Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Publication Day Review: Hidden Currents: A Sheriff Hank Worth Novel by Claire Booth

 

Branson County Sheriff Hank Worth is always trying to help people. He’s been trying to help Gursey Rugg, a 23-year-old meth addict, and very well known to all for his very low-level shoplifting. As Hidden Currents: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth begins, he has been arrested yet again.

 

But this time he stole enough in one take to rise to a felony level. He swiped 14 hand tied feather lures from the local Reel Life Outfitters store. A two-store chain with stores on the opposite ends of the Lake Taneycomo. The chain is now managed by the new owner, Gene Willard, who seems very much determined to press charges.

 

The same Gene Willard who has no chance to pursue charges, or change his mind, and he is soon very much dead in one of his stores. That means Sheriff Hank Worth, Deputy Sheila Turley, and the others have to figure out who did it and why. The fact that Gene Willard was going through a contested divorce just means the suspect pool is even bigger.

 

While that case is the main storyline, quite a lot is going on in secondary storylines. Among the various threads is the fact that the attackers of Chief Deputy Sheila Turley are finally about to stand trial. It’s been a long time coming, thanks to the pandemic and other issues. Just seating a jury is going to be hard enough in the small community where everybody knows you and your business. Having to deal with being a witness in a trial is bad enough, but trying to investigate a murder at the same time means she and everyone in the department will have a lot on their plate

 

The latest installment in a great series that began with The Branson Beauty is another good one. Much is going on in Hidden Currents: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery and things remain complicated and evolving. This is a series that must be read in order as events happen, create consequential ripple effects just like in real life, and people change. These characters have been through a lot in these books, so  I very much recommend reading them in order.

 

I also encourage you to read the “acknowledgments” section at the end of the book as the author goes into some background detail on location and other issues.


I also encourage you to read Lesa Holstine's review here. And, if you are not already paying attention to her site, slap yourself with a wet noodle, and get onboard. 

 

Strongly recommended as is the entire series.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4d5CLzR

 

The read will also be added to the Kindle Unlimited program on publication day.

 

 

I picked this up through NetGalley by way of the publisher, Severn House, which has me on their preapproved reviewer list. A fact I am very grateful for as the ability to instantly download and get reading, as I did here, is a wonderful thing. There was no expectation of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026