Small flashes of brilliance can't quite make up for this novel's deficits. It can certainly hold a reader's interest; we all read it through voraciously. Unfortunately, if you read very closely, certain obstacles arise that are difficult to overcome.

You may have problems suspending disbelief from the very first skid. And if you allow that it really did happen that way (broken laws of physics aside), the main character is shown to be a bit foolish. As a matter of fact, it's hard to really empathize with any of the characters, who are drawn to varying degrees as clueless, unethical, or just plain mean.

The book jumps in and out of so many different points of view that it can be hard to follow. Many literary novels contain multiple points of view, though, and still manage to ring true. Readers can even empathize with a distasteful character, if the book is well written.

But this book was also missing a crucial element of the mystery genre: a surprise twist at the end that fits with earlier clues but wasn't obvious. The villains' fates and the explanation of past events did not shock, but the survivors' less-than-emotional reactions were appalling.

It seemed like the author, accustomed to cranking out mystery novels on a schedule, didn't take the time and revision necessary to stitch a literary novel together. It read like a hastily written draft, which is sad, because it could have been excellent.

The book was very interesting it kept you guess who actually killed the girl . The interesting part was each suspect as some kind of connection to the girl.

This book has sympathetic characters and an interesting plot. It gets tied up in the end a little too neatly, but that doesn't stop you enjoying it while you read.

After reading some of the reviews I was a little concerned that this book wasn't going to offer much beyond a mystery but I am pleased to share that I was pleasantly surprised! Pickard had a way of making almost every character a suspect in one way or another, so I really didn't want to put the book down until I found out all of the answers. It was more interesting how she reflected how one man's mistake created several lies and how these lies affected the characters in the book. Our club does not read many mysteries so this was a nice change of pace and we all enjoyed the story.

As fans of Pickard's Jenny Cain Series, we were curious about this "novel of suspense." This title has been selected by the Kansas Center for the Book as a Notable Book and also will be the title in the 2009 Kansas Reads project. Shocking discoveries, secrets, and individual interpretations all add up to wounded relationships. The suspense of this story is built on a tangle of personalities and the fact that no one is ever completely known to others. Eighteen years of repressed anger and grief culminate, explode, and clear the way for building new lives.

A quick, engaging read with elements of a mystery,romance and ghost story set in Kansas. Everyone in our group liked it and would recommend it.

Our bookclub loved this one. A great read and a great discussion

I discovered this author about a year ago when I read her ‘Scent of Rain and Lightning’. It was one of my best reads of 2010, so I wanted to try her again.

This is a murder-mystery with a touch of romance, similar to the author’s ‘The Scent of Rain and Lightning’. The book was also set in Kansas, as was the previous book. The author did a wonderful job of describing the scenery of Kansas; quite a feat, since I’ve been through Kansas and was unimpressed with the scenery!

For the most part, THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS is an excellent mystery, the kind readers will be anxious to keep reading. It is a murder mystery, yes, but as the best mysteries are, this book is much more than that. It examines lies and relationships and the possibility of miracles. Plus, the substory of a separate character in need of a miracle is placed in this story to make it even more complex.

But it's a 4- out of 5-star book. THE VIRGIN OF SMALL PLAINS loses a point because its language is simple, sounding more like a young adult than an adult novel. This is especially true of the first and the last couple chapters. The book begins with teenage sex and their silly situation, neither of which do much for an adult reader. The last chapters tie everything up neatly, reminding me, again, of a YA novel.

Adults will still enjoy this, though, even the hard-to-please readers. It keeps you guessing, then guessing again and again.