When my sister made us stop to see Paul Bunyan on our vacation in Minnesota, we laughed at her for picking a tourist trap.  Now, I'm glad she made us stop.  When I read Knee High by the Fourth of July, Jess Lourey's latest mystery, it brought back all of those memories of that tall figure.  And, anyone from small midwestern towns will recognize home, with its festivals, the small town library where everyone knows each other, and the proverbs we all share.

The third book in the Murder-By-Month mystery series begins on July 2, with a hot summer in which the corn will definitely be knee high by the Fourth.  Mira James has escaped to the small town of Battle Lake, to get away from her bad habits.  She's settled in with two summer jobs.  She's not only the librarian, but also a newspaper columnist for the weekly paper.  Her job is to cover the news, not make it when she finds that the 23-foot high sculpture of Chief Wenonga, the town mascot, has gone missing. 

There are plenty of suspects, from the professor of Native American Studies who objects to the local festival, Chief Wenonga Days, to a local militia man, to Mira herself.  Mira?  Well, she has been a little sexually frustrated lately, and has fallen hard for the tall, dark, and handsome sculpture of the chief.

Jess Lourey's stories of Mira James, and her unusual predicaments, will leave you smiling.  Mira arrives in town in May Day, and continues her adventures in June Bug.  Knee High by the Fourth of July adds a third mystery to Mira's escapades.  If you are looking for a fun cozy with a little sexual innuendo, you won't go wrong with Lourey's books.