Review - Lost Under a Ladder

Review

Lost Under a Ladder by Linda O. Johnston
The First Superstition Mystery


Destiny, California is a town ruled by superstition. Residents who may not believe still must realize that superstitions are the bread and butter of the town and need to be respected.

In Lost Under a Ladder Linda O. Johnston introduces us to a new heroine in Rory Chasen. Perhaps not as strong as Kendra Ballantine or as determined as Lauren Vancouver, Rory is nonetheless out to find answers. First, was it superstition that killed her fiance, and then who killed Tarzal? Accompanied by her live good luck charm Pluckie (black and white dogs are good luck) Rory explores Destiny and starts to uncover the secrets it holds.

Linda O. Johnston has certain trademark touches to her books-dogs and a touch of romance. I'm happy to say that both of these can be found in her new Superstition mystery series. Although animals aren't quite the focus in this series, they do play a prominent role. Pluckie, after all, is the one who finds Martha and leads Rory to the murder victim. And Rory herself is the manager of a large LA pet store and now helps Martha at the Lucky Dog Boutique, Destiny's pet store.

Although still grieving the untimely loss of her fiance, Rory can't help but feel sparks from Justin Halbertson, the small town's Chief of Police. Will their relationship develop? Only time and future books will tell.

I enjoyed the information about superstitions weaved throughout the story. In addition to the common superstitions-crossing under a ladder is bad luck-there were some unique ones as well. I know that breaking a mirror will bring 7 years of bad luck, but I didn't know that touching a $5 bill immediately after breaking a mirror nullifies the bad luck!

Lost Under a Ladder is a great start to a new series featuring characters you can care about in a place you want to visit. I look forward to learning about more superstitions and the people who may or may not believe in them.