Nora Best is a ‘happily’ married, childless woman who has recently turned fifty. She and her husband, in a courageous moment, quit their jobs, sold their home in Denver and purchased an Airstream trailer. They plan to travel across the United States, all the while Nora is to document their travels on her blog, and eventually write a book. They hold a party to say goodbye to all their neighbours and friends. Then… Nora’s dreams of a hope filled future are forever dashed when she finds her husband making love to his best friend’s wife!

In a rage fuelled panic, Nora hops into their truck and drives away. No easy task, because she is unfamiliar with the new truck, and knows nothing about hauling a large trailer. After a long and tension filled drive, she arrives at a campsite in Wyoming. Here she makes friends with the camp’s managers, Brad and Miranda, an attractive young couple who seem to be down on their luck. Shortly thereafter, Brad disappears and is thought to have been attacked by a roaming grizzly bear. Then, after investigation, Nora herself is thought to have murdered him! Nora’s adventure quickly takes a nightmarish turn…  Events escalate, finding Nora is some dangerous and precarious positions. Some intense and adrenaline fuelled scenes added to the suspenseful narrative.

Nora also finds herself attracted to park ranger Caleb Dexter. A man who seems to understand her predicament. A man who is on HER side. The only person she can trust. With Caleb’s help, Nora gradually finds her feet – and her confidence.

Though I didn’t take to Nora Best at first, I found she grew on me over the course of the novel. I was amazed at her voracious appetite, and chuckled over her obvious love of food. “Best Laid Plans” marks the start of a series that has a lot of potential, despite some plot holes and predictable twists. The ending paved the way for Nora’s future adventures, though it didn’t end quite the way I had anticipated. In all, an entertaining and quick read.

Fictionophile rating = 3.5 stars
rounded up for NetGalley and Amazon
rounded down for Goodreads (where the star ratings have different values)

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Severn House via NetGalley. This title is from my extensive NetGalley backlist. My apologies to the author.

Publication date: February 2, 2021

ISBN: 9780727890245 – ASIN: ‎ B08MQ6JQ3Z – 256 pages

Gwen Florio is the author of Silent Hearts. She grew up in a 250-year-old brick farmhouse on a wildlife refuge in Delaware and now lives in Montana. Currently the city editor for the Missoulian, Gwen has reported on the Columbine High School shooting and from conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. Montana, her first novel in the Lola Wicks detective series, won the High Plains Book Award and the Pinckley Prize for debut crime fiction.

She’s an avid baker, which necessitates being an avid runner-turned-walker, and will readily hop a plane to just about anywhere. Florio lives in Missoula, Montana, with her partner, Scott Crichton, and an exuberant, manuscript-chewing bird dog named Nell.

She’s a member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the America-Italy Society of Philadelphia. She worked with Judy Sternlight Literary Services in the initial editing of Montana, Dakota and Silent Hearts, and is represented by Richard Curtis and Sarah Yake. 

Connect with Gwen Florio via her website; Twitter/X; and or Instagram.