of insight . . . and a keen perception of human chacteristics.Midwest Book Review
This is a fun-to-read, down home regional mystery . . . provides insight into life in a small Georgia town . . .Library Journal
In her second adventure (following Death and the Easter Bunny), Trudy Roundtree, the sole female on the Ogechee, GA, police force, is assigned to check out the town crazy s assertion that he ran over someone, even though his car is purely imaginary. Trudy finds a real body, however, and her recent trip to an Atlanta art gallery provides her with the man s identity. She and the police chief who happens to be her cousin interrogate suspects, concoct theories, and compete with the interfering county sheriff. Family ties, small-town gossip, and personal preoccupations, meanwhile, fuel various subplots. Definite down-home flavor, low-key humor, and comfortable prose make this a safe bet for most collections. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.Internet Book Watch
After her husband died and a subsequent love affair turned sour, Trudy left Atlanta to return to her home of Ogeechee where she joins the police force. She gets the job because the Chief of Police Hen Hickabee is Trudy's relative. Trudy takes to the job and soon solves a high profile murder case (see Death And The Easter Bunny). Her latest case is to investigate the town oddball when he reports that he drove over a corpse. Tanner does not own a car so Trudy thinks she is wasting her time until she finds a body with tracks running all over the corpse. Trudy recognizes the deceased as the owner of an Atlanta art gallery whose wife has local ties. There are plenty of suspects here in Ogeechee and in Atlanta that Trudy has to investigate as she tries to solve a homicide. This is a fun to read, down home regional mystery due to Trudy's ability to give back as much as she receives in the good old boy network. The secondary cast gives Death And The Hubcap a unique sense of distinction that provides insight into life in a small Georgia town distant from Atlanta. The relationship between Trudy and her boss is hilarious which adds to the overall amusing reading experience.—Internet Book Watch