Boomtown

by A.F. Carter

One cop strives to bring order and justice to a lawless boomtown. Police captain Delia Mariola is still struggling to drive the predatory drug dealers from the rustbelt town of Baxter, before the new Nissan plant owners lose faith in this forgotten corner of America. It doesn’t help that a boomtown has grown up just outside of city limits?a wild west designed to feed every unsavory desire of the workers building the plant. And like vultures homing in on the weak, criminal gangs from the big cities have also been drawn to the boomtown, knowing how freely money will flow to those willing to supply drugs and women to these workers far from home, looking for comfort and distraction. With no police actively enforcing the rule of law in the unregulated town, the criminals have turned on each other as they try to claim control.

In the midst of this drug war, a young prostitute’s body turns up on the streets of Baxter, well within Delia’s jurisdiction to investigate. Hoping this might be the case that allows her to finally be able to crack down on Boomtown, Delia is relentless in her pursuit of the killer and the group she believes is behind the criminal enterprises plaguing her streets. But Delia isn’t the only person looking for the murderer. Two strangers have arrived in town, claiming to be the family of the deceased and possibly looking for a version of justice that has more to do with back hills vigilantism than the court of law. This complicates everything for Delia, who is unfairly made the target of criticism not only for the criminals running amuck in Boomtown, but also as a woman and lesbian in a small-town police force.

Once again, A.F. Carter brings a host of unforgettable characters to life in this gritty crime novel, the most memorable being the town of Baxter itself.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

312 pages, Paperback

Published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back to Boomtown we go for the third chapter in Captain Mariola’s life. This time the mob is trying to take over Boomtown, resulting in murder and other mayhem.

Carter continues to rely on the “what with” sentence formation. He’s added the “me, I” formation as in “this is the situation, me, I would do this”. OK if this is used a bit but Carter throws it in often and out of the mouths of every character. Maybe the editor needs to take a closer look.

[David Odeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: The third novel in a series centered around a rural Southern, Midwest town that rowing because Nissan is coming to town and building a factory. With any boom there is crime and gangsters who follow. Series regular Capt. Delia overseas the death a pregnant prostitute.

Comments: A great rural southern crime series’s that’s extremely entertaining and well plotted. Some great things going on here and lots to build on. Think Ace Atkins with some spice. More please.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good solid “mystery “. ,nominee in paperback category of Edgar’s. Thought they did a good job showing the interconnections between politics, businesses, crime and police.
Found Maggie more interesting than Mariola, who seemed a bit bland thanks to he somewhat more colorful characters the author surrounded her with

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is more a thriller than mystery, but we get to see more of Delia's struggle, as Chief of Detectives, to balance the expectations of Baxter on her department as well as visibility as a lesbian in the conservative small town.

[Gregory Van Den Berg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by this author. The story reminded me of a film noir story. The story is gritty and dark. The story was interesting to read. Fortunately, the author knew how to end a story that was realistic. Enjoy!

[Delon Narain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great page turner of the Rust Belt and the blue collar crimes that forage there. Murder, drugs, and sex..a great combo for a quick read!

[Edward Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice fast paced story with good character development and a good feel for the sense of place and chaotic culture of a boomtown.

[Gordon Bohrson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book but not as entertaining as the previous books in the series. Delia deals with a mobster element that has moved into Boomtown.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Southern Grit Lit here! A nice cast of characters make for an entertaining tale of a boomtown and all that comes with it. I loved the strong women characters. I'd definitely read another one from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Grit finely done!

[Austin Bergstrom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat slow moving. Good twists and turns, but ultimately predictable. Good read overall