Drownings on the Kern River are legendary, especially during Bakersfield summers when families are enticed to Hart Park to escape the heat. But in her new novel "Killer Kern," local writer Phyllis Wachob plunges the depths of this local concern and emerges with surprising twists in her fast-paced sequel to "Death in the Orchard."
Heroine Vermilion Blew, a spunky retired English teacher and school librarian, is still exploring the mystery of the disappearance of Frankie Monroe on the eve of their wedding. Now Darrell Pitts, a private investigator from the first "Orchard" book, requests that she research the potential suicide of Michelle (aka "Mouse"), an emotionally fragile 30-year-old woman.
Quickly Very's work is complicated by the same-day drownings of two members of the east Bakersfield Hernandez family, and yet another older corpse is unexpectedly unearthed near the river. Is the corpse her Frankie?
Interviews with the Hernandez family, whose members picnicked in Hart Park the day of the drownings, expand Very's grasp of Mouse's mental state when they saw her near the river. After all, there might be connections among all three of the victims.
Readers will grow to genuinely like Very and two endearing members of the Hernandez family, including the bulked-up, intimidating Javier, who helps Very unravel the mysteries of the three recent deaths. And then there's the 12-year-old talkative Gabby, who saves Very's life in the violent episode toward the end of the novel.
Although Wachob's novel is a mystery, it touches upon serious issues, such as parental neglect and abuse, PTSD, gang violence and racial stereotyping. Her main character is also learning to cope with the problems of aging alone without the benefit of family connections.
Still the mystery of Frankie's disappearance remains elusive, so we can suppose that Wachob is planning yet another book in the Kern Kapers saga.
"Killer Kern" will obviously appeal to local readers since Wachob's characters frequent local businesses such as the Rice Bowl, the 24th Street Cafe and Dewar's. (Those famous chews actually figure into the plot.) She also offers us a detailed history of the ever-popular Hart Park, including the brilliance of local leaders who foresaw the popular regional park as "close enough to be a destination" for local folks.
"Body in the Orchard" and "Killer Kern" are both available on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle versions. Readers might look for upcoming book signings at Russo's or Dagney's for meeting the author and purchasing copies.
Born in Bakersfield, Phyllis Wachob calls Bakersfield home. She has taught college-level English, traveled widely in China and the Middle East, and is a current member of Writers of Kern. She takes inspiration from Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes.