This novel involved a very dark and interesting storyline set against a backdrop of a small town in Serenity, Michigan. Shelby Alexander, the protagonist is a divorced, aging (nearing sixty) former professional and retired fixer who teeters sometimes on the wrong side of the law. He’s got a young girlfriend almost half his age (same age of his daughter) and he’s happy. This lasted for a while until he gets embroiled in solving the murder of Jenny, a developmentally disabled woman who he found near the barn on his property. Jenny also happens to be a member of the often-hated Ellises clan who runs drugs within the town.
Things get more complicated when Harper Ellis, one of Jenny’s brothers pays Shelby ten thousand dollars to look into Jenny’s death because there is “new law” in town that would prevent the Ellises from taking matters into their own hands. The Ellises also have to be careful because there is new competition peddling higher quality drugs and messing with their distribution. What happens next is a slew of twists and turns and double-cross leaving Shelby fighting to save his life and that of his friend, Mack, a retired cop who’s come to town to help him with solving this crime.
This novel reminded me of the F/X series, “Justified” where U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens is pitted against the Crowder clan, a prominent crime family selling drugs in eastern Kentucky. It was filled with seedy characters, violence, police corruption, and distrust all in the name of survival.
Overall, the pacing of the story was good. The author captured the feel of the town and its inhabitants through language and their way of life: hanging out at the local bar, fishing, collecting maple syrup from trees, etc. I got a good sense of the characters and their motivations although at times I needed a bit more physical description. Nevertheless, the story had a few plot holes and ended with me asking more questions, but I would read another novel by this author.
My favorite lines:
“You don’t
scare me, Harper.”
“What
about $10,000?
Shelby
stared.
“That’s
more like it,” Harper said. “Even the great Shelby Alexander likes the sound of
money.”
“Why the
hell would you pay me $10,000 to look into Jenny’s death when it was so
obviously an accident?”
“First, it
wasn’t no accident. Second, we can’t do what needs to be done. Not with the law
breathin down our necks.”
Shelby squinted his eyes. “Why do I feel as if there’s still something you’re not telling me?
Harper sighed. “Okay, fine. Me and the boys think there’s another group movin in on our territory.”
Rating: 3 Stars
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