Cries in the Wind by Judy Bruce is the story of senior law partner Megan’s investigation into the murders of two women decades before, and her untangling of puzzling events that impacts her own family and personal life too. Two families, the Quinns and the Bolgers, a father in prison, a piece of land that holds a terrible secret, accusations of rape, lies, revenge and danger – pregnant Megan enlists the help of her family and trusted friends to uncover the truth. All the while she deals with her at times alarming sensitivity to atmospheric messages from the past. But what sort of danger has the brave and unstoppable Megan stumbled into and can she keep herself and her unborn child safe from those who would prevent her from finding the true killer?

Judy Bruce’s Cries in the Wind is a well-written and fast moving story with many characters. Back stories and past events are explained so we see how each impacts the plot and how all the different threads of the story weave together. Megan is a likable, brave and gutsy character and I felt drawn into her situation from the start. Danger, mystery and red herrings abound as some alarming and tragic events unfold. I liked the way Megan gradually and unwittingly closes in on the truth and the way the author builds the tension to a most intense and unexpected point. Judy Bruce uses the plot well to convey the motivations behind actions, and we see how, despite some desperate and atrocious covering up tactics, truth has a way of outing in the end. An insightful story about the consequences of secrets and betrayal, and the impact tragedy can have on individuals.

Cries in the Wind: Wind Series, #3 is a mystery/legal thriller written by Judy Bruce. Attorney Megan Docket was surprised by her new client's request. The conservatively dressed businessman wanted to purchase the old Hexam wasteland, a remote area of her family's property holdings. When she questioned him, he vaguely referred to a desire to improve the property, but Megan began to notice his resemblance to a pair of brothers from her past. She was sure he was Clay Bolger. He and his brother, Andy, had not been in the area for some years now. When Megan discussed this with her mom and their housekeeper at home later that evening, they brainstormed on the possible connection between Bolger's appearance and the unearthing of a van from nearby Lake McConaughy. The investigators had determined that the van was, in fact, the one that disappeared on the day Julie and her mother, Mary Quinn, were murdered and their house set on fire over forty years ago. A plastic bag containing bloody clothing that was found in the van seemed to confirm that. The clothing, however, seemed to indicate that the man still serving time in prison for the arson and the murders, Walt Bolger, was not guilty, at least, of the killings. Could his sons be trying to exonerate their dad?

Judy Bruce's investigative mystery/legal thriller, Cries in the Wind: Wind Series, #3, is a fascinating look at how cold crime investigations are conducted and, hopefully, solved. Attorney Megan Docket is thorough and painstaking in her zeal to clear both Walt and her own father, who had had no alibi during the time the murders took place. The War Room she and her fellow investigators turn her study into could very well fit into any police or FBI office investigating a crime, which pleased the police procedural fan in me no end. While this is the third book in Bruce's Wind Series, the author includes enough background information to allow this book to be enjoyed on its own. I soon found myself involved in the story and feeling right at home with the cast of characters and the locale. Megan's wastelands where she and the other kids in the area grew up playing in and exploring are fascinating, and I couldn't resist Googling the area to see for myself the natural environs this compelling read has for its setting. I was very impressed by Cries in the Wind and am looking forward to reading more of Judy Bruce's Wind Series. This mystery with elements of a legal thriller and a police procedural all rolled up into one neat plot is most highly recommended.