The
Troubling Death of Maddy Benson: A Samuel Craddock Mystery by Terry Shames opens with a phone call.
Mrs. Jack Currey is worried about her sister and Chief of Police Samuel
Craddock just happened to be the one answering the phone. Jarrett Creek, Texas,
is a very small town and he pretty much either knows everyone or knows of them.
He has no idea who Maddy Benson is, but her sister is insistent she lives in
the area.
She also reports
that her sister seemed to be out of breath and said something about needing to
get away before saying she would call back and hung up. Mrs. Jack Curry is
rattled and clearly is concerned about her sister. She finally explains she has
not lived there long which is why Chief Craddock does not know her. Mrs. Jack
Curry provides the address and Sheriff Craddock realizes that the location is
out in a relatively new development north of town.
Chief Craddock and
Deputy Maria Trevino go looking in the area and eventually spot an open gate at
Tom Gainer’s property. His gate is always closed during the week as he only
comes around on weekends. Further investigation deeper into the property yields
a body.
The body is female
and she has been shot in the middle of the back.
It does not take
long at all to determine that the deceased woman is Maddy Benson. Her murder
unleashes a complicated tale that had stirred up quite a few members of the
local citizenry. People who had found out what she was doing and objected. Threats
had been made. The suspect list is a long one and it is not helped by the fact
that her family is beset by their own internal grievances and relationship
drama.
Much is going on in
The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson: A Samuel Craddock Mystery by
Terry Shames. While it is a good mystery/police procedural read, this is a book
that is not for everyone.
A major aspect of
the read is what is happening in Texas with abortion and reproductive health
care rights. Author Terry Shames deftly encapsulates the fear on one side and
the outright anger and hostility shown by some on the other side. It is a deeply
felt issue for many people. Therefore, some readers may have a hard time with
this read.
The latest in the
series, The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
by Terry Shames deftly deals with a hard subject while entertaining readers
with a complicated mystery. Simply put, it is a good read.
Make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s review as well as her author spotlight on author Terry Shames.
Amazon Associate
Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3ZLGs8a
My reading copy
was an ARC from the publisher, Severn House, through NetGalley.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2024
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