A Killing at Cotton Hill
A Samuel Craddock Mystery
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4.7 • 9 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
The chief of police of Jarrett Creek, Texas, doubles as the town drunk. So when Dora Lee Parjeter is murdered, her old friend and former police chief Samuel Craddock steps in. He discovers that a lot of people had it in for Dora Lee. The conniving rascals on the farm next door want her land for nefarious purposes; her estranged daughter could be seeking vengeance; her grandson wants money for art school; and then there's that stranger Dora Lee claimed was spying on her. Does Craddock still have what it takes to find the killer? In this debut novel, the strong, compelling voice of Samuel Craddock illuminates the grandeur and loneliness of the central Texas landscape and reveals the human foibles of the residents in a small Texas town-their pettiness and generosity, their secret vices and true virtues.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Shames's promising debut, the first in a series, introduces retired police chief Samuel Craddock of Jarrett Creek, Tex., a strong-minded, fairly able-bodied, and firmly decent man in his 60s. After the fatal stabbing of widow Dora Lee Parjeter, Samuel feels compelled to solve her murder, having told her not to be too concerned about someone lurking around her ranch house. When the drunken fool who's the current police chief decides to pin the crime on Dora Lee's prickly but artistically gifted grandson, Greg, Samuel identifies other suspects, including a land-greedy neighbor, an envious art teacher, the victim's slick nephew, and her seductive daughter. Real estate shenanigans, arson, and art theft further complicate the case. Readers will want to see more of the likable main character, who compassionately but relentlessly sifts the evidence. Convincing smalltown atmosphere and a vivid supporting cast are a plus.
