Goodbye, She Lied

Esbeth Walters Mystery #3

by Russ Hall

Reluctant amateur detective Esbeth Walters, in her seventies, must face one of her greatest fears when she goes after con artists who are fleecing residents of rest homes. Stir in law enforcers who hope she stumbles, a death that looks anything like the suicide it was ruled, and the presence of a couple of hit men hired out to the mob and you have a stew that makes the tiny Texas town of Fearing a hotter place than usual for her. But she isn’t about to say goodbye just yet . . . or is she?

241 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2007

About the author

Russ Hall is author of more than thirty-five books and coauthor of numerous other books. He has been an editor for major publishing companies, ranging from Harper & Row (now HarperCollins), Simon & Schuster, to Pearson. In 2011, he was awarded the Sage Award, by The Barbara Burnett Smith Mentoring Authors Foundation—a Texas award for the mentoring author who demonstrates an outstanding spirit of service in mentoring, sharing and leading others in the mystery writing community. He lives in Lago Vista, on the north shore of Lake Travis near Austin, where he hikes, fishes, and tends a herd of deer that visit daily to peep in the office window and help with the writing.

Reviews

[Denise Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this Esbeth Walters mystery, the old lady detective ends up solving a couple of interconnected mysteries: the deaths of the elderly residents of an assisted living facility and the death/suicide of a con man. Colorful characters and even more colorful and snappy dialogue add to the ambience. With reluctant assistance from local cops, a Texas Ranger and an FBI agent, the feisty old gal follows the clues through this Central Texas small town. Meeting Gardner Burke, a retired medical professional, brings up the possibility of a late life romance for Esbeth.

[Crystal Toller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esbeth Walters is asked by a friend to investigate a con going on a local rest home. She ends up befriending a resident who helps her in her investigation. She is also hired by a local woman to look into the death of her husband because the wife knows her husband did not commit suicide. How Esbeth with her friend, Gardner Burke, a former forensic pathologist, find the answers to the mysteries makes for a very good read.

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the title and was engaged enough by the plot to finish the book, but the writing was pretty awkward. I kept stopping to think how I would rewrite the author's sentences. Also--I was annoyed by this repeated theme of nursing home residents' "Medicare running out." That's not how Medicare works, and it doesn't pay for nursing home residence. Equally annoyed by cigar-store Indian portrayal of one of the villains, Redbear. And the trying-too-hard folksy metaphors.

[Lynda Lock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, fun read with charming characters. Discovered this author on a book promotion, and I plan to go back and read the first two novels in the series.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

A library find.
July 2025.
Never to old to be a great detective.
Enjoyable.
Great for a lazy day read.

[Jessica Sinn (Books and Trouble) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friends always laugh at me for being the only Murder She Wrote fanatic without blue hair and a walker. What they don’t realize is that J.B. Fletcher is a hip, hip lady, who exemplifies the meaning of Girl Power! Not only is she a snazzy dresser (love the khaki trench coat!), but she is also a brazen, balls-to-the-wall crime fighter who puts local law enforcement to shame. That’s what I love about amateur women detectives! And that’s why I had such a great time accompanying Esbeth Walters – a Texified Mrs. Marple – on her quest to help her pal “Boose” find the con artists who cheated his elderly mother out of $64,000.

A retired school teacher and full-time sleuth, Esbeth is the kind of woman that good ol’ Texas boys would call a ‘pistol.’ Much like my girl J.B. Fletcher, the sleuthing senior gets nothing but eye rolls and condescending remarks from local law enforcement. But that doesn’t stop her from taking on a new case when a friend in need comes knocking on her door. When Boose – an endearingly cantankerous rough-n-tough Texan – asked her to find the tricksters who stole his mother’s rest-home fund, she reluctantly answers the call of duty. After snooping around the local nursing home – run by a shifty director and an imposing nurse with about as much warmth as a prison guard – Esbeth discovers Boose’s mom wasn’t the only resident who was bamboozled by money-grubbing grifters. She soon stumbles upon another mystery when a damsel in distress enlists her help in proving her husband’s bizarre car accident was not a suicide. With the help of her elderly sidekick, Gardner Burke (who, if this ever became a movie, could be played by Clint Eastwood), Esbeth unearths (literally) connections between the two mysteries and discovers her cozy Hill Country hamlet is a hotbed for swindlers and cold-blooded murderers.

I’m not sure what disturbed me the most about this mystery, the two ruthless hit men who like their weapons a little too much, or Esbeth’s foreboding dread of living her last remaining years in a grim rest home that reeks of Lysol and death. This book definitely left me feeling a little uneasy in many ways. But that’s not to say I didn’t have a heck of a good time reading it!

This read is perfect to snuggle up to with a steaming mug of chai tea – my fave! With the nights getting darker and colder, what better than a good murder mystery with a good dollop of Texas grit thrown in too! Thanks Russ, for creating another fun and feisty female detective series. Keep em’ coming!

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad. It's not a mystery when portions of the book are about the killer (including identity) and the deaths victims.


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.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Retired math teacher Esbeth Walters is reluctantly persuaded to help a friend whose mother has been swindled and who has, in consequence, been expelled from her nursing home. Actually, that's the best thing that could have happened to Mrs. Hargate, because Esbeth soon learns that strange things happen in the nursing home. Then there's the man who is said to have committed suicide, though his wife thinks he was murdered. Crooks of all stripes seem to be congregating in Fearing, TX, and the lawmen may not be the best ones to figure out what's going on.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol)]

My edition is paperback.