The Broken Promise Land    by Marcia Muller Order:  USA  Can Warner, 1997 (1996) Hardcover, Paperback, Audio Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Treasure of all treasures - I just happened upon a Sharon McCone, P.I. mystery that I hadn't read. Can't believe I missed it, but I'm glad I finally found it. In it, Marcia Muller gathers all Sharon's family and friends and man of the hour Hy Ripinsky to help her soon-to-be ex brother-in-law, country singing star Ricky Savage, thwart a threat to him, his wife and brood of kids. Notes, with a vaguely sinister tone, appear mysteriously. McCone, while investigating their source, has a peek at the inside of the country music business. This is intriguing and also necessary to understand the ramifications of why Ricky can't just hole up somewhere safe until the sender of the notes is identified. The future of his career is possibly riding on a country wide tour to promote a new album. Security measures are stepped up as the notes arrive more frequently, and seem more threatening. Almost everyone concerned could easily be the sender. The notes reach fever pitch just as the tour is starting. Trusting no one is a tough way to live. The final chapters are full of exciting suspense that mounts with each page, almost leaving me breathless as I turned the last few to the thrilling ending. Personal relationships also abound in The Broken Promise Land. They are well thought out and are the kind of problems that we might encounter with our own significant other. This is a great book to enjoy on the beach on a summer day. Muller is a prolific writer, and any of her books are worth the read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews