Something So Divine by J. R Lindermuth

by J.R. Lindermuth

When a young girl is found murdered in a Pennsylvania rye field in 1897, Ned Gebhardt, a feeble-minded youth known to have stalked the victim, is a prime suspect. Incidents involving another girl and gossip stir emotions to a frenzy, nearly leading to a lynching.Evidence against Ned is circumstantial and there are other suspects. Influenced by Ned’s stepsister and Ellen, a woman who has perked his interest, Simon Roth, the investigator, is inclined to give Ned the benefit of doubt. Then he discovers damaging new evidence.Still unwilling to view Ned as a cold-blooded killer, Roth puts his job and reputation in jeopardy as he seeks to assure a fair trial for the accused.

Paperback

First published August 14, 2015

About the author

J.R. Lindermuth lives and writes in central Pennsylvania. A retired newspaper editor/writer, he is also librarian of his county historical society where he assists clients with research and genealogy.
He's the author of 20 published novels and two regional histories He has published stories and articles in a variety of magazines, both print and on-line.
He is a member of International Thriller Writers and is a former vice president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society.

Reviews

[J.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my latest release, a historical mystery set in Pennsylvania in the 1890s. I'd prefer to have readers give the rating, but if you can't like your own work...

[Nancy LiPetri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was an enjoyable escape for me. Lindermuth takes you to earlier, simpler horse drawn buggy times with great authenticity. And the story grabs you right away with interesting, unique characters and a murder mystery you keep trying to figure out. It’s a story about perspectives, assumptions, love.... At the end, you get the satisfaction of understanding motivations as all the pieces fall into place.

[Wayne Turmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story of murder and hard personal choices is a solid mystery and a good read. Set in rural Pennsylvania in the 1890s, the characters are still relatable and feel fresh. Not exactly a sequel, but set in the same time and place as many of the author's other stories of hard people and hard times. Well worth the read.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl is found dead, and suspicion rising almost to the level of lynching falls on the mentally-challenged young man known to be obsessed with her. The county investigator must, while holding off mob vengeance, find the killer, who he increasingly suspects is someone else.

John Lindermuth has written a poignant novel, set in 1897 Pennsylvania, that touches on the great forces of human experiences--love, violence, compassion, selfishness--while weaving a mystery that draws one irresistibly on to a conclusion both satisfying and troubling. One cannot help but pull for Simon Roth, the lawman who is duty-bound to find the truth, but who believes Ned Gebhardt, the slow-witted suspect, may actually be innocent. The characters are skillfully drawn, enough so that the reader can believe the attitudes and actions accurately reflect those of small-town America as the nineteenth century fades toward the twentieth. This book satisfies on every level.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.R. Lindermuth strikes again with a great historical novel of murder, morality, and the search for justice in late nineteenth century rural Pennsylvania. This is territory the author knows well, having spent much of his life among the hills and valleys of anthracite coal country. The plot involves the heinous murder of local beauty Susannah Schaeffer and the subsequent arrest and prosecution of slow-witted Ned Gebhardt for the crime. Many of the locals of the small community want to expedite justice and skip a trial all together; preferring to lynch a person so different from them that he must be guilty.

But even nineteenth century justice demands a degree of due process. Enter fair-minded County Detective Roth, who is charged with investigating the murder for a not so fair-minded District Attorney. Roth works diligently to establish the facts of the murder and the identity of the killer. Roth is frustrated by the persistent silence of Ned on what he did or didn't do in the matter, and even goes to the length of prevailing on a lawyer friend to defend him. A jail-house rat seeking a pass for his own crimes complicates matters when he tries to befriend Ned and entice him to incriminate himself.

The author has great skill in bringing the particular time and place to life for the reader. His descriptions of rural life, the justice system of the era and hardships attendant to both are compelling. The scenes move at a good pace to keep the readers interest and the plot has a unique and tragic twist.

The author vests Detective Roth with a moral compass that stands in contrast to the many other characters in the book. I hope that we will be seeing more of Detective Roth in the future.Good men are hard to find these days.

[Marja McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something So Divine by J.R. Lindermuth grabbed me and wouldn’t let go until the last page.

Ned is a rather simple-minded young man and he’s been accused of brutally murdering a local girl in 1897. The townspeople would like nothing more than to take him out and lynch him, but the law wants proof and evidence.

This is a character-driven mystery with twists and turns that kept me reading. Did Ned do it or is someone else behind the murder? I had to know and couldn’t put down the book. The people in the story seem to truly represent the time period in a small town.

I highly recommend this story.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to J. R. Lindermuth for giving me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Something So Divine set the scene right from the start, in a small country village where everyone knows everyone and the residents have strong opinions about the others there including the main character Ned. I wouldn't describe it as a murder mystery because it's obvious who did what from the start, rather the reader is taken on a journey of the aftermath of the murder and impact on those involved.

I feel it takes a talented writer to create a novel that's so interesting without the mystery element, I still wanted to keep reading and became intrigued by Ned, Ned was a very striking character. I enjoyed the subplots of the relationships between the other characters.

Personally I didn't understand why all the chapters started with capital letters and it took me a little while to get used to all the country slang, but an enjoyable read none the less!

[Patricia Gligor · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Something So Divine" by J.R. Lindermuth is an historical mystery that takes place in a Pennsylvania town in the year 1897.
When Ned Gebhardt is accused of murdering a young woman, most of the locals seem all too ready to convict him. His sister, a local shop owner and Detective Simon Roth, who has been assigned to investigate the case, are the only people on his side. But, try as they might, they can't convince the feeble-minded young man to tell them what really happened on that fateful day.
In this novel, the author has delved into the lives, minds and hearts of his characters and he has created a truly memorable work of fiction.