What readers think of The Scent of Rain and Lightning, plus links to write your own review.

Fair warning to the reader who starts Nancy Pickard's new book, you will be immediately pulled in to the book and it's all encompassing plot. This is an author who continues to delight, giving us well-developed characters that we learn to know.
Nancy is comfortable locating the plot in Kansas, rain, flooding, drought and range fires seem familiar to her characters who are so well drawn.
I honestly could not put the book down, but kept returning to it and was sorry to see it end. I highly recommend this book and already anticipate her future books

The use of weather in The Scent of Rain and Lightning evokes the setting and drives the story in this remarkable book by Nancy Pickard. The introduction of the previous family mystery and current day events intertwine to ensnare the reader and hold them, so that the smell of the rain, the location, and the blood are palpable. An excellent read.

The quiet town of Rose, Kansas doesn't sound like it would be a hotbed of high drama. And for twenty years it wasn't. Jody Linder, 23, of the reknown and beloved Linder Ranch clan teaches English and exercises her independent nature despite three protective uncles. They show up at her home one afternoon with alarming news: Billy Crosby, convicted of her father's murder and suspected of her mother's disappearance is coming home from prison. His lawyer son is convinced of his innocence and is determined to prove it. Suddenly, Jody's world is no longer safe or carefree. And she has questions for her loved ones which will throw her world off-balance.
This is an amazing novel from the first page to the last. Each character is immediately familiar, yet not quite what they seem. It's a story of good people and a powerful yet kind family which helps the less fortunate. Yet, even good people can make mistakes in judgment. The unrelenting Kansas weather mirrors the emotions of its people affecting them in a profound way. It's definitely not easy to put this book down. And when you do, you pick it up and fall right back in with the Linders, the Crosbys and especially Jody whose life changes along with an epiphany echoing the title of the novel. When you're in Nancy Pickard's world, you are definitely in Kansas and it feels familiar as well as deeply affecting. I highly recommend this novel to readers who might think they aren't "into" this genre of storytelling. After page one, you will be!

Nancy Pickard is one of those masterful story tellers who can, in the first 11 pages, tell you the life-defining tragedy of the central character, then flash back to (some of) the events leading up to that tragedy, and keep the reader eagerly turning pages for the next half of the book. The final revelation is, while not a total shock, still surprising enough to be satisfying.

This book is absolutely no exception. She captures the essence and character of not only small towns and communities, but the spirits and souls of those who inhabit them. Suspenseful and intriguing, she is certain to garner more awards for this beautiful novel.

I thought this book was great. Like her first book, the author keeps you wondering and intrigued until the very end. It was such an enjoyable read, once I started it, I zipped through it. I had to find out what happened. I felt a range of emotion toward a lot of the characters, at times liking them, other times disliking, feeling pity, or sorrow. I will definitely recommend this book to both my book clubs.

This was another great book by Nancy Pickard. I loved the character development and the way everyone seemed to be a suspect. I was truly surprised by the ending. I think this story would make an excellent book club selection.

I enjoyed this book; once I was hooked it became a compulsion to read in one sitting. It becomes a whodunit mystery and love story, but it also deals with human behavior, how we judge people by past behavior and conclude that that judgment is consistent at all times, with tragic consequences. Even though the story is not told in first person, Jody Linder is our guide; through her observations and thought we understand this aspect of the story. This novel is a good read, on the bases of plot, character, being thought provoking, and not least, written in a style which draws the reader into Rose, Kansas, and the Crosby and Linder families.