Samuel Craddock, Jarrett Creek’s temporary Chief of Police, is back on the case in “A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge.” This time, the crime hits close to home when the secrets of Jenny Sandstone, the chief’s next-door neighbor and friend, catch up with her.
Chief Samuel Craddock visits the hospital in Bobtail to find out how Jenny is holding up and to see her mother, Vera, who’s had a stroke. With Jenny out of the room, Vera tells the Chief Jenny is in danger and then asks him to find “the first wife.” The conversation is interrupted before the Chief can determine whose first wife Vera is talking about.
Jenny has never been open about her troubled past and is reluctant to discuss her family leaving Chief Samuel Craddock in an awkward situation. But when she is forced off the road and seriously injured, he pushes the issue until she has no choice but to face her past. When Jenny turns to alcohol and starts drinking heavily, the Chief is sure the only way to help her is by getting to the bottom of Jenny’s secrets.
While unraveling the pieces of Jenny’s past, the Chief finds himself dealing with problems on multiple fronts. Someone seems bent on harming Jenny’s horses, the high school prom is disrupted by teenagers determined to break the rules, and heavy-handed parents are making the Chief’s job more difficult.
Fans of the Samuel Craddock Mystery series won’t be disappointed by Shames’ latest small-town mystery. The characters are well developed and entertaining and there are a few twists and turns that will keep the reader engaged to the end.
FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.
