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Samuel Craddock is back. This sixth novel in Terry Shames' wonderful series takes us to Craddock's early days as police chief of small central Texas town, Jarrett Creek. He is newly married and head over heels in love with his bride Jeanne. He knows that there is something odd about his appointment as police chief because of his youth and inexperience, and Jeanne is not enthusiastic, but understanding why it happened comes late in the story.
Craddock responds to a call to a horrific fire at a house in Cato Woods and he is deeply disturbed for several reasons. First, there is the smell along with the discovery of four (later five) dead bodies at the scene. Second, the fire has quite obviously been deliberately set. Third, there is the presence of the Highway Patrol whose leader, John Sutherland, appears to be bigoted against blacks, and not only are these bodies black, but they are mostly very young, one a child. Fourth, there are any number of news reporters already showing up and intruding; they all have to be backed off. Fifth, there is the arrival of two Texas Rangers who outrank every other law enforcement agency in the state so there is even more sorting out to do. And sixth, someone finally notices that at least one of the victims was not burned to death but lying in the back yard shot.
There are so many reasons for Craddock to keep a low profile and let the higher ranking lawmen take over the investigations that he wavers until the racist Highway Patrolman quickly arrests a young black man that Craddock believes would never have resorted to murder and arson, no matter how provoked. Now Craddock can't let the case go.
In spite of the growing recognition that this crime has some connection to a powerful drug ring operating out of Houston, and despite suspicions concerning Craddock's own brother Horace, and threats to himself and his family, Chief Craddock pushes on with his own investigation.
Shames outshines most writers of mysteries with her keen sense of goodness and character, her understanding of small town dynamics and of the jockeying for control that can occur among various levels of law enforcement, and her well above average skills in developing personalities, setting, and plot.
Okay. I'm a fan.
§ Diana Borse is retired from teaching English at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and savoring the chance to read as much as she always wanted to.
Reviewed by Diana Borse, December 2016
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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