Close To the Broken Hearted

Detective Leah Teal #2

by Michael Hiebert

In this riveting new novel from Michael Hiebert, a killer's release is the catalyst for shocking revelations in a small Southern town. . .

At twenty-two, Sylvie Carson has known a lifetime's worth of trouble. When she was a child, her baby brother was shot to death by a man named Preacher Eli. Orphaned by her teens, Sylvie is now raising her own baby with no partner in sight. For all these reasons, Leah Teal, Alvin, Alabama's only detective, tries to stay patient when Sylvie calls the station day and night, always with some new false alarm. But now Preacher Eli is out of prison and moving back to town.

As far as the law is concerned, the old man has paid his dues--though Leah's twelve-year-old son, Abe, vehemently disagrees. Between that and his relentless curiosity about the daddy he hardly knew, Abe's imagination is running in all directions lately. While Leah struggles with how much of the past to reveal to Abe, she's also concerned about Sylvie's mounting panic. Something in her gut tells her the girl might be a target after all. For as Leah knows well, there's danger not just in the secrets others keep from us, but in the lies that corrupt from within. It's a hunch that will be tested soon enough, as tensions mount on both sides.

Evoking the South with depth and grace, Michael Hiebert's poignant, gripping novel captures the strength wrought by heartache and lost innocence--and the transformative power of forgiveness, whenever it comes. . .

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Southern, Audiobook, Crime, Family

312 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2012

About the author

Michael Hiebert is the award-winning author of many books and short stories. He is the author of Dream with Little Angels, the first book of his acclaimed Alvin, Alabama Mystery Series. His recent work includes The Rose Garden Arena Incident (A Serial Thriller in Seven Parts) and Sometimes the Angels Weep, his first collection of short stories. He won the Surrey International Writers’ Conference Storyteller Award two years running, and his story My Lame Summer Journal by Brandon Harris, Grade 7 was listed by Joyce Carol Oates as one of the top fifty most distinguished mystery stories published in The Best American Mystery Stories. He lives in British Columbia, Canada, with his three children and dog, Chloe.

Be sure to check out his website at http://www.michaelhiebert.com and sign up for VIP access and be eligible for all sorts of free stuff. Michael can be contacted by email at michael@michaelhiebert.com

Reviews

[Deanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really don't like giving bad reviews, but I don't see another way around it here. I had such high hopes for this book, and I was sorely disappointed. I think the author's attempt at writing in such a southern dialect bothered me most of all. I love that the book was set in Alabama--it's what drew my attention in the first place--and sure, we have more than our share of southern drawl around here. However, it just never rang true in the book. We have plenty of strange phrases and sayings, but a few sayings go a long way in the dialogue in a book. There were inconsistencies, where improper grammar seemed thrown in just for effect. Also? Mobile doesn't have a beach, with waves and sand, as the narrator supposedly remembers.

Other than these offenses, which admittedly probably wouldn't bother a non-native Alabamian near as much, the story just didn't hold up that well. The mysteries I was interested in (the preacher and his secrets) turned out to be less than interesting, and the big reveal at the end was lacking as well.

[Gail Strickland · Rating 1 out of 5]

There should be a law, strictly enforced, that no one...no one...can write and then publish a novel about the South without either living below or being born below the Mason-Dixon Line. If you're Canadian, as Hiebert is, it isn't enough to simply "ask" one of your friends about the South-at least go visit and for goodness sake's LISTEN to the natives..our speech may be colorful, but we DO use proper tenses, not the awful mess portrayed here.

[Judy Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A special thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

CLOSE TO THE BROKEN HEARTED by Michael Hiebert is captivating, hooking me from the first page to the end. A suspense page-tuner, you will not be able to put down, keeping you guessing until the end.

These well-developed rich characters will pull you into their troubled world, dark past, and mysteries of this small southern town of Alvin, Alabama, extending to Columbus, Georgia.

However, more importantly than the mystery---the family dynamics, and lovable characters, for a heartwarming and poignant story. I was definitely intrigued by the front cover, drawing you into the mystery behind the house, and the doors to the downstairs cellar.

Sylvia Carson (age 22) suffers from a traumatic past, as she witnessed the tragedy of her three year old baby brother, shot and killed in the family kitchen at home, by Preacher Eli, over a land dispute with her father--when she was only five years old. The novel flashes from past to present with a full background into the characters.

Shortly thereafter, her mom was found dead in their barn, and her father, Tom Carson, commits suicide, on the land as well. Why were three people in this family, killed on this southern farm—an ongoing mystery? (not great for re-sale value). The only remaining family member is Sylvia, and she is hanging by a thread with PTSD. She becomes orphaned, and later marries the high school football star, Orwin; until he is hurt and has no college football future-- He leaves Sylvia with raising of her baby, which is still nameless. This poor girl cannot get a break!

Next, meet the Teal family Leah, a widow, single mother of two (Abe 12, and Carry 15) a detective in this small Alabama town of Alvin. Leah’s dad, now deceased happened to be the police officer working the Carson case (Sylvia’s family), years ago and the motivating force behind Leah’s joining the police force, to support her family.

Shortly after the book opens, the news of Preacher Eli’s release from prison, leaving Sylvia fearful of her life as well as her baby daughter. Now, strange things begin happening in and around Sylvia’ house in the woods, and she is constantly calling the police station, regarding these happenings. The local police do not take her claims seriously; however, Leah takes them quite seriously, and begins taking Sylvia under her wing, to offer protection as she begins to dig for answers.

Preacher Eli has done his time in prison and has moved back to Alvin. Why, and what is he after? Perhaps, unfinished land business? Is Sylvie a target and is she safe? Who is tormenting her, and trying to drive her out of her mind? There are secrets, and lies as tension and suspense builds, will Leah be able to get to Sylvia in time to save her. Will Sylvia be able to save her baby, when she was unable to save her little brother?

Leah sets off on an investigation of her own. However, one mistake- she takes her son Abe on a visit in the woods to Preacher Eli, to offer a warning. Abe was one of the most endearing characters---loved him! An inquisitive twelve-year- old boy (much smarter and older than his years), desperately wanting to know more about his father. His mom Leah, put his death aside and never talked about him, guarding her own heart. In doing so, Abe is always searching for answers about his father and family, keeping his dad’s photo close, as he was so young when he died.

When a mysterious woman follows Abe and his best friend, Dewey on their bikes, she informs him she is his dad’s sister and he has grandparents. He is delighted; however, the news was disturbing to his mom, as she never knew her husband had any family.

Abe thinks Eli is not to be trusted, and between this and his relentless curiosity about the dad he hardly knew, Abe's imagination is running in all directions. While Leah struggles with how much of the past to reveal to Abe, she's also concerned about Sylvie's mounting panic. Something in her gut tells her the girl might be a target after all.

Abe and his friend Dewey are always thinking of things to do in this small town. Readers will fall in love with them ----Abe is the smart one, yet untrusting of others. Dewey, his friend sees himself as an inventor—adventurous, these two remind you of classic boys in the south fighting desperately to escape and see the world. I enjoyed how Heibert cared about Abe, making the reader care about the simple and humorous life of a twelve year old in a southern town.

Between Leah’s job as detective, and her son’s Abe investigative tactics, there is much drama in this town-- Especially when taking on Sylvia and her issues. Since her husband’s death, Leah has kept her life and her husband a closed off topic and has never been able to discuss or share her grief with her family.

The relationship between Leah and her children, especially Abe was an integral part of the novel, more so with Abe than her teenage daughter, Carry. She and Abe have a special bond, as is with mothers and sons. (I have sons as well, so can relate). She is a hard working mother, involved all hours in police business, taking time away from her children, yet she is a good mother, with a big heart, yet independent –at work and home, earning the respect of others.

There are many broken hearts in the novel---A broken heart can happen when we lose a loved one such as a spouse or a child or even a beloved pet. Metaphorically, it is that emotional aching in your chest that happens when you are deeply disappointed or grieved over a life circumstance. I enjoyed the relation to religion, church, and spirituality. The Bible has many other verses that can encourage the brokenhearted as well. “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” (Psalms 34:18). We can be healed and delivered from a broken heart.

CLOSE TO THE BROKEN HEARTED, #2 a thought-provoking novel, which will capture your heart--one of loss and love, the power to forgive, and start anew. Michael Hiebert is quite the storyteller, and enjoyed his inspiration for his coming-of-age mystery, DREAM OF LITTLE ANGELS #1, read them both.

JDCMustReadBooks

Stay tuned for Hiebert's (An Alvin, Alabama Novel #3) A THORN AMONG THE LILIES Coming 6/30/15.

[Deborah aka Reading Mom · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Like the first in the Alvin, Al. series, this book had good parts and not-so-good parts. I found the author's use of so-called Southern vernacular speech annoying, especially since he was so inconsistent with it. The main character, Leah, is a detective in the small town police department raising two children alone after her husband's death in an auto accident. At times she speaks quite well with proper grammar, at other times (sometimes in the same paragraph) she seems barely literate. I had trouble believing both in the first book and this one that she would take her children into potentially dangerous situations involving murderers during her investigations. I also had difficulties in both books with her constant warnings of "language" if her children cursed (or came near to doing so), but her speech was filled with cursing. Maybe the problem is that the author is a Canadian and just doesn't really understand the South about which he tries to write. The first Alvin, Al. book, "Dream With Little Angels" contained many references to the Baptist religion and the church that Leah and her children attend. He mentioned large crucifixes in the church and also a Virgin Mary medallion that Leah wears. Anyone familiar with the Baptist churches of the south understands that there would NOT be crucifixes on display and that they do not venerate Mary, making it very unlikely that the Baptist heroine of the story would be wearing one.

At the end of the book, Leah is discussing family memories with her son, Abe, and tells him of all the times (before the death of his dad) that they went as a family to the beach in Mobile, Al. I've been to Mobile many times and there are no beaches and no ocean in that city.

Maybe the books just don't resonate with me or maybe the author just needs to do better research to be more realistic in his settings, but the references to his writings as being on the par with To Kill A Mockingbird made me laugh. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

[Dee Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well-developed plot could have been much more enjoyable if Hiebert had taken the necessary hours to tighten his sentences, eliminating details and unnecessary words that had me wanting to edit every other page. Who cares what color the décor was in every new room a character entered? Or the endless array of food or intricate details of church services? All of this could have been pulled together in a way that would have moved the mystery along.

It was all I could do to keep from skipping entire chapters, turning over to the last few pages to find out who of the interesting characters were most correct in their foregone conclusions. I'm glad I didn't because the ending was worth muddling through all 308 pages, even though 200 would have probably made my experience far more pleasurable.

[natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Good Reads for allowing me the chance to win this book. Second, it's not often anymore that I like a book so much that I don't want to put it down. This Michael Hiebert's book was sure a big surprise to me

This isn't my usual kind of book. I don't remember ever reading anything like it before. The characters were made very real and the suspense was great. And I never dreamed of the ending and that's a big part of what made this a 5 star book for me.

[Maureen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Amateurish writing...I'm involved enough in the story to want to see the outcome...but just barely.

Almost done. Could not be soon enough. This book is such an example of poor writing. Hiebert needs an editor at the very least to edit out mundane details that do nothing to advance the story, add colour or develop character. Character speech patterns come and go. I could buy Leah speaking to a colleague in proper English and lapsing with her kids, but Abe talks to Dewey and lapses out of what Hiebert feels is Southern speech, back to proper English. I also take exception to how silly it is that a seasoned detective would not think about who has keys to a place that had a break and enter and left the place locked tightly up.

The professional review writers who in their jacket blurbs compare this book to To Kill A Mockingbird must have been high. Seriously?

Finished. Does not get better. Can't believe this is not a self published work. It had an editor and was promoted. The mind boggles at how many amazing writers are out there whose work will never see the light of day...and this gets published.

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe this should be titled "Murder, He Writ". This is the second book I've read by this author, and while I liked it better than the first, it still suffers from the same affliction. As a Canadian writing about the Deep South, one would think the author would do a bit more research than a quick thank you to a friend in the acknowledgments about life in the South. Every character is constantly dropping Gs, saying things like "That's how it were" and referencing their ma and pa. (And I reckon you could make a drinking game out of the number of times someone says "I reckon", but be prepared - you'll be wasted by the end of chapter two). It's not so much that this feels insulting to those of us that live in the South, but it quite distracts from the story, which isn't half bad. Mr. Hiebert obviously has the ability to tell a good tale, it's just so full of nonsensical chatter that it's hard to focus on anything else. So basically, if you enjoy a good stereotype, then by all means check this out. But for those of you that prefer your stories with more authenticity, give this one a pass.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so good!

This is a story set around Alabama. There is only one Detective in this small little town.

Sylvie's little brother was shot to death when she was only a little child herself, the culprit was Preacher Eli.

Eli has served his time. He is due to be released.

Sylvie is obsessed that things are happening or 'going' to happen and Leah the Detective tries to curb Sylvie's fears.

Secrets that you keep.....
This is a thing that is happening here....

Not EVERYONE is settled that Eli has done 'his time'
Not everyone is at peace
Least of all
Sylvie

Sylvie has gut feelings that life may be in danger again.......


This is the first book I have read by Michael Hiebert and happened upon it on Net Galley, I was granted this to read and review by Kensington Books who I would like to thank.


This is a very welcome thriller.

[Fictionophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part mystery, part coming-of-age tale, part southern gothic, “Close to the broken hearted” was an easy, enjoyable read. I will keep Michael Hiebert on my favorite authors list.

Read my full review of "Close to the broken hearted" on my blog: Fictionophile

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book was ok. The characters were fine but there were two stories going on and I kept waiting for them to merge together somehow. Told from Leah’s point of view and her son’s point of view was a bit odd for me as they were talking about two different things/events. I kept waiting for something more to happen. I think maybe if we could have gotten more into the stories it could have been more interesting.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to the broken hearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit

Leah Teal is the only police detective in the tiny town of Alvin, Alabama and the only one willing to take the constant calls from Sylvie Carson seriously. Sylvie, who lives just outside of town with her new baby has lived a life of constant sorrow: first the killing of her baby brother when she was five by preacher Eli Brown who was aiming for her father over a land dispute; then the murder of her mother by a follower of Brown; then by her father’s suicide; and finally the abuse by and then desertion of her baby’s father. Now Eli has been released and just as he returns home, strange and sinister things are happening at Sylvie’s place. Leah may believe her but Eli denies it all and since, according to the law, he has paid his dues, there is nothing she can do without proof and whoever is terrorizing Sylvie, if it’s not all in her head, never leaves any traces.

Beside Leah’s story, which is told in the third person is that of her son, 12-year-old Abe who speaks in the first person. Abe was only two when his father died and Leah’s refusal to talk of it leaves Abe feeling like part of his life and his past is missing. When he learns about relatives he didn’t know he had, he is thrilled but Leah is less so. When Leah takes Abe with her to call on the preacher, he is convinced that Brown is evil even as Leah begins to have doubts about the preacher’s guilt. Abe and his best friend are determined that, if Leah can’t prove Eli’s guilt, they will do it for her.

Close to the Broken Hearted by author Michael Hiebert is the second in a series set in Alabama in the 1980s. It is both a compelling mystery and a coming-of-age tale. It provides a taut tight mystery but the antics of Abe and his inventor friend, Dewey provide a nice touch of humour to the novel. Perhaps not surprising, religion plays a big role in the story both good and bad. It is about the solace that religion can give to those broken in spirit but it also shows how destructive religion can be when accompanied by pride. Fortunately, it never becomes over-preachy and, to be honest, despite my own lack of religion, I get the healing power of gospel music. Mainly though, this is a story about the power of forgiveness and second chances, the ability of the human spirit to survive and heal, about the need to grieve and the importance of memory and family.

[Rowena Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intriguing mystery is also an insightful look at the impact of unresolved grief.

In a dispute over land Preacher Eli accidentally shoots three-year-old Caleb Carson. Seventeen years later Eli is released from prison and back in Alvin – and Sylvie, the only surviving Carson, and her newborn daughter are being terrorised. Abe Teal, the young son of the widowed local detective, is convinced Eli is the perpetrator. When his mother dismisses his claims he sets out to prove it. Concerned for her young son as well as Sylvie and her baby Detective Leah Teal digs into Eli’s past and discovers a lot more to the seventeen-year-old case than she imagined. Was the shooting really an accident and did Eli have a hand in the subsequent deaths of Sylvie’s parents? And who is the stranger claiming to be her dead husband’s sister when Leah knows he had no family?

Close to the Broken Hearted is a stellar mystery blended with the small town charm of To Kill a Mockingbird, particularly in the refreshingly disarming voice of Abe Teal. Leah is an interesting character and the mystery she seeks to solve is engrossing, yet it is Abe and his friend Dewey who make this novel shine. Abe’s longing to know a father who died when he was only two and the secret about his father’s family is a nice addition and a quality story in itself. The two stories generally work well together though there are times when one storyline is diminished for the sake of the other. The clever revelation of information, however, keeps up the tension. What is really going on with Sylvie, a young woman dismissed by most of the community as unbalanced by her brother’s tragic death, and the truth about Abe’s father are questions that keep your interest until the last page.

Close to the Broken Hearted is a unique mix of suspense and Southern warmth. I look forward to reading more from this quality writer.

[Tonya Bangart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of Close to the Broken Hearted for the purpose of this review and as part of the Spa Week Book Club.

This novel starts with a scene that will haunt you well after you finish the book. Though it is powerful and disturbing, it sets the scene for the emotional mystery to follow.

You cannot help but get drawn into the lives of these characters. We are sympathetic to the tragic past and traumatized present of Sylvie. We feel a connection to Leah... the police officer and mother with her own traffic past. And, we have our comic relief in Leah's son Abe.

The release of Preacher Eli, the man who killed Sylvie's brother when they were young children, has been released from prison. A series of mysterious events are shedding a bad light on the preacher and driving Sylvie to hysteria. Leah is the only one taking Sylvie seriously... all while dealing with her son's growing interest in his deceased father... a death she has yet to deal with herself. The stories all mingle together. Though your perspective changes with each person, you're taken there seamlessly and logically. Very well written.

This novel is what I would call a summer read. There is drama and a mystery to solve, but overall it is a story about people and perceptions. The back of the book has a great reading group guide for further exploring the topics. I found the questions interesting to ponder over within myself, too... though it has me wanting to seek out a reading group to discuss this with!

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Close To The Broken Hearted is set in the same fictional small town of Alvin, Alabama as the author's previous novel Dream With Little Angels. Detective Leah Teal has been receiving lots of calls at the station from young mother Sylvie Carson, her colleague Chris thinks she's phoning with false alarms and is crazy but as stranger things start happening Leah isn't so sure. Years ago, during an argument over land, Sylvie watched as her three year old brother was shot dead by Preacher Eli. He's just been released from prison, could he be behind it all?

As well as having this to deal with Leah is also bringing up her two children, fifteen year old Caroline and twelve year old Abe, alone. Her husband was killed in a car crash ten years ago and now Abe's twelve he's asking more and more questions about his Dad.

I enjoyed Dream With Little Angels so was delighted to see the author had written another novel surrounding the same characters. Indeed for me the story is as much about the relationship between Abe and his mother as it is the crime that needs to be solved. The prologue is as heartbreaking as anything else I've read before and Michael Hiebert is a very good storyteller, I hope this isn't the last book about the Teal family, it would be lovely to meet them all again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for my copy in return for an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The books opens up with a bang. Literally. A little boy is killed right in front of his parents and young sister, Sylvie. This traumatic event shapes Sylvie's life, along with the murder of her mother and death of her father. Leah Teal, the first female detective in the small town is Sylvie's only ally. Leah is also suffering from the death of her husband and raising two children on her own. Everyone thinks Sylvie is crazy, she calls the police station nonstop. Then the Preacher who killed Sylvie's brother is released from prison and it looks like he's behind all the craziness happening to Sylvie. Leah's son Abe and his friend Dewey add comedic relief to the book and they seem to come with some crazy schemes. I enjoyed the camouflaging with fir tree branches part. Painting his sister's toes was another great moment. I never guessed the ending and was glad that Sylvie finally named her baby. I really liked reading about the characters and learning about their back story. There are many plots and stories in the book and a mystery that needed to be solved. I can't wait to rad more about Alvin, Alabama.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would've given this book 4 stars, it was so close.

This novel started out with a bang and caught my attention right away. The plot developed quickly, there was some suspense that made me want to keep reading to see what was next. And yet, after all the build up, I found the ending to be markedly anticlimactic. There was some character breakdown and everything ended just a bit too abruptly and too neatly for what had been presented earlier in the novel.

One aspect that irked me was how the characters "spoke" (sorry, can't think of the literary term off the top of my head). Most of the time, they presented with a backwater, redneck drawl, which is what the author intended, I believe. And then, mid conversation, they started speaking like scholars, gramatically correct with no regional language or slang in sight. That irritated me. Stick with one or the other.

In essence, if the conclusion to this book had been a little richer, I would've rated this book with four stars. I did enjoy reading it, but felt deflated at the end, like I didn't get my fill. I would recommend it to fellow readers and I intend to read other books by Hiebert in the future.

[Jenn Belden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in a clear Southern voice, from both the first-person perspective of young Abe Teal as an imaginative boy living in Alvin, Alabama and a third-person perspective of his mother, Detective Leah Teal - a style I found very interesting.

Abe's voice is so clear in its innocence and earnestness - he was delightful, and the kind of kid you hope yours would befriend.

It's beautifully written, and evokes a strong picture of place and the characters, and the theme of forgiveness is felt strongly throughout. I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for Hiebert's debut novel, Dream with Little Angels, as it also features Abe and Leah.

Comparisons have been made to Hiebert's stories to Harper Lee's "to Kill a Mockingbird", and as that is a favorite of mine, I thought it was a pretty serious claim - but I have found it holds up. Definitely worth a read. Enjoy!

My full review can be found on my website, Momma on the Rocks http://wp.me/p16nhR-1dV

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
All comments are mine only.

[Dawn Cronk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow there are so many plots and stories in this novel. It is set in Alvin, Alabama, where the author's first book (Dream with Little Angels)was also set. Leah is a police officer trying to raise her two children alone, as she is widowed. Abe is 12 and asking lots of questions about his dad, which Leah doesn't like to answer as she has issues dealing with her own loss. She is trying to help Sylvia, who is a young mother with a tragic past. Sylvia keeps calling the police station about things that are happening. Preacher Eli, the man who killed Sylvia's 3-year old brother has been released from prison. Leah tries to solve mysteries from the past to solve problems in the present. It was a well-written book, lots of mystery, intrigue, and heartbreak. I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Donna Prather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read reviews that compared this book to To Kill a Mockingbird. This is a book worth a read, okay? The plot is sound, the characters are believable and fleshed, and the narrative keeps you reading. But, you won't be quoting lines from it twenty years from now.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the second "Alvin, Alabama" mystery, Leah Teal's dual careers as a police detective and a single mom collide once again. On one hand, she uses her detective skills to check the background of family on her late husband Billy's side, whom she never knew existed until a woman claiming to be Billy's sister shows up in town. On the other hand, daughter Carry, 15, and son Abe, 12, are in the car with her during her climactic race to the scene where a fragile young woman and her three-month-old baby are at the mercy of an ax-wielding psychopath. But that's at the end of the story. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

In the first case, the main thing standing between Leah and clarity is her own grief over Billy's death 10 years earlier in a car accident. It isn't so much that she has gotten stuck between the denial and anger stages of grief, as that she has put off the whole process by packing away every picture of her dead husband, and refusing even to confront his memory. Meanwhile, Abe is so desperate to know more about the father he doesn't remember, he carries in his wallet a photo of Billy that he stole from a box in his mother's bedroom closet. His questions about the grandparents and aunt he never knew he had become so persistent that Leah would have good reason to worry about Abe taking matters into his own hands. After all, Abe is also staking out his - and her - lead suspect in the other case, the one that ends with an ax-wielding psychopath battering down another single mom's front door.

I mentioned Sylvie Carson is fragile. You would be, too, if you lived every day with the memory of seeing your baby brother blown to smithereens in front of you when you were five years old. The man responsible for doing it, a sometime preacher with a hair-trigger temper and designs on the Carson family farm, has just gotten out of prison and moved back to Alvin. The timing coincides perfectly with a series of incidents in which it seems someone is trying to drive Sylvie crazy - ranging from rearranging the junk in her back yard to killing her cat with rat poison. No one else on the Alvin police force takes Sylvie's constant alarms seriously. But something about Preacher Eli's show of repentance smells off to Leah, and as she digs deeper, she begins to doubt the findings of the original investigations of the deaths of both Sylvie's parents - one a suicide, the other a murder for which a man went to the electric chair. But the truth is... Well, you didn't think it was going to be that easy, did you?

Like the previous installment in this series, Dream with Little Angels, this book is a more or less equal mixture of crime thriller and family drama, told partly in Abe's precocious, picaresque first-person voice, and partly in third-person narrative that mostly follows Leah's movements, and sometimes Sylvie's. It is a mystery in which an obvious suspect obscures a slightly less obvious suspect only for a while; but even after whodunit becomes completely clear, the thrills and chills have only just begun. Style-wise, the book is written with attractive clarity and economical lyricism, with a mild tendency to let grammatically iffy southernisms slip in even in the third-person passages.

Apparently, the ruse works, because in spite of being written by a present-day Canadian author, the book fills the senses with a vivid impression of its 1988, southern-U.S. setting. Not that I've spent much time in Alabama, to judge. But I've read books written by residents of my own county in Missouri whose characters sounded less convincingly like they belonged here, and whose scenery did not come to life in the imagination in as much detail. Even though Alvin isn't a real place on the map of Alabama, it lives in the hearts and minds of anyone who has read Hiebert's work. That work, by the way, includes two more Alvin, Ala. sequels - A Thorn Among the Lilies and Sticks and Stones - the serialized thriller Rose Garden Arena Incident, the stand-alone novels Dolls and Darkstone, and the short story collection Sometimes the Angels Weep.

[Kelsey Hanson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to like this series, partly because it has a decent atmosphere, but dang it it's just not that good! I think my biggest frustration with the fact that Leah is a hot mess! She makes so many bad decisions over the course of this book. She acts more like a sullen teenager getting over a break up than a grieving widow. She's shockingly immature about her husband's death and completely oblivious to the way that it's affecting her children (despite the fact that this was a major theme in the previous novel). On a professional level, she is an awful detective too. You don't bring children to crime scenes! There are too many reasons to list here why that is a bad idea. In addition to that, she is so obsessed with father Eli she completely misses the ACTUAL criminal for much of the novel. Once again she also gives Abe WAY too much credit. He is mature for his age (to be fair he isn't quite the font of wisdom that he was in the previous novel and acts a bit more normal), but he is not THAT mature. Carrie also seems way younger than a child.

The actual writing of this book is also a bit weak. I'll admit, I'm reading this north of the Mason-Dixon line and I haven't been to the south lately, but a lot of reviewers here have expressed frustration with his depictions and even I can tell that the accents come and go. Like the previous book, there's also a vague message about racism in the background but nothing ever comes of it... again. The mystery itself has a lot of revelations that are thrown in at the last minute so you're never really presented with any suspects. And when Sylvie says decides to name her baby Hope, I groaned out loud. IT HAS BEEN DONE!

I still enjoyed Dewey. He's a dimwit, but at least he intentionally written that way. And he does have a few moments of innovation that are kind of fun. Generally this book is okay, but I wish it could have been executed much better.

[Jodi Pomerleau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this one 3.5 stars...but it would have been a lot higher except for the one gigantic flaw...I loved the characters, the story line, the way Dewey and Abe are developing and growing. However the "mystery" part was definitely lacking...and here comes a huge SPOILER if you continue to read. When Leah went to Sylvie's to find that someone had been in the locked house and that there was no sign of a break in, Leah was not convinced that someone had ever been in the house, thinking there was no way for anyone to get into it without leaving a trace. I was screaming in my head..."Someone else has a key...like her loser boyfriend and he probably is trying to drive her crazy so he can get custody!" At that point the story was ruined for me. Any thinking person would consider that a rental house may have other keys floating around. I was so disappointed at this... I guess the reader was supposed to surmise that Sylvie was doing everything to gain attention, but that's not what this reader thought at all. But I am loving the family story and that was this novel's redeeming grace.

[Kyra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a pretty good read. Why am I so surprised?
Second surprise was it was written by a man. I buy most of my books off the used shelves at Goodwill, so the authors are often new to me. I belatedly checked halfway through this book, and I had been sure up to that point the author was a woman. Well done, Michael Hiebert! You write in a woman's voice extremely competently. Although your 12 year old narrator seems about 7 years old - that adolescent voice definitely could use some work. But a male Canadian writer narrating an Alabama woman detective's story? Wow. Overall, a well-written intriguing mystery with some strong characters. So...yes, a pretty good read.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen. There are flaws. But I thought the story was fantastic. I think there could have been more to the preacher story, but I’m not in the least disappointed. Listened to this in a day while painting. Laughed out loud at some of the ridiculous phrases that the grandparents used. Nearly dropped my paintbrush a couple of times in anticipation of a couple of scenes. Narrator was fantastic imo. Im sad the rest of the series isn’t on audible!!

[Julie Orozco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately it wasn’t all I had hoped it would be. The first chapter really drew me in but the unfolding of the story from that point was a let down. Abe was not a believable character in the way he was written and once the mystery is solved, it’s really odd and anticlimactic. I honestly wish the story line would’ve somehow led back to Preacher Eli—would’ve been more interesting.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not that I "didn't like it" so I didn't give it one star . . . but this book is so lame. Everyone has the same accent/vocal style and it got old. The story was clumsy with plenty of loose ends. Maybe they're addressed in the other Alvin books but I can't waste the time on them.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a pretty good book. I was surprised to see some poor reviews. It’s written mostly from a young boy’s perspective. I listened to this one on audiobook and the reader was good too. I’d give it a 3.5.

[Jessica Wooddell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the plot and the characters very much. The only thing I didn't like was the author's effort to make his characters sound southern. The dialogue didn't quite ring true in some spots. Overall, it was a good read.

[Alice Teets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thriller. Not too gruesome, but more than a cozy. Interesting use of two different POV. I liked it, but will pass it along; not a reread.