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

Publication Day Review: Throwing Shadows: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth

 

Throwing Shadows: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth is the latest read in a great series that began with The Branson Beauty. 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. That is especially true in this case as this read is set just a few weeks after the events of Home Fires. Not only is the community dealing with the aftermath, Sheriff Hank Worth and his family are dealing with the scorched earth aftermath of a devastating family secret that burned through them all.

 

In the here and now, Sheriff Hank Worth is dealing with a surge in catalytic converter thefts across Branson County, Missouri. The devices are getting stolen in large numbers off the cars in the local car lots. It is happening in places that have poor or nonexistent security. Nobody has an idea they have been hit until a car is started for a potential customer and the loud racket makes it clear the theft has happened.

 

At the same time, Chief Deputy Sheila Turley is coping with her slowly healing injuries as best as she can as she faces the upcoming trail of her attacker. The same grit and determination that got her through the attack is getting her through each day, a painful minute at a time, now. The odds of getting a fair trial are considerably stacked against her, but Malcolm Oberholz assures her they can win the case.

 

Then a man in very bad shape stumbles out of the thick woods and everything else, personal, and professional, takes a back seat. He claims to have been lost in the woods the last two or three days. Not only was he not prepared to be wandering around in the woods, he was not prepared to find a body. He did. Now the good Sheriff and others on his team have to figure out where the lost man has been and if there really is a body in those woods so lovely, dark, and deep.

 

After some effort a body is found. It isn’t the first time blood has been shed in those same woods. Those woods have a bloody, and often violent, history that goes back decades and rumors of stolen treasure. There is a reason why the area is known to the natives as the “Murder Rocks.” That history inspired a podcast. That, in turn, brought out a bunch of people with zero wilderness skills to hunt loot from long ago. It also seems to have also brought out at least one killer who is not through yet.

 

Throwing Shadows: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth is another very good read. Complicated as these books always are, it also features a lot of interesting local history for us armchair travelers. The result is another really good read that ends all too soon and leaves the reader wanting more.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3TJOLNi

 

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 is a wonderful thing. There was no expectation of a review.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025 

Lesa's Book Critiques: HOME FIRES BY CLAIRE BOOTH

 Lesa's Book Critiques: HOME FIRES BY CLAIRE BOOTH

Review: Home Fires: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth

As Home Fires: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery begins, Sheriff Hank Worth is sitting in church. He is attending the funeral of Dr. Michael Whittaker who very recently died as a result of a massive stroke. He had been in charge of the local morgue and was a rather odd person. Still local law enforcement for miles around is in attendance as that is what you do when somebody who spent four decades doing the work that often helped close cases.

 

That is until Hank’s and a lot of other cellphones, start going off with the news of an unspeakable tragedy.

 

Thirty-five miles outside of Springfield, sat one of Branson county’s biggest employers. The place made fireworks. Now it is a blazing crater of flames and smoke as at least some of the inventory exploded. At least a dozen folks worked there and the devastation clearly means nobody could have survived.

 

At least one of the owners was not there and has survived. Maybe Worth and the other investigators can get some answers from her. Maybe not as she is devasted and as the hours pass, not much help. Is she traumatized or hiding secrets?

 

Sheriff Worth isn’t much help either because he is soon distracted by another case. One that threatens to blow up his own life and family. A situation that can’t be discussed in this review without creating one heck of a spoiler.

 

This is the sixth book in a great series. Not only is it a great read, it also references earlier events. That serves as a reminder to read the series in order, starting from the beginning book, The Branson Beauty. If you are caught up, know that Home Fires: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery is a mighty good one and very much worth your time. 

 

Amazon Associates Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3OO8b1N 

 

My reading copy was a digital ARC from Severn House through NetGalley with no expectation of a review. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Review: Dangerous Consequences: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth

 

As Dangerous Consequences: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth begins, the ripple effects of the recent termination of several deputies, continue. New staff is being brought in while some of the still employed old guard continue to work from within against Sheriff Hank Worth and Chief Deputy Sheila Turley. The rot within the department still lingers, but getting rid of the rest of the folks who need to go is not going to be easy.

A far more immediate issue is the recent spate of emergency cases in the local hospital. Sheriff Worth’s wife, Maggie McCleary, is a doctor and personally knows of a couple situations that troubled her. She did some quiet investigating on her own and identified at least ten cases of elderly patients who have to be treated in the last month for dehydration and other issues. All were tourists. All were part of various tour groups. Whether it is all a massive coincidence or something the Sheriff’s department as well as Branson City Police Department should be looking at, she does not know. She does now something is not right and she is worried.

So, she brought what has been happening to her husband. Like those of us who were lucky to have been married to a very smart women and caring woman, Sheriff Worth knows Maggie is almost never wrong. If she believes something is going on, it most certainly is happening. The real question is why it is happening, who is involved besides the elderly victims, and how to stop it before more are imperiled and somebody dies.

These storylines and others combine into another excellent installment with Dangerous Consequences. A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth. As in the preceding books, ongoing character development and storyline arcs  continue, so it is best to have read the preceding books. Mystery, action, and the occasional laugh out loud funny moment make this read, and the series, one of my favorites. Highly recommended.

 

The series in order and my reviews:

The Branson Beauty (September 2016)

Another Man’s Ground (January 2018)

A Deadly Turn (March 2019)

Fatal Divisions (January 2021)

 

My reading copy came from the author with no expectation of a review. For another take on the book, make sure you check out Lesa Holstine's review. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2022

Jungle Red Writers: Then A Cowboy Walked In

Jungle Red Writers: Then A Cowboy Walked In: HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Do you watch Ozark? I love it. I truly love it. And I loved the ending, too, but of course will not discuss it. (Althou...

Lesa's Book Critiques: DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES BY CLAIRE BOOTH

 Lesa's Book Critiques: DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES BY CLAIRE BOOTH

Review: Fatal Divisions: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth

Fatal Divisions: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth opens with the good sheriff still thinking about recent events. It has only been a matter of a couple of weeks or so since the events of A Deadly Turn and Sheriff Hank Worth is shaken to his core. He is trying to fake it by throwing himself into his work and other projects, but his wife, Maggie, and other folks see beyond the façade and know better. Grief and guilt are very hard to deal with though it helps that Sheriff Worth has a lot of people who care and support him.

 

Taking a break could help and it is suggested that he could take a fishing trip for a few days. While he tells everyone that is what he is going to do and visit an old college friend in Columbia, Missouri, the real motive is to try and help a family member who thinks her husband is involved in something very bad. Hank is best when he is working out a puzzle and going elsewhere to do so will also give him a break from everything at home.

 

This also allows chief Deputy Sheila Turley to take over in his absence and implement some changes. She has come up with a plan to stop overtime caused by staffing issues at the jail. Not only will her plan save money, but it will also save jobs. It will also fire up the old boys network that do not like her or Sheriff Worth and will cause folks to choose sides. Efficiency and a balanced budget means everybody keeps a job as the county commissioners are not about to increase the funding of the department. Of course, a complicated murder case is going to present complications with the least of it being her budget.

 

The twin storylines gradually coalesce together in Fatal Divisions: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery. Things are complicated as they always are in this highly enjoyable mystery series. So too are the always present family relationships, home and the job, and the flashes of laugh out loud humor. In a series that should be read in order, this latest book is another very good read in a series that is very much well worth your time.

 

The series in order and my reviews:

The Branson Beauty (Reviewed September 2016)

Another Man’s Ground (Reviewed January 2018)

A Deadly Turn (Reviewed March 2019)

Fatal Divisions (you are here and you look marvelous)

 

  

Fatal Divisions: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery

Claire Booth

http://www.clairebooth.com

Severn House

http://www.severnhouse.com

January 2021

ISBN# 978-0-7278-8997-3

Hardback (eBook format available)

240 Pages 

 

Material supplied by the author with no expectation of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Do Some Damage: What's in a Name? by Claire Booth

Do Some Damage: What's in a Name?: By Claire Booth When I do a book event, one of the most frequent questions I get is how I come up with character names. It’s a good qu...

Review: A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth

“Anderson looked concerned, but not panicked. This was a man who took a lot of things in stride. Including the safety of his children. Wherever they thought Kayla was, it was apparently inconceivable to them that her well-being was the issue. Or any of the rest of her siblings. There looked to be several in the photos that covered the wall on the right side pf the entry hall.

Hank wondered how many people were actually blessed enough to live like that. Without the first thought being one of harm or tragedy. Certainly not him." (A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery, Claire Booth, Chapter Seven, Page 33)

It is a quiet Saturday night as A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery begins and Sheriff Hank Worth has pulled over a car full of teenagers. The six kids were cruising around, taking turns driving, and are guilty of speeding as they were flying along at more than twenty-five miles an hour over the speed limit. They had been having a good time as they sailed by his hidden police car and now that he has them stopped, it is clear they all understand that the fun is very much over. Good kids having a little fun and no need to scare them even more than they already are by writing tickets, calling parents, etc. He tells them to go home for the night and follows them for a bit making sure they are headed home.

A decision he will hate himself for in the coming hours and days. Just minutes after he stopped following them as he was sure they were headed home, the car was involved in a horrific crash. The brown sedan rolled at least once after hitting a boulder in the front yard of a house. Not a kid in the car is alive and the night has taken quite A Deadly Turn.

In the aftermath, Sheriff Worth is full of guilt and anguish about the deaths of the six teens. Did they die because he made a horrible error in judgement? He does not think it could be that easy as the kids were scared out of their minds by the simple traffic stop. They were very scared and he is sure they were headed home having learned their lesson. If that is true, then what happened? Something had to have occurred somewhere between the time he last saw them and the later car crash. The question is what?

A question that begins to gradually loom larger as the horrible process of notifying families begins. Not all is as it seemed when he made the stop and even the basic information on one of the deceased now appears to be incorrect. Things get very complicated very fast in A Deadly Turn.

This is the third book in an excellent series that began with The Branson Beauty. Unlike the first two books in the series, flashes of humor are nearly nonexistent in this one. The cast of characters from the earlier books are back here as are a couple of interesting new players in this evolving and complicated series. While the title clearly implies the car crash at the beginning of the book it also just as easily could apply to the intriguing hook at the end of the book. If that is any indication of what is to come, book four should also be one heck of a read.

As it is a series that builds on the foundation of Hank and his family, one really needs to start at the beginning. A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery is one heck of a read and very good. 

For another take on the book, make sure you read Lesa Holstine’s review from last month here.

The series in order and my reviews:

The Branson Beauty (Reviewed September 2016)

Another Man’s Ground (Reviewed January 2018)

A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery (you are here and you look marvelous)

A Deadly Turn: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery

Claire Booth

http://www.clairebooth.com

Severn House

http://www.severnhouse.com

March 2019

ISBN# 978-0-7278-8845-7

Hardback (eBook format available)

288 Pages

$28.99

Material supplied by the author with no expectation of a review.  

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Deadly Turn by Claire Booth

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Deadly Turn by Claire Booth

Do Some Damage: A DEADLY TURN in the Right Direction

Do Some Damage: A DEADLY TURN in the Right Direction: By Claire Booth It’s finally here. A Deadly Turn hits shelves this Friday. It’s the third in my Sheriff Hank Worth mystery series, ...

Do Some Damage: The Pain is in the Proof

Do Some Damage: The Pain is in the Proof: By Claire Booth I’ve spent the past week reading my third Hank Worth novel. Again. By this point, I’ve lost count of how many times I’...

Do Some Damage: Cover Reveal by Claire Booth

Do Some Damage: Cover Reveal: By Claire Booth This week I have a cover reveal for you. The next Sheriff Hank Worth mystery will be called A Deadly Turn . You...

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

http://www.clairebooth.com

Minotaur Books (St. Martins Publishing Group)

http://www.minotaurbooks.com

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