Have you met B.J. Daniels yet? BEFORE BUCKHORN may just be the best introduction to this very prolific author. B.J. Daniels has an amazing inventive mind and she flexes her literary muscle in this new book. BEFORE BUCKHORN captures your interest and attention from the first page. Each page introduces another clue in what ultimately becomes a crime novel with a remarkably interesting twist. There is an undeniable sense of something sinister that begins with a simple sighting of a murder of crows. For those that fact check books, yes, a group of crows is called a murder. Sighting these crows is kind of an omen of something bad to come. Only those that are believers would be bothered by the murder of crows, right?

There are two stories included in BEFORE BUCKHORN. So, thanks to B.J. Daniels we get to spend a little more time with the folks in Buckhorn, Montana.

BEFORE BUCKHORN follows on the heels of AT THE CROSSROADS which was one of my favorite stories by B.J. Daniels. It seems as if there are several tales to be told about this small town in Montana that blossoms during peak tourist season and then resumes its lazy days when everyone returns home. BEFORE BUCKHORN is a very prophetic title for this book. The action all happens in the present but is predicated on past events.

In the town square there is a new business with the shingle Gossip. Blackened windows keep townsfolk in the dark, pardon the pun, about just what Gossip is selling. The business is transient, having just a one-month lease. So, of course, everyone at the cafe is keeping their eyes peeled on Gossip watching who is going in.

As it turns out, only one person at a time enters the store. No one knows just what happens, but it is surely affecting those that do.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be an innocent endeavor. The man who opened Gossip is decidedly secretive and whatever he is selling impacts his customers.

Enter the wonderful folk that live in Buckhorn - especially newswoman Darby and ex-cop Jasper. Darby knows this is a big story. Jasper feels an undercurrent of danger and evil. As the time passes there doesn’t seem to be anyone in Buckhorn that isn’t in the crosshairs of the owner of Gossip.

In a town filled with generations of townsfolk, it is inevitable that there might be some who prefer their secrets remain secret. But somehow the shelves of Gossip contain remnants from folks past. How does this stranger know so much about these people of Buckhorn? Well Darby loves a mystery. It makes for great newspaper copy. Darby is on the hunt and Jasper feels obliged to keep her out of harm’s way. Not an easy task.

You get to know a lot of townsfolk in BEFORE BUCKHORN. And B.J. Daniels lets you in on things about their past that no one seems to be aware of. Written with a firm knowledge of creepiness and shady characters, B.J. Daniels has outdone herself. The action is unpredictable and fast-paced. Dialogue is crisp and fits the characters. B.J. Daniels doesn’t suffer fools and the characters in her stories seem to agree with her. BEFORE BUCKHORN is one of those books that you will definitely read more than once just to make sure you didn’t miss a crucial point. BEFORE BUCKHORN is a fabulous addition to an already amazing series.