While Reverend Jimmy is protesting outside a women's clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, he is murdered. Sheriff Shelby is pressured to solve the mystery quickly so he calls in his best detective, Darla. She has been on leave since her husband died in an auto accident. He had been a professional football star in Philadelphia but they had moved to Jackson, his hometown, when his professional career was over. She was a cop transplanted to the south and was definitely not part of the good old boys club.
I liked this mystery. Being from the Pacific Northwest, it was interesting to read a novel taking place in the south. At first I was put off a bit by the language but remembered a trip to Louisiana where I heard exactly this kind of language, even by some Christians. I liked the gutsy Darla. She methodically tracked down the killer. I liked the quirky characters too. There is Uther who is a computer whiz. And then there is good old detective Tommy, an Elvis impersonator who wants all the credit but is horrible at detecting.
I think the plot was decent and the mystery plausible. There was a good mix of personal issues and police work. Reverend Jimmy was certainly not a godly man. As much as I wish his kind of story could not possibly happen, I know it does. Sometimes it is the most vocal people who have the darkest interior.
I look forward to another novel from this author featuring detective Darla.
Gary
Gusick is a retired advertising executive with more than thirty
years experience as a copywriter and creative director. He is a
multiple winner of awards for creative excellence in advertising. He
and his wife life in Jackson, Mississippi.Alibi, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, 250 pages.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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