Thursday, January 18, 2018

Review: Another Man’s Ground by Claire Booth


“’I know that ain’t what the Bible says, but I do,’ she said. ‘He’s always got horrible music playing, he don’t got no housekeepin’ skills, and he’s mean as a constipated goat.’” (Page 145, Another Man’s Ground)



While that description fit more than a few of our neighbors at the old apartment complex over the years, the same could also be said of several different characters in Another Man’s Ground by Claire Booth. Second in the Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery Series, the events of The Branson Beauty are still on everyone’s mind. Those events had a definite impact on the local community and could easily affect the upcoming election for sheriff. Just doing the job isn’t good enough, especially when you have a slick and well-funded opponent.  An opponent who is going to take advantage of everything that happens as a result of the current investigation.

Vern Miles is upset as well as he should be because somebody is messing with his land and his livelihood. A person or persons unknown has been coming onto his land and stripping the bark off his trees. His particular type of elm tree has a substance in the bark that get processed and sold in stores as a supplement to treat various conditions. Not has somebody trespassed on his land and stolen bark from trees in such large quantities that the trees will die, that damage also destroys his income.

Unfortunately, those damaged and dying trees are just the start of the problem in the woods for Branson, Missouri Sheriff Hank Worth. There are undocumented workers running around the woods as well. The same woods are also hiding a couple of bodies and it least one potential murder suspect. All those problems in the woods, past events, and a couple of other things, are messing with his chances of being elected Sheriff in the upcoming election.

Dealing with it all is going to be difficult to say the least.

The second in the series that started with The Branson Beauty is a very good read. Another Man’s Ground seamlessly picks up the action after several months after the first book and keeps things rolling right along to a very satisfying conclusion. All the characters are back along with some new folks, a complex mystery, and the author’s clear appreciation for the area. Another Man’s Ground  is a very good read well worth your time. 


For a more detailed review of this very good book, check out Lesa Holstine’s review.


 
Another Man’s Ground
Claire Booth
Minotaur Books (St. Martins Publishing Group)
July 2017
ISBN# 978-1-250-08441-5
Hardback (eBook format available)
320 Pages
$25.99


Material supplied by the good folks of the Dallas Texas Public Library System. 


Kevin R. Tipple ©2018

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