Jane Kelly, a process server and sometime "information specialist" (private investigator), is a bit uncomfortable with her latest assignment. She's supposed to find out information about Bobby Reynolds, missing for four years after murdering his wife and children. Jane soon finds herself drawn into a dysfunctional family situation involving an ex-wife, a stepson, a best friend, a trophy wife and an aging patriarch, some of whom are willing to protect the killer. The fact that the best friend, Tim Murphy, is the man Jane followed to Oregon (only to have him leave her shortly after the murders) adds an interesting twist to the investigation.

While working on the case, Jane is also forced to deal with an interfering mother, a brother with a secret fiancée and her sometime-boss, Dwayne Durbin, who'd like Jane to join his investigation firm. When she inherits a dog with the unlikely name of Binky (later rechristened Binks or The Binkster), she's ready to go nuts!

Jane's investigation has her questioning her feelings for the newly attentive Murphy, wondering if anyone in the Reynolds family is telling her the truth about anything and seeking answers to the questions surrounding Bobby's disappearance. When Bobby's body is found floating in the lake, the victim of a homicide, his death has long-reaching repercussions for his friends and family.

CANDY APPLE RED is a fun, intelligent read; the first in a new series by Nancy Bush. Jane Kelly is an original: funny, outspoken and unsure of what she wants to do with her life and unapologetic about it. Bush's descriptions of locations and characters are dead-on, inviting her readers even deeper into the story, and her sense of humor is apparent throughout. The mystery is well-developed and entertaining, the conclusion a surprise. Readers will look forward to reading more in this series.