ROYSTON

by Vallorie Wood

Detective Rusk Brooks leaves Atlanta to take a position with the Royston Police Department and moves to the small North Georgia town. He hopes to leave behind the pain of loss and grief. A familiarity to the area pulls him to Royston. But the past he has evaded comes full circle when he meets Avala Royston, a reporter for the local paper. She tells him about a twenty-year-old case involving a man shot in the head and stomach. Newspaper accounts never reported the incident. Even more, the police department deemed it a suicide. Avala wants to use the story as a plot for her first book. Rusk is uncomfortable exploiting the man's death. He tries to dissuade her, but she innocently pushes him through a door he isn't sure he wants to open.

344 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2023

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a suspense murder mystery set in a rural small town in northeast Georgia. The unusual level of description in Royston gives the book a cinematic feel, and one could see how the story would make a fantastic film.. There are two main characters, Avala, a young small town newspaper reporter, whose real ambition is to become a novelist. ( Don’t they all?}She’s from the area, so she’s able to bring her vast knowledge of the town to her writing both for the newspaper and her impending novel. She becomes inspired by an old suicide she learns about that seems suspicious, and decides to use the matter as the basis of a novel that she wants to write. The second is a newly widowed detective, Rusk, who comes to learn that he has a connection to the events that Avala wants to write about. The two end up working together to solve the mystery associated with the suspicious suicide. Organized crime and corruption motivate events in the story, which are softened by descriptions of the love of close friends and family. There are surprises until the end. The balance of mystery and love really works as the story unfolds. Recommended!

[Nancie Blume · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story about home

I live just outside of Royston, GA, but even if I didn't - I would have still LOVED this book! ❤️

Wonderful writing, and the author obviously knows the area, customs, and history. Such a page-turner and so easy to get hooked on! You can tell she puts a LOT of time and research into her characters, scenery, and surroundings.

The history was great and I could totally see this happening in our town! Loved Rusk and Avala's banter as she's trying to write a mystery novel - so much fiction and truth intertwined! I even recognized several people, so it felt like reading about home!

I was lucky enough to meet the author at our local festival! Royston was my first but definitely not my last! Highly recommend! Well worth your time!

[Elaine Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome suspense story

Wow! What a great suspense story. I live near this town, and it was awesome reading about places that I am familiar with. Love watching Rusk and Avala banter together as she is trying to write a mystery novel. It was great his so much of the victim and truth entertained. Well worth your time to read.

[Karen Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book!

Vallorie Neal Wood is a wonderful writer! I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great. I love the setting of the town of Royston.

[Dee Ann Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed the story and the mysterious nature of the characters. I loved knowing that the story was about a town near us and had relatable places.