While the broken body of rodeo star Pony Jones lies hidden among a hedge of Cherokee roses in the northern Alabama woods, her spirit is on a mission to find her killer. She just needs to find a living soul who can be guided to finding the truth about her murder.

Pony's grief-stricken father, Titus, is desperate to find the person who took his daughter's life and wants nothing more than retribution for the grisly deed. When former police detective Jo Beth Dawson stumbles into town, something compels him to seek out her help. If she can stay out of the bottle long enough to be of any use.

As they uncover more and more clues leading them to the killer, both Jo Beth and Titus must face dark family secrets that are revealed and the two must search their own souls for redemption before they can find peace for Pony.

When I picked up THE TENDER MERCY OF ROSES, I sure wasn't expecting to find a story of intrigue, suspense, romance and rodeoing! But with her wonderful style of storytelling, author Anna Michaels weaves all the elements together, along with a healthy dose of Cherokee Indian mystism and lore, to present an unforgettable book. Her characters were strong-willed, and personable, and the setting in Northern Alabama was as charming as the misty mountains and cool clear creeks that can be found there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend to anyone wanting a little something different to read.