Who Let That Killer in the House?

Thoroughly Southern #5

by Patricia Sprinkle

Years ago, a dark cloud moved over the small town of Hopemore, Georgia, after the murder of a little girl. One man was sent to prison for life—and two young boys were changed forever. Eventually, the skies cleared—and although the tragedy left its mark, the folks in Hopemore settled back into their routines. But that dark cloud seems to have returned with the apparent suicide of one of the town's most beloved citizens—Dwayne Evans, a favorite high school chemistry teacher and dedicated softball coach.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 7, 2003

About the author

Aka Patricia Houck Sprinkle.

When I met and married Bob, he looked over our budget and demanded, "Why don’t you write a mystery to pay for all the ones you buy?" I immediately knew I wanted to put a body in a building where I’d once worked. However, being over-endowed with the Protestant ethic, I wrote "important" things first and only wrote the mystery in my spare time, so my first mystery, Murder at Markham (reissued by Silver Dagger in 2001), took thirteen years to complete. It took even longer for me to learn that any writing which gives me pleasure is important, whether fiction or non-fiction.

Since 1988 I have written twenty mysteries, four novels, and five non-fiction books. I am grateful to my readers and editors for letting me do what I enjoy most in the world. Bob has concluded that writing is not a profession, it's an obsession--my favorite vacation is to go to a place where somebody else fixes my meals and where I can write more than I do at home, without interruptions. Thanks, if you are one of the readers who keeps my fingers on the keys. I enjoy spending time with you at conferences, book clubs, and signing events.

Reviews

[Carole Hardinge]

I was surprised by how well written this book was. There were clues throughout the book, but just like many characters in the book, I didn’t want to believe them. Patricia Sprinkle dealt with a difficult situation very delicately and realistically. The book was very much about cognitive dissonance as characters saw facts that conflicted with preconceived notions and prejudices.

[Kristi Keim]

I never write a review. But I just wanted to warn anyone who might read this who has sensitivities to abuse... I had no idea and it sort of ambushed me. I have read all of her books in this series up to this one (not those after yet). I love them, and I will continue to read them! But this one was by far heavier than the rest. If you haven't read the ones before, I encourage you too because they are very different. That being said, as a child abuse survivor, I appreciate that she brought attention to it and even includes and author's note about her work with CASA. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book, it's just not my favorite because the whole reason I read cozy mysteries is to not deal with that subject. Anyway, I often read these reviews to get a feel about the content of books, so I thought it might help to give someone else a heads up.

[Nd]

Just when things seemed to be going well in small-town Hopewell, Georgia, Magistrate McLaren Yarbrough and her friends and acquaintances encountered some of the town's dark and twisted history. A media spotlight landed on the high school girls softball team when it pulled off an unexpected season finish and headed for playoffs. Coach and favorite high school chemistry teacher DeWayne Evans then was singled out when racial prejudice that most of Hopemore thought and hoped was dead and buried arose in the form of threats and painted slogans. A possible suicide then was revealed to be a murder, and McLaren was determined to find out whether it was the result of a terrorizing teenager and his gang or whether other subtexts were underfoot.

[Megan]

"...but if he played computer games, he knew how to use the Internet."

The title only works if you say it with an accent. Also... no one died in a house? It's a fine cozy mystery but I likely won't look up the rest.

I appreciated the asterisks when the author would refer to a previous book in the series.

[Paige Kuether]

slow to get into but a very good read with an unexpected ending.

[Priscilla Herrington]

A satisfying cozy mystery by an author I hadn't before encountered.

[Janet]

I really love these lite mysteries by Patricia Sprinkle. I seldom figure out "who dun it" before it is revealed.

[Linda]

Although I love this author's other series, this is the first one that I've read in this series. I must admit that I almost quit reading it at the beginning. There's a dozen characters to sort out and it's very confusing. Who is whose daughter? Who owns which shop? Luckily there is a cast of characters in the front, but I was getting tired of referring to it. Luckily I persevered because I did enjoy the book immensely. This is a long series with many titles.

This is a southern cozy mystery that skirts racial issues in the past and also in the present by some hoodlums. Judge MacLaren Yarbrough, the heroine of the series, has good friends on both sides of race. Years before a black man had been convicted in the murder of a young white girl but that ugliness has returned and when a beloved chemistry teacher and baseball coach apparently commits suicide, Mac finds it difficult to believe it. The race is on to untangle the threads that bind the two events together.

[Dharia Scarab]

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.

[Marty]

A fairly good mystery set in Hopemore, Georgia. The Coach of the Hopemore Honeybees fast-pitch girls softball team is loved by his young players – and to make it better, they just won the championship! Everyone enjoyed a short day of bliss – then the bottom fell out. Racist and sexual graffiti on the high school where the coach teaches chemistry shock the town. The graffiti then shows up on his home. A sullen group of high school boys, lead by a young man who is considered a bad influence on his friends, is sure to be the culprits. Judge MacLaren Yarbrough and her husband, a retired judge, have lived in Hopemore for generations and are determined to get to the bottom of the trouble --- especially when DeWayne Evans, the coach, is found hanging in the gym.

[Cynthia]

I might've given a 4 star rating, because I thought it carried a good message, but I struggled with keeping track of all the character names....it seemed like there was a 'flurry' of relatives & names. I finally got fairly comfortable with all of them about 3/4 way thru the book! Otherwise, it's a fine book, & a good series.

[Nicole]

This was the worst I've read by this author. Stereotyping at its worst in depicting young hoodlums. The plot winds around images of good and bad kids and does so with little sympathy and a lot of stock imagery.

[Kathy]

Three-and-a-half stars. Sprinkle tackles racial prejudice and child abuse in this installment of her Thoroughly Southern series. With these heavy topics, this was a harder book for me to get through. Although I figured out who the "bad guy" really was fairly early on, I still enjoyed the book.

[Deb_bluerose]

Lighthearted Mystery Series about a sweet-ol', little southern Lady...

[Vickie]

Need to get more of this author and series.

[Kimberly]

BORING! Goes along format of murder, then it gets solved. Better one of her books. All action remains until the end.

[Babs]

This is the 5th book in the series and so thrilling a chemistry teacher dies and MacLaren is going to find out who did it.

[Dawn]

Didn't enjoy this one very much. Too depressing. It's the first one I haven't really wanted to finish.

[Lisa Garrett]

Lovely Southern cozy mystery!

[bumblethunderbeast]

another fun cozy in the deep South, light and frothy like a satisfying steamed milk that you didn't even know you needed

[Nancy Parker]

Enjoyable characters in this Southern mystery.

[Linda]

This book was an emotional one for me. I had a lot of sympathy for the victim and there were some heavy subjects dealt with. Good book.