Murder of a Good Man (Piney Woods Mystery #1)

Nora’s mother has just passed away, and to accommodate her final wishes, Nora makes her way to Texas to deliver a letter to a man she has never met. She had assumed it was a love letter, but when the recipient is murdered, Nora learns the truth about the contents. As the last person to see Adam Brockwell alive, she is the primary suspect and Nora feels has to conduct her own investigation.  After she is told not to leave town by the handsome Sheriff, she has plenty of time to do it.  What she discovers will shock her — and if she doesn't solve the rest of the mystery soon enough, she could be the next victim. 

"Murder of a Good Man" will have readers grasping at any loose straw to try to understand the motive behind killing “the nicest guy in town.” There are several loud negatives, however. There are only two people with more than a sliver of depth whatsoever, and that sliver is not very large. The others are simply shadowy, under-developed characters. The plot is remarkably predictable, and what are supposed to come across as big “ah-ha” moments just sizzle out. A smattering of grammatical errors throughout the book is  enough to distract the reader and stop the flow for a second. With that being said, the timing and intensity of the situations found is fantastic. Though there are a few hiccups, the book's finish is strong, and written in such a way as to leave the audience wanting more.

Yannie Sorensen