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Not much happens in the small town of Split Tree, Arkansas, at least on the surface. But residents find a lot to talk about when a local man, Ring Johnson, is found dead in his tool shed, and his wife and young son are missing. Everyone assumes the man died by his own hand. The town’s police chief, Big Ray Elmore, disagrees. He is sure it is a murder. Townspeople have spread the story of a suicide, so they are surprised when Elmore launches a murder investigation. They are also shocked, and some more than a little riled, when Elmore’s investigation causes what had once been well-hidden secrets to be dragged out into the light of day.
Readers should put this book in the page-turner category. Once one starts reading, it is difficult to stop. And when one does take a pause, one cannot wait to get back to it again. The author has deftly created the world of Split Tree and breathed life into every character. The murder is gruesome, the bad actors nasty, and the good guys have a few skeletons in their own closets. The gritty aspects of the story are softened somewhat by dialogue and storytelling that is quintessentially Southern, For example, many of the characters use a first and middle name, such as Jimmie Carl, Ellen Mae, Joe Dennis, Grace Louise, or Jewell Faye. Set in 1963, historical events of the time are skillfully woven into the story, including the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the looming Vietnam War. This is the author's third book featuring Big Ray Elmore. Mystery lovers will definitely want to check this one out.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review