From the archive....
Living on a farm in Stark County, North
Dakota in July of 1964 is hard, but it isn’t winter and that helps a little
bit. Things are harder for Marjorie Trumaine than most because she is trying to
manage it all pretty much by herself. It has been that way since her husband,
Hank, had his hunting accident that left him blind and paralyzed. He spends his
days, except for a rare trip away from home, lying in their bed unable to care
for himself or the farm they both love.
The Knudsens on the next farm over were
there for Hank and Marjorie long after everyone else in the small community got
on with their lives and forgot about them. Erik, the father, supervised his
sons, Peter and Jaeger, while they did chores on the place after they had
finished work on their own farm. Lida, their mom and Erik’s wife, brought food
for months while Marjorie and Hank slowly adjusted to the catastrophic change
in their lives. Over time that help as well as Marjorie’s ongoing job as a
freelance indexer has allowed them to survive in their new normal post-accident
reality.
The news that Sheriff Hilo Jenkins
brings Marjorie this July morning is hard to deal with on any level, but
especially now after everything that has happened in recent months. Erik and
Lida have been brutally murdered while they slept in their bed. Their sons,
Erik and Jaeger, are physically fine as they slept through the murders in their
home. Sheriff Jenkins does not believe the boys had anything to do with it
though he does intend to question them about the murders. He does believe an
amulet found in Erik’s dead hand plays some role in the case.
Marjorie has a reputation, one that she
has tried hard to control and stifle, as being the smartest person around. She
can’t help using words that many in the area don’t know or understand. Her love
of books and knowledge has only increased the last several years as she has
built a career of freelance work of writing indexes and meeting deadlines. What
began as a source of extra income is now her sole escape from reality as well
as the primary source of income for the
family. Sheriff Jenkins wants Marjorie to figure out what the amulet means so
that he might figure out who killed Erik and Lida. It is his only real clue and
he wants her role in the case kept secret. She reluctantly agrees to help it is
the least she can do for the Knudsens – the living and the dead.
What follows is a very complex and
highly atmospheric mystery by award winning author Larry D. Sweazy. The North
Dakota landscape is a constant character presence in this novel that blends
history and lore, a mystery full of twists and turns, and the role of family
(by birth and other means) into a read that quickly pulls the reader into a
different time and place far from home. Recently published by Seventh Street
Books, See Also Murder: A Marjorie Trumaine Mystery is a highly
addictive read that will keep you reading far past your bedtime. It is very
much well worth your time.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3RF8CiV
Material supplied for my use by the good
people of the Plano Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015, 2018, 2026
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