FFB Review: The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth

As this is publication day for the latest in the series, Dangerous Consequences, which is out now in eBook format, I thought I would remind all of how it all started with The Branson Beauty. This is a great series that does not get nearly enough attention. It is also a series that really should be read in order and that starts here.

 

The Branson Beauty is a paddle wheel boat that takes a certain route around the lake under the captainship of Albert Eberhardt. He’s been on the route for almost 20 years and knows this lake in the Ozarks just outside of Branson, Missouri like the proverbial back of his hand. Inexplicably, with approximately 120 passengers on board and many of them elderly, he has managed to run the classic showboat aground on the rock outcropping in the lake.

Getting the folks on the boat safely off on this cold windy day is going to strain local resources to the limit. This is going to be the first real test for new Sheriff Hank Worth. He has to coordinate a rescue operation and control a number of volatile factors including the representative of the company who is far more concerned about bad publicity than the safety of the passengers and crew.

Things become immeasurably more complicated with the discovery of a body onboard. In a variation of a classic locked room mystery, eighteen-year-old Mandy Bryson is found dead inside the captain’s private dining room. There is no question from the start that it was murder. Not only is Captain Albert Eberhardt unable to answer questions about how and why the boat ran a ground, no one seems to know why Mandy was on board or who killed her. Sheriff Hank Worth is an outsider and folks are not about to start telling secrets.

The Branson Beauty is the first in what hopefully will be a long running series by Claire Booth. A complex multi-faceted mystery, a host of secondary characters with their own stories to tell, and a richness of setting and details make this a very good read. It reminded this reviewer quite a bit of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider as well as the Sheriff Samuel Craddock series by Terry Shames. The same down home folksy feel with family, small town secrets and gossip, and strong mysteries.

If it isn’t clear already, The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth is very much recommended.

 

Amazon Associates Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4kbJ0mC 

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2019, 2022

FFB Review: The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth

Having just finished the third book in the series, A Deadly Turn, I thought I would spend my time here today reminding you of the first book, The Branson Beauty. Sure, it was published back in July 2016 so it is not that old, but I thought at the time it did not get enough attention. Since it is the foundation of this excellent series and you won’t appreciate just how good the new ones is if you have not read the first, I thought I would bring it up today. For the rest of the reading suggestions head over to the Sweet Freedom blog of Todd Mason.

The Branson Beauty is a paddle wheel boat that takes a certain route around the lake under the captainship of Albert Eberhardt. He’s been on the route for almost 20 years and knows this lake in the Ozarks just outside of Branson, Missouri like the proverbial back of his hand. Inexplicably, with approximately 120 passengers on board and many of them elderly, he has managed to run the classic showboat aground on the rock outcropping in the lake.

Getting the folks on the boat safely off on this cold windy day is going to strain local resources to the limit. This is going to be the first real test for new Sheriff Hank Worth. He has to coordinate a rescue operation and control a number of volatile factors including the representative of the company who is far more concerned about bad publicity than the safety of the passengers and crew.

Things become immeasurably more complicated with the discovery of a body onboard. In a variation of a classic locked room mystery, eighteen year old Mandy Bryson is found dead inside the captain’s private dining room. There is no question from the start that it was murder. Not only is Captain Albert Eberhardt unable to answer questions about how and why the boat ran a ground, no one seems to know why Mandy was on board or who killed her. Sheriff Hank Worth is an outsider and folks are not about to start telling secrets.

The Branson Beauty is the first in what hopefully will be a long running series by Claire Booth. A complex multi-faceted mystery, a host of secondary characters with their own stories to tell, and a richness of setting and details make this a very good read. It reminded this reviewer quite a bit of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider as well as the Sheriff Samuel Craddock series by Terry Shames. The same down home folksy feel with family, small town secrets and gossip, and strong mysteries.

If it isn’t clear already, The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth is very much recommended.

The Branson Beauty

Claire Booth

http://www.clairebooth.com

Minotaur Books (St. Martins Publishing Group)

http://www.minotaurbooks.com

July 2016

ISBN# 978-1-250-08438-5

Hardback (eBook format available)

321 Pages

$25.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016, 2019

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

Review: The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth

The Branson Beauty is a paddle wheel boat that takes a certain route around the lake under the captainship of Albert Eberhardt. He’s been on the route for almost 20 years and knows this lake in the Ozarks just outside of Branson, Missouri like the proverbial back of his hand. Inexplicably, with

approximately 120 passengers on board and many of them elderly, he has managed to run the classic showboat aground on the rock outcropping in the lake.

Getting the folks on the boat safely off on this cold windy day is going to strain local resources to the limit. This is going to be the first real test for new Sheriff Hank Worth. He has to coordinate a rescue operation and control a number of volatile factors including the representative of the company who is far more concerned about bad publicity than the safety of the passengers and crew.

Things become immeasurably more complicated with the discovery of a body onboard. In a variation of a classic locked room mystery, eighteen year old Mandy Bryson is found dead inside the captain’s private dining room. There is no question from the start that it was murder. Not only is Captain Albert Eberhardt unable to answer questions about how and why the boat ran a ground, no one seems to know why Mandy was on board or who killed her. Sheriff Hank Worth is an outsider and folks are not about to start telling secrets.

The Branson Beauty is the first in what hopefully will be a long running series by Claire Booth. A complex multi-faceted mystery, a host of secondary characters with their own stories to tell, and a richness of setting and details make this a very good read. It reminded this reviewer quite a bit of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider as well as the Sheriff Samuel Craddock series by Terry Shames. The same down home folksy feel with family, small town secrets and gossip, and strong mysteries.

If it isn’t clear already, The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth is very much recommended.

For a far more detailed reviews of this very good book, check out David Cranmer’s review.

 

The Branson Beauty

Claire Booth

http://www.clairebooth.com

Minotaur Books (St. Martins Publishing Group)

http://www.minotaurbooks.com

July 2016

ISBN# 978-1-250-08438-5

Hardback (eBook format available)

321 Pages

$25.99

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System. 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016

Finished THE BRANSON BEAUTY

Late yesterday evening I finished THE BRANSON BEAUTY.  I will do a proper review of it very soon, but don't wait for that. This book is mighty good and highly recommended.

David Cranmer Reviews The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth (CriminalElement.com)

David Cranmer Reviews The Branson Beauty by Claire Booth (CriminalElement.com)