Ada Reed, a 1950s housewife, agrees to hold the position of sheriff of Yellowpine County, ID, until her husband returns from the Korean War. The job was supposed to be easy: manage a few drunk-and-disorderlies, some traffic tickets, a pile of paperwork. Then the murdered corpse of Rose Braden is uncovered in the dredge pond at the gold mine. The case should be open and shut: Rose’s husband, Corey, has confessed to the murder, and he had motive. Rumor has it, Rose was stepping out with other men, leaving her double-leg amputee husband home alone. Ada wonders though how Corey got his wheelchair down to the river. As she interviews Rose’s acquaintances, Ada begins to get a different picture of the victim. But being a sheriff in a small town in the 1950s is not considered a woman’s job, and Ada is pressured to close the case using Corey’s confession. Can she stick to her guns and find the real murderer?
VERDICT Once readers get past a housewife with no police experience knowing how to investigate a murder, this first book in a proposed series is a good, well-written story. There are twists and turns, several plausible suspects, and a satisfying conclusion. More police procedural than cozy mystery, Howell’s (The Reclamation; The Magpies’ Song) novel is for fans of strong women characters, historical mysteries, and good investigative techniques.
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