Title: Backtrack
Author: Betsy Brannon Green
Publisher: Covenant Communication, Inc.
Genre: Fiction / Mystery
Year Published: 2007
Number of Pages: 306
Binding: Paperback
ISBN-978-1-59811-339-6
Price: $15.95

Reviewed by Marilee McQuarrie

"Backtrack"by Betsy Brannon Green is the story of Eugenia Atkins, the loveable, neighborhood busybody, who sticks her nose into everyone’s business and hides from the other neighborhood busybodies who try to stick their noses into her business. Her best friend, Polly, and sister, Annabelle, unintentionally help in her escapades to solve mysteries and problems.

It is also the story of Lettie Stewart who, 5 years earlier, was dumped at the bridal shop by her fiancé, Gray, who wants to go into the tourist business with his former mission companion, Lowell. Lettie and her 3 friends and former bridesmaids, Mary Margaret, Alexa and Beth take a trip to the mountains to relax and unwind from the stresses of everyday life and their guide is none other then Lowell. While they are there all kinds of problems happen including a power outage caused by a horrific snowstorm.

This the first book I have read by Betsy Brannon Green. I found it to be a bit confusing. There are 2 different stories going on. The first part of the story is that Eugenia is trying to keep a better hold on her male friend, Whit Owens, who is smitten by a younger woman and then there is the loss of her mothers famous Red Velvet Cake recipe. I found myself getting frustrated with Eugenia and her nosiness. She seemed to complicate situations more then she helped them.

The other main plot and the one that I found to be more enjoyable reading was the story of Lettie and Gray and their lost romance. This includes problems with an escaped convict who makes his way to the cabin where the ladies and Lowell are snowed in.

There is also the missing Iverson family who we read about but never see until the end of the book. This is one of those sequels where you need to read the first book in order to understand what you missed out on. It was an easy read but I didn’t find that it stood well on its own and that is one problem with sequels. I did enjoy parts of the book but I felt that the parts about Eugenia definitely made this book a wallbanger.