Terry Shames

Not having read any of the books in this series, I cannot comment on how well it works as a prequel but, on its own, it's a capable mystery involving a likable and well-developed, young police chief who is quickly in over his head when a burned house reveals five dead including several under age and killed by gunshot. Samuel Craddock's job has been fairly easy and he's inclined to let the Texas Rangers handle this complicated and ugly crime. But when a young African-American man from town is show more arrested, Samuel is certain he's innocent and cannot let him be railroaded by a corrupt, racist system. Craddock is simultaneously dealing with a drug problem at the high school and family issues. Shames' narrative style is calm and relaxed but she creates realistic tension in the right places and never resorts to melodrama. A smart, thoughtful mystery exploring issues of small towns, racism, family dysfunction, and ethics. show less

And we are back to (fictional) Jarrett Creek, Texas for the 9th installment (8 in the current timeline, one in the past...) of the very enjoyable mystery series.

The annual Jubilee Motorcycle Rally had been a tradition in town but a lot of the locals dislike the noise and all the bikes which overrun the town while the Rally is going on. The local business owners on the other hand love the event. Which causes another spat in the small town - with our favorite police chief Samuel Craddock in show more the middle of it. One side wants to cancel the Rally, the other one insists that it is needed for them to survive. So a compromise is finally found - close all local businesses early on the days of the Rally unless they have a special permission by the police to stay open later. And then a woman is found dead on the rally and it becomes clear that she is actually a local business owner.

In the meantime, Hailey, Craddock's great-niece gets sent to him for a while as her parents cannot deal with her teenage antics. Between the girl (who really does not want to be there), the dead woman and the divided town, it is a very busy weekend. And with the Rally and all the people who traveled for it leaving shortly, the death may remain unexplained unless everyone moves fast. Hailey does not help matters much by getting involved in ways she really should have not - but then she is not visiting because she is a beacon of clear thoughts and good decisions.

As much as I enjoy the mysteries in the series, I also enjoy the story of life in the small town. These are similar to the English countryside novels which take a lot of room in the genre - just transposed a bit west. This one worried me a bit - the rally changes the focus but in reality, it actually accentuated it - the bike riders are a community as well and the mix between them and the town itself added something to the whole novel.

The novels in the series work on their own but they work a lot better as a whole - the later ones (including this one) reference earlier events and often mentions people expecting that you know who they are (or with very little introduction). I like visiting the small town every year... and now it is time to wait for the next novel to be published. show less

Prequels can be tricky - you either know how the story have to end (because it was important in the main character's life and you had heard about it in the earlier books) or the story is irrelevant (and you have to wonder why it had to be written). They can make a good first book in a series - but then it sets the wrong idea for the series. So it always make me wonder why so many crime and mystery writers decide to go and tell these stories.

As prequels go, the sixth Samuel Craddock is not show more bad - we get to mean Jeanne and Samuel's brother (the father of the nephew we had seen before), we meet our Chief of Police the first time he was named that and we get to see the back story of Truly. And that's where this book feels a bit unnecessary and a bit heavy handed - we know that Truly won't end up in prison so a lot of the suspense feels like Shames trying to make Samuel look very progressive and modern in the middle of town steeped in bigotry and racism.

The crime itself is gruesome (a family is found shot and then burned) and the family secrets it reveals (not just that family ones) makes Jarrett Creek one of those small towns where everything looks well on the surface but as soon as you try to check under the veneer, things collapse.

At the end, I am happy that we saw the parts of the past that we had not seen before but... something was just off. It was not a bad novel and if it was not part of this series, it would have worked beautifully. As part of the series, it just falls a bit short. show less

Welcome back to Jarrett Creek - the small town in Texas with a Miss Marple complex. Remember Samuel Craddock - the ex-chief of police who is now retired in his ranch with his cows and the fine art he keeps buying, still mourning his wife? If you never read the series before, this one can be as nice of a start as any - even though there is continuity inside of the series, they do stand on their own.

A heart attack, a ball game that should not have been lost but is lost, a Gulf War veteran, a show more bunch of motorists and a sheriff who is more interested in drinking than in solving any crimes. It does not sound like a normal checklist for a small quiet town in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking). Add to that a murder, old secrets, a religious cult, gambling, a head coach that have a real problem and a deputy that is even worse than the sheriff and you pretty much have the main elements of the novel.

And of course there is Craddock - who gets a title in this novel - Special Investigator for the Mayor - mainly so that he has some powers. It should have been a very busy novel but it is not - it is quiet and slow as the life in a small Texas town. Because Jarrett Creek is one of the main characters of the series - together with the neighbor Loretta and the lawyer Jennie - they all serve as the support network of our ex-chief. Even when they are weird, they still are better than what passes for police in the town or the local businessmen. If you are reading the books in order, this one will add just a little more to the background that keeps building. And to the town.

I am not sure if that qualifies as a cosy mystery - it is a bit too bloody for that. But not violently so. It is a wonderful series if one needs a bit of fresh air between more serious books. show less