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Glen Crossing #1
Back Roads
A woman of the law, A man with a past, And trouble on the horizon. Sensible, capable, and always in control, Leigh Mitchell is the local sheriff of her sleepy Indiana home town. But Leigh is turning thirty and feeling restless. Something needs to change. She needs to change. So when a sexy stranger asks her to ride the Ferris wheel one moonlit night, she takes a leap of faith-and falls for Will Scott, dangerous secrets and all. By turns passionate and tender, Will reveals little about his past and less about his future, even when the town suspects him of committing a terrible crime. Now on the uncertain back roads of life, take-charge Leigh must learn to let goand trust not only the cold dictates of the law but the hot-blooded demands of her heart.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
65 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
Susan Crandall
19 books828 followersAlas, the rumor is true, Susan was a dental hygienist in her previous career. However, she "retired" from that profession many years ago and has been a full-time author ever since--thanks to all of you fabulous readers.
Susan grew up in a small Indiana town, married a guy from that town, and then moved to Chicago for a while. She is pleased to say that she has been back in her hometown for many years and plans to stay.
She's received a RITA, two National Reader's Choice Awards and a SIBA Award for Fiction. Her books include an Indie Next Pick, Okra Picks, a Target Book Club pick, and are popular with book clubs.
THE MYTH OF PERPETUAL SUMMER will be released June 19, 2018.
Join her newsletter for new release announcements. http://susancrandall.net/newsletter/
Susan grew up in a small Indiana town, married a guy from that town, and then moved to Chicago for a while. She is pleased to say that she has been back in her hometown for many years and plans to stay.
She's received a RITA, two National Reader's Choice Awards and a SIBA Award for Fiction. Her books include an Indie Next Pick, Okra Picks, a Target Book Club pick, and are popular with book clubs.
THE MYTH OF PERPETUAL SUMMER will be released June 19, 2018.
Join her newsletter for new release announcements. http://susancrandall.net/newsletter/
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 25, 2010
It’s more about solving a mystery than romance. It didn’t draw me in emotionally as much as I would have liked. It was ok.
STORY BRIEF:
Leigh was raised by relatives who didn’t want her. They fed and clothed her but gave nothing emotional. She had to work to pay for her own education. She is now sheriff in a small town in Indiana. She wants to date, but there is no one appropriate. Drifter Will shows up at a carnival and asks Leigh to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. Afterwards they go to a bar and dance. Will plans to leave town the next morning but is offered a job as an auto mechanic. Will is low on money, so he accepts the job. He and Leigh are drawn to each other, but Will keeps a distance because he doesn’t want to hurt her. He tells her he will be leaving soon. The reader suspects Will is a good guy who is on the run from bad guys – maybe mafia, or corrupt police, or others. He won’t tell Leigh any details. She trusts him based on her own instincts. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Brittany had flirted with Will and is now missing. Leigh is heading the investigation. The townspeople suspect Will and put pressure on Leigh to arrest him. Will can’t leave town now, because it would look suspicious and an APB might be put out on him. So he stays and helps Leigh with the case.
REVIEWER’S OPINION WITH MILD SPOILERS:
This felt more like a mystery than a romance novel. But it fits the definition of romance because there was a developing relationship and a happy ending. However, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I normally like. It was a serious piece, slowly uncovering clues and solving the two mysteries: the missing girl and Will’s past. I didn’t like a couple parts. Leigh did something predictable which brought the bad guys to town which was the first unsmart thing she did. It was a mistake. It rubbed me wrong. Also, Will was smart enough that he should have predicted this. And he should have warned her not to do it. I was also bothered that Leigh told person A about the evidence she had. As a reader, in my mind, A was a suspect. He could tamper with the evidence. I questioned Leigh’s competence after that. Otherwise the story was ok. Mystery lovers will probably like this more than I did.
DATA:
Story length: 385 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 9. Setting: current day Henderson County, Indiana. Copyright: 2003. Genre: mystery with some romance.
STORY BRIEF:
Leigh was raised by relatives who didn’t want her. They fed and clothed her but gave nothing emotional. She had to work to pay for her own education. She is now sheriff in a small town in Indiana. She wants to date, but there is no one appropriate. Drifter Will shows up at a carnival and asks Leigh to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. Afterwards they go to a bar and dance. Will plans to leave town the next morning but is offered a job as an auto mechanic. Will is low on money, so he accepts the job. He and Leigh are drawn to each other, but Will keeps a distance because he doesn’t want to hurt her. He tells her he will be leaving soon. The reader suspects Will is a good guy who is on the run from bad guys – maybe mafia, or corrupt police, or others. He won’t tell Leigh any details. She trusts him based on her own instincts. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Brittany had flirted with Will and is now missing. Leigh is heading the investigation. The townspeople suspect Will and put pressure on Leigh to arrest him. Will can’t leave town now, because it would look suspicious and an APB might be put out on him. So he stays and helps Leigh with the case.
REVIEWER’S OPINION WITH MILD SPOILERS:
This felt more like a mystery than a romance novel. But it fits the definition of romance because there was a developing relationship and a happy ending. However, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I normally like. It was a serious piece, slowly uncovering clues and solving the two mysteries: the missing girl and Will’s past. I didn’t like a couple parts. Leigh did something predictable which brought the bad guys to town which was the first unsmart thing she did. It was a mistake. It rubbed me wrong. Also, Will was smart enough that he should have predicted this. And he should have warned her not to do it. I was also bothered that Leigh told person A about the evidence she had. As a reader, in my mind, A was a suspect. He could tamper with the evidence. I questioned Leigh’s competence after that. Otherwise the story was ok. Mystery lovers will probably like this more than I did.
DATA:
Story length: 385 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 9. Setting: current day Henderson County, Indiana. Copyright: 2003. Genre: mystery with some romance.
June 28, 2018
My 1st book by this author. I liked it. I may go on and read the rest but probably not for awhile. The H was a good guy with many issues caught inside him. The h was the town sheriff who was fighting her own battles as a woman sheriff. Together I though they made a good strong couple. To me the mystery was not all that consuming. Overall, it was okay for me.
Want to read
June 16, 2010Glens Crossing
1. Back Roads (2003)
2. The Road Home (2004)
3. Magnolia Sky (2004)
4. Promises to Keep (2005)
1. Back Roads (2003)
2. The Road Home (2004)
3. Magnolia Sky (2004)
4. Promises to Keep (2005)
June 17, 2020
Leigh is 30 and sheriff of a small back roads town. She's feeling invisible and lonely when she meets a stranger in town, Will Scott, and uncharacteristically spends the evening at the fair with him: riding the ferris wheel, playing games, even going in the tunnel of love. When a young woman of the town disappears, Scott is suspected. Scott is reticent and won't talk about his past. Small town innuendo and secrets and politics complicate things.
It's a well-written, easy read. I enjoyed it.
It's a well-written, easy read. I enjoyed it.
April 5, 2024
Good life time story
January 3, 2025
Amazing book highly recommend the series
May 17, 2025
The plot kept me totally engaged throughout, was not hard to get into and there are no major boring spot or slow sections of the book!! Recommend!!
January 1, 2011
What a charming read! Having enjoyed Susan Crandall's newest novels thus far, I was looking forward to her backlisted books. Back Roads did not disappoint; many late nights were devoted to uncovering the mysteries. Although, Crandall's leap into romantic suspense really began with
Pitch Black
, this story is full of suspense that will make it hard to put the book down.
The mystery, a young woman's disappearance, foreign to the small, sleepy town of Glens Crossing in Indiana, made more sinister when it coincides with the appearance of a stranger. Will Scott, the stranger in their midst is really no stranger at all. He grew up in Glens Crossing, carrying the many happy memories that makes up the only shining light in his dangerous past. Already, initially wary, the community at large is quick to point the finger when the young woman turns up missing.
One lonely night at a carnival, Will, a loner seeking a childhoold fulfillment and Leight Mitchell, restless and wanting change, meet and sparks simmer and fly. The mysterious Will intrigue Leigh, while studious Leigh brings stability and a sense of belonging for Will. There is something about Will that pulls at her heart and convinces her the only thing he can be guilty of is secrecy, but not deceit.
Caught up in the crossroads, between her duty and her heart, Sheriff Leigh Mitchell is determined to solve the disappearance and clear Will's name. Even if this mean losing her job, the community trust, and her brother's support. Despite his secrets, his vague answers, Leigh senses a camaraderie with Will and yearns for the opportunity to love him openly. Will also finds love in Leigh but he is not willing to risk her life with his secrets, secrets that appear to be catching up with him.
There is intrigue, mystery, and danger but there is also a tenderness within Will that tugs at your heartstrings from the start. All this combined makes for a superb read. The plot was deliberate and intelligent, pulling readers in, but not so fast-paced as to confuse or make it easy to lose track of. In the end the mysteries are solved satisfyingly, and still maintains the good-feel that is present from the start.
The mystery, a young woman's disappearance, foreign to the small, sleepy town of Glens Crossing in Indiana, made more sinister when it coincides with the appearance of a stranger. Will Scott, the stranger in their midst is really no stranger at all. He grew up in Glens Crossing, carrying the many happy memories that makes up the only shining light in his dangerous past. Already, initially wary, the community at large is quick to point the finger when the young woman turns up missing.
One lonely night at a carnival, Will, a loner seeking a childhoold fulfillment and Leight Mitchell, restless and wanting change, meet and sparks simmer and fly. The mysterious Will intrigue Leigh, while studious Leigh brings stability and a sense of belonging for Will. There is something about Will that pulls at her heart and convinces her the only thing he can be guilty of is secrecy, but not deceit.
Caught up in the crossroads, between her duty and her heart, Sheriff Leigh Mitchell is determined to solve the disappearance and clear Will's name. Even if this mean losing her job, the community trust, and her brother's support. Despite his secrets, his vague answers, Leigh senses a camaraderie with Will and yearns for the opportunity to love him openly. Will also finds love in Leigh but he is not willing to risk her life with his secrets, secrets that appear to be catching up with him.
There is intrigue, mystery, and danger but there is also a tenderness within Will that tugs at your heartstrings from the start. All this combined makes for a superb read. The plot was deliberate and intelligent, pulling readers in, but not so fast-paced as to confuse or make it easy to lose track of. In the end the mysteries are solved satisfyingly, and still maintains the good-feel that is present from the start.
September 14, 2014
After reading Whistling Past the Graveyard, I decided to read other books by Susan Crandall. I was quickly drawn in to the mystery surrounding the man who drops in on the small town called Glens Crossing. It seems like the author merged some of the best characteristics of Morelli and Ranger (Janet Evanovich) in creating the hero, Will Scott.
April 26, 2009
I really liked this book. It wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be. It gave me a feeling a suspense that made me want to keep reading to the very last page. I really liked the story and felt the end was nice too.
August 4, 2012
This was really good! Kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the secret behind the handsome stranger who came to town and figure out what happened to the missing girl and see the love story develop!
May 28, 2009
Favorite Quotes:
"The crumbling cliff of sanity shook under her feet."
"There was something about a guilty conscience that loosened a tongue faced with silence."
"The crumbling cliff of sanity shook under her feet."
"There was something about a guilty conscience that loosened a tongue faced with silence."
May 19, 2011
A very good read. Interesting, a lot of intrigue, kept you wondering all through. Great ending. First time reading Susan Crandall. Will definitely read more of her work.
July 13, 2012
The sheriff was turning 30 and life in a small town was boring. A tall dark stranger came to town and though mysterious, she trusted him but the whole town thought he had kidnapped a missing girl.
July 19, 2013
Easy, interesting mystery, but too much "romance" for me.
September 28, 2013
way too predictable and descriptive... not one of my favorites
February 14, 2014
I really liked this story of a small town female sheriff. And then there is the stranger who comes to town. Things start to happen.
December 1, 2015
Predictable storyline
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews