The Artist and the Cop by Barbara Lee Reviewed by Don Bacue, Executive Editor International Features Syndicate

Karen Sutton is a remarkable woman.  She is the only lady cop on a small-town police force in a southern Illinois.  When her husband is killed in an auto accident, she finds herself wallowing in self-pity before finally enrolling in an art workshop, where she meets a famous artist/instructor.  While there, she learns of the death of her best friend, Margie Sloan, under mysterious circumstances.

Reuniting with her former partner, Sutton sets out to learn what caused Margie's death--she's convinced it was no mere accident.  Before she's through, she discovers that Margie's boyfriend, her ex-husband, his new fling, and several other townspeople are all key suspects.  But who did it?  And why?

And what, she wants to know, is this strange new feeling she's developing toward her former partner?

The Artist and the Cop is an intriguing tale of life in a small Midwestern town,  It's a richly painted tableau of the highs and lows, the ups and downs of day-to-day living, a microcosm of the human condition as it exists everywhere.  Author Barbara Lee, herself a successful artist, grew up in rural Illinois before moving with her family to Mississippi, where she presently lives and writes.  I give this book three out of five stars for the author's courage in tackling a well-worn theme and giving it a new twist.

	The Artist and the Cop by Barbara Lee Reviewed by "Creator Cauldwell, CEO/President, Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio, Podcast Media Broadcast Services, http://www.internetvoicesradio.com

Margie Sloan is dead.  She died of heart failure in her bathtub, but Karen, a retired detective, and Ed, the cop, believe it was murder, plain and simple.  The last suspects to see her alive were Daniel, her date, Larry, her ex-husband, and his current flame, Pamela, Larry's executive secretary.

Who did it, and why?  Questions.  Puzzle pieces and a distraught daughter, Melanie, all add to the series of clues and meticulous investigation that leads Karen and Ed to the guilty party. 

The Artist and the Cop is a "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" of clues, uncertainties, and entanglements that places the reader in a quagmire of expectations and possible answers.  Follow Karen and Ed as they untangle this murder mystery of staggering consequences.  I rate The Artist and the Cop by Barbara Lee 3 detective badges.