Set in the mythical town of True City, Iowa (author is from Truesdale, Iowa) the heroine returns home to bury her parents after their plane crashes and confronts her past which she has kept deeply buried while she lived in California. Humorous, despite the plot, which some twists and turns to keep it interesting. ( )

It's difficult to go home again and after 18 years, it's almost impossible. But when Jane Willow is notified that her parents have died in a plane crash, she is forced to make the trip home and face the people in the small town in iowa that she fled. Jane is a well known movie critic in LA who literally lives and breaths movie facts. She has few friends due to her sharp tongue and critical movie reviews. She knows that she isn't the person that she was growing up and doesn't want to be that person anymore -- or does she? During her trip home to Iowa to a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, she has to confront the loss of her parents, her best friend and most importantly the memories about why she left years before.

This was a very well written book about becoming the person that you always meant to become, no matter what your age. ( )

Title: The Lost Queen of Crocker
Author: Elizabeth Leiknes
Publisher: SOURCEBOOKS Landmark
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"The Lost Queen of Crocker" by Elizabeth Leikne

My Thoughts....

This is definitely one of those reads where you will get a little bit of it all...from 'laughter, tears, annoyance, indignation, disbelief, second chances, mistakes made, secrets and in the end happiness.' The story is what will happen when Jane Willow who was a film critic[Cinegirl] living her life to its fullest in Los Angeles come back home to Iowa due to her parents tragic death? Upon coming home after eighteen years the reader gets to see how Jane will confront issues of just why she left in the first place [personal secrets]. Will Jane be able to make that incident that had happened right? I liked how this author was able to convey to the readers a story that 'alternated between time periods and how she wive movie references so well throughout the read.' I liked how this author was able to bring out this story of just how and what Jane had to contend with and come to terms with after coming home. Be ready for some funny scene and some fun characters that will have you laughing out loud!

This was definitely a good story as Jane is faced with her past as well as her future as secrets that had been kept for so long are revealed and also to finally make up with her best friend [Charlotte] who had been ignored for so long. In the end the reader will get a powerful fun read shows a 'self forgiveness and the power of a wonderful community' that will keep one turning the pages to the end. ( )

Jane Willow loves movies and is a famous film critic in Los Angeles. She isn't afraid to call the most anticipated film of the year a piece of crap. Jane hasn't been back to her hometown in Iowa in eighteen years and is even in the process of buying her parents a townhouse in California so they will be near her. Then it all changes when she gets a tragic phone call and finally heads home. During Jane's trip home, she comes to terms with the secrets that kept her away for so long and makes up with the best friend she ignored for all those years.

This was an amazing book. I may have shed a few tears while reading but there was also laughter. The book constantly had me smiling and I loved Jane (Janie once she arrives home), she was a great character. Some of the parts that put a smile on my face:
* Happy Days Funeral Home. Yes, the funeral home was named Happy Days and Janie was
quickly points out that the director doesn't look like the Fonz or one of the seven dwarfs.
* Janie's friend Charlotte answers phone calls for a Meatloaf Hotline and asks the callers what
their meatloaf emergency is. By the way, it's for the food not the singer. Weirdly enough, she
gets a lot of calls from people who can't properly make it.
* Silence of the Lambs. Neighbors happen to stop over at the house on the day of the funeral to
drop off some casseroles right as Buffalo Bill is doing his naked dance. They pretty much
though Janie was crazy!!

The whole book just made me smile. I can;t wait to read more books by the author. I loved the characters, story line and writing style. I definitely recommend the book.

Thanks to NetGalley, SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and the author, Elizabeth Leiknes, for a free electronic ARC of this novel. ( )