Reaping the Whirlwind: A Trent Tyson Historical Mystery

by Rosey Dow

For seventy-five years the truth about the pivotal evolution trial of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes has lain dormant in scholarly tomes. In honor of this landmark year, best-selling author Rosey Dow wrote Reaping the Whirlwind to reveal the behind-the-scenes action, the string pulling and conniving, the publicity stunts, and the humorous interaction of the players in this critical real-life drama.
"John Scopes was innocent," announces Ms. Dow. "He never taught evolution and, in fact, was not a biology teacher." Yet hundreds of reporters poured into tiny Dayton, Tennessee to see him tried and convicted. Radios across the nation broadcast every word of the trial to a populace with its ear pressed to the receiver determined not to miss a single word. Few knew the truth even then.

In page-turning fiction style, Rosey Dow weaves the factual account of the trial with a murder mystery to show this issue's relevance to modern America. In his foreword, Scopes Specialist Dr. Richard Cornelius says, "Rosey Dow has been meticulous in her research and painstaking in her attempts at historical accuracy." She portrays William Jennings Bryan as the quick-witted, compassionate man that he was and reveals the brilliant tactics used by Clarence Darrow to undercut his opponent. Definitive and compelling, Reaping the Whirlwind puts the past in perspective and plots a roadmap to the present.

Have you ever wanted to know the truth behind the famous Scopes trial but didn't want to take the time to pour over dry documents? Rosey Dow has woven a thrilling murder mystery around the actual historic facts of the trial, providing the reader an intriguing and entertaining way to understand the impact of this famous trial. A captivating story that makes history come alive?

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Historical, Fiction

386 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2000

About the author

Rosey Dow is a best-selling and award-winning author. Her novel, Reaping the Whirlwind, won a 2001 Christy Award for excellence in fiction. A former missionary and lifelong mystery buff, Rosey now makes her home in the South where she writes and speaks full time.

Reviews

[Sheila Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Rosey Dow for sending me this FREE ARC COPY as part of the book tour a few months ago. This was my first time reading a Cozy Mystery by Rosey so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say i really enjoyed this Victorian Era Mystery set in Chattanoga Tennessee.

The Characters were so fun and enjoyable to read about. I couldnt pick just one character as my favorite since i seemed to enjoy all of them.

The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in Victorian Era Tenessee while reading, especially when the scenery was described.

Overall a Fun and Enjoyable Cozy Mystery!! Can't wait to read more by Rosey in the future!!

[Book Reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. St. Clair claims that Mrs. Ida Johnson died from a heart attack, but her broken tea cup and tansy weed on her kitchen table tell another story. The apparently natural deaths of a homeless man, a congenitally disabled child, and others that followed right after her raise questions about what is happening in the town. Trent Tyson, the town's deputy sheriff, struggles to disclose the cold-blooded murder while maintaining the peace during The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow is a murder mystery rooted in the historical Scopes trial, in which a physics teacher is accused of teaching evolution to his class against the newly enacted law that prohibited the teaching of evolution in high schools.

Author Rosey Dow has done an excellent job of blending the fictional murder mystery with the events of the Scopes trial. The murder mystery is well-written and suspenseful, and it kept me guessing until the end. Unfortunately, there was no link between the murders and no motive strong enough behind them, and it spun my head around as to who could be the murderer.

It shed a lot of light on people's lifestyles in the twentieth century, and I found it to be very similar to small-town culture today, with some differences. The concise and analytic representation of the trial indicates the painstakingly thorough research that Dow has done. The reaction of the residents and business community is well depicted and demonstrates their efforts to attract tourists and businesses to Dayton. The book's clean romance between Trent Tyson and Nessa McKenzie is my favorite thing. However, this book could have been more fast-paced, but I enjoyed the introduction of all the characters, from boarding house owner Mrs. McKenzie to town gardener Elmer Bentley.

Reaping the Whirlwind is a captivating historical fiction novel and mystery story. Readers interested in the Scopes Trial of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee, will enjoy this fictional take on the case of teaching evolution and the historical ramification it had on the US. Education system. Fans of the murder mystery genre will also find it amusing.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read his full review on Rosepoint Publishing.

Dayton has always been a small town devoid of any fame, so they set up one of their teachers to take the fall for teaching The Theory of Evolution as opposed to Creation as the source of human kind.

The case attracts two of the most famous jurists of the early 20th century; Charles Darwin and William Jennings Bryant. Newspapers from all over the country begin to sensationalize the trial and the notoriety. The local deputy constable/detective, Tyson, is assigned the case.

Because Bryant and Darwin are coming to town every possible domicile is let. Meanwhile, some young people are mysteriously dying of poisoning. Between keeping order at the courthouse and trying to solve the cases of murder, Tyson has his hands full, but being a single parent, his first obligation must be his disabled daughter, Lori.

The author weaves a very intricate fabric of suspense into the story. Guarding the courthouse and maintaining order in this small town becomes challenging. Can Tyson solve the murders and foil the culprit? This is a fun and intricate story and plot line. Enjoy! 4 stars – CE Williams

Many thanks to Lana McAra and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Mandy Kell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I like to think of myself as a gardener. A gardener loves flowers. If he must root out a misshapen plant or snip off a dead head, that doesn't mean he loves his beautiful blossoms less. It means he's a tidy gardener. He's doing the landscape a favor. No one can blame him."⠀
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Rosey Dow, Reaping the Whirlwind⠀
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Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow is a Historical Whodunnit that combines true events with a fictional murder mystery.⠀
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The story follows Trent Tyson, a small town detective, as he tries to unravel a string of curious deaths while also maintaining peace during the famous Scopes trial of 1925. There is a lot of religion versus evolution discourse in the story and it is written from a Christian standpoint so the tension is high in several key scenes. ⠀
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The trial and murder mystery flow together well as the reader discovers more clues to the motive and identity of the killer. I will say I suspected just about everyone at one point or another and the mystery kept me on my toes. ⠀
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I loved the side characters but my favorites were Nessa, Trenton's sweet love interest, and Trenton's daughter. They had a calming presence in the midst of the tense investigation. The romance was clean and didn't overpower the other story points. ⠀
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Overall I give Reaping the Whirlwind ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for great use of a historical court case and a skillfully done cozy murder mystery. ⠀

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting historical read with a bit of mystery tied in. Deputy sheriff Tyson has finally found a place to settle down with his daughter, in a small quiet Tennessee town but it doesn't stay quiet for long. As numerous townsfolk start to die, he knows there is something sinister going on, even though often the doctor isn't agreeing with him but the evidence is proving otherwise. As the pieces are coming together, he is also now fearing his daughter's life might be in danger. While Tyson is trying to hunt down the poisoner amongst the town, a media circus is coming to town with one of their own teachers agreeing to be the scapegoat in a national attention-grabbing case, it is being hailed the trial of the century. Based on the true trial about evolution being taught in schools, in the Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes trial, Tyson now has to also pull double duty with keeping things in order while this is happening. I really enjoyed Tyson's character and the mystery of the culprit who believes in playing God is sought out adds an unexpected twist to this novel. Thank you to Travelling Pages tours for the invite and to the author for the free novel. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Rachelle LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reaping the Whirlwind is set in 1925 during Prohibtion and The John Scopes Trail.

Trent Tyson is a deputy sheriff in Dayton, TN. He is a widower living with his daughter Lori a the McGinty boarding house. While Tyson works, the owner Heddie and her daugher Nessa watches Lori.

A string of deaths begin to happen: first the elderly recluse, town's vagrant individual, a mentally slow teenager, another teenager with depression who appears to commit suicide, and a young girl whose heart was damaged by illness but died under suspicious circumstances after getting better.

While keeping the town order during the Scope trail, Tyson also has to figure who is behind the death of five before anyone else is targeted.

I enjoyed Reaping The Whirlwind; however, I felt it focused on the trial too much and should have split the plot between the trail and busting the moonshiners. Both events fit into the plot but the moonshiners only got two to three sentences in three different spots.

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Reaping the Whirlwind’ is a historical mystery beginning with Deputy Sheriff Trent Tyson investigating the killings happening in Dayton in the summer of 1925. Trent is after a killer who has decided to target those he deems unworthy members of Dayton’s population, so his task is not as easy as he thinks. On top of the main dilemma, his eyes are turned by Nessa, his landlady’s daughter.

As you continue reading, you notice all the accurately researched historical facts about the book. The author has made an effort to ensure the work is presented well. The writing is skillfully intriguing and stimulating.

The constant wonder of what’s going to happen next is, I believe, the best part of the book. The characters are wonderfully created and mesh really well together. The educational side of the book was also a nice addition.

I recommend this story to those who enjoy historical fiction.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 2 out of 5]

This well-researched but poorly presented historical novel is less a mystery than a polemic for creationism. Dow offers us a grab-bag of characters: a widowed police officer with a handicapped daughter and a flirtatious widower father, himself a retired police officer; a feisty Irish boarding-housekeeper, her beautiful fundamentalist daughter, and her teenage son, a student in John Scopes’ physics class; the town doctor, who loves to discuss Darwin’s theories over chess; a serial killer practicing eugenics; and assorted townspeople. The characters are well-differentiated, and the careful historical research shows through. The plot itself, however, is very contrived, and the Christian message is NOT presented subtly, but shouted from the rooftops. Not recommended.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fair warning - this book starts off a bit slow, but once you really get into it, you’ll find yourself wrapped up in the mystery. I liked the setting quite a bit - a small town, the Scopes trial, prohibition. The characters were interesting, but I wish they’d had a little more depth. They felt almost, but not quite real. I found the mystery to be quite intriguing - we know the murder weapon (a poisonous and fairly common weed), but not the why of the murders or who is committing them. Dow did an excellent job at capturing the small-town vibe, and Lori captured my heart from the start. Overall, an interesting mystery, but I would’ve appreciated faster pacing and a little more depth.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 4 out of 5]

1925, Tennessee - this book provides an accurate accounting of the events that forever changed the educational system. The town just wanted to be notorious... A teacher was set up to teach the Theory of Evolution... There's murder and mystery... Two famous jurists and the newspapers sensationalized the trial (like that would ever happen, cough, cough). I enjoyed the suspenseful way the story was delivered and admire the author's writing skills.

[Lauren L. Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay just gotta say LOVING the side characters!

The details were probably my second favorite, I know the main characters should be my first but 😂 nope the side characters are the best!

I love the mystery in the court, and the way it was able to capture my attention and keep it!

This author honestly is going places and I can't wait to read more

[Jonathan Carmona · Rating 5 out of 5]

This solidly engaging historical fiction read is awesome! I have re-read in several times. Its fun, enthralling and thrilling all at once! I love Rosey's style! That and its historically accurate content is incredible! Anyone who wants a personal and in depth look into this corner of America during the infamous Monkey Scopes Trial must read this book!

[Denise Mast · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dow does an amazingly accurate tale on a very important court case that affected education for decades to come. The book could be used as a historical work. She masterfully weaves a murder mystery in the midst of Dayton TN setting. A worthwhile read….

[Roxanne Bocyck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book and found the story to be interesting because the story brings to light a historical trial while at the same time has the reader guessing "whodunit". I can see why it won The Christy Award!

[Brenda Stensney · Rating 3 out of 5]

A history lesson

The side story was much more interesting than the central theme. A little long and got a little boring. All in all a good read

[Jenny Dohner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. Great characters, good mystery, clean romance, all entwined with education. Hard to put down.

[Deborah Oberreich · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a very interesting book to read.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reaping the Whirlwind
by Rosey Dow
3 stars
A slow start first few chapters makes you not want to keep going but once you get a bit further it gets better. I was hooked on the who dun it and where this was going. I had a feeling in the last 5 chapters of who did it but took me longer than normal to figure it out. I couldn't stand reading about the court stuff that took the longest for me to read cause I kept getting bored. Other than the court stuff, not a bad read that captures the small-town vibe perfectly.
Thank you

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book I chose to read to my boys for part of our history program. It's a good book for pre-teens and teens - the plot line is interesting and follows the Scopes Trial as the historical background to the story. Most older teens and adults will find the story line to be a bit 'babyish'.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy Rosey Dow's books and this one was another enjoyable book. I enjoyed reading the history of the Scope's trail and the back story was wonderful. I am looking forward to the next book written by Rosey Dow.

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs a bloody good editing. It just kept getting worse as the book went along. Shameful.

[Elaine]

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