What do you think?
Rate this book
A Mountain Mystery #9
Border Town
LUKE MAXWELL, BOOK #3
Jack Simms, owner of Simms Landscaping, is found shot dead in his office at the rear of a large warehouse. Ray Ortiz, a 30-year-old father of two, is charged with the murder after his prints are lifted from the barrel of a gun found in nearby underbrush. Luke Maxwell, the only attorney in Ridgeview, North Carolina, is appointed to defend Ortiz.
Ortiz worked legally for Simms as a DACA recipient. With little evidence, Barry Newton, a councilman seeking higher office, points to a rise in illegal immigration as a contributing factor in Simms’ murder, stirring controversy among local residents.
Subsequent ballistics tests prove the recovered handgun is not the murder weapon. Lacking physical evidence, charges against Ortiz are dropped, and he is released from county jail. Days later, a second murder with links to the first shakes Ridgeview. Demands to put Ortiz back behind bars intensify. Before deputies can question Ortiz, he goes missing. Many in Ridgeview assume he is on the run.
Convinced his client is innocent, Luke Maxwell transforms from attorney to detective. Along with his paralegal, Kari Watkins, they seek clues to Ortiz’s whereabouts. Their search uncovers a motive for Simms’ murder, putting them in the crosshairs of the killer.
Jack Simms, owner of Simms Landscaping, is found shot dead in his office at the rear of a large warehouse. Ray Ortiz, a 30-year-old father of two, is charged with the murder after his prints are lifted from the barrel of a gun found in nearby underbrush. Luke Maxwell, the only attorney in Ridgeview, North Carolina, is appointed to defend Ortiz.
Ortiz worked legally for Simms as a DACA recipient. With little evidence, Barry Newton, a councilman seeking higher office, points to a rise in illegal immigration as a contributing factor in Simms’ murder, stirring controversy among local residents.
Subsequent ballistics tests prove the recovered handgun is not the murder weapon. Lacking physical evidence, charges against Ortiz are dropped, and he is released from county jail. Days later, a second murder with links to the first shakes Ridgeview. Demands to put Ortiz back behind bars intensify. Before deputies can question Ortiz, he goes missing. Many in Ridgeview assume he is on the run.
Convinced his client is innocent, Luke Maxwell transforms from attorney to detective. Along with his paralegal, Kari Watkins, they seek clues to Ortiz’s whereabouts. Their search uncovers a motive for Simms’ murder, putting them in the crosshairs of the killer.
293 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2024
9 people are currently reading
1010 people want to read
About the author
D.R. Shoultz
19 books125 followersAn author of mystery/crime novels, D.R. (Donn) Shoultz hails from Delavan, a small town in central Illinois, but has resided in the Southeastern U.S. most of his adult life. Donn and his wife Claudia have recently moved from their longtime residence in the Carolina Mountains to a home atop the Cumberland Plateau in Crossville, Tennessee. Claudia continues to share her considerable editing experience in shaping Donn's novels. In their free time, they both enjoy traveling and hiking nearby wooded trails with their dog, Milo.
Donn began writing fiction more than a decade ago following a sales and marketing career that took him across the world. His early work featured Miles Stevens, a time-traveling CIA agent, sent back from 2050 and his home in Langley, Virginia to intercept historic tragedies already in the history books.
Donn’s recent focus is adding stories to his Mountain Mystery Series. In each Mountain Mystery, tension rises quickly. The mystery (usually a murder) makes an early appearance. Hometown heroes spring into action, searching for clues, often competing with local law enforcement as they move closer and closer to danger. The stories are set in fictitious mountain communities with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Clues are sprinkled throughout with twists keeping readers off balance. These books are great for weekend reads, offering crisp, fast-moving chapters and up-all-night suspense.
If you’re looking for a mystery series with legs, this is it. Your favorite sleuths from the initial stories return in future novels, making them a series within the Mountain Mystery collection of novels.
In order of publication, his books include:
Miles Stevens Series
* Melting Sand
* Cyber One
* Gone Viral
Mountain Mystery Series
* At the River's Edge (Emily Edwards #1)
* Butcher Road (Jack Fowler #1)
* Fallen from Sight (Ryan Nelson #1)
* A Town Divided (Luke Maxwell #1)
* A Town in Fear (Luke Maxwell #2)
* Dark River (Emily Edwards #2)
* Road to Justice (Jack Fowler #2)
* Rising River (Emily Edwards #3
* Border Town (Luke Maxwell #3))
Donn's short stories, which he interweaves between writing novels, are an eclectic collection of tales looking at the lives of lovers, schemers, everyday people, and even pets. Each includes a twist and is designed to bring a tear and/or a smile to the reader. His stories have received national contest recognition, including from Writer's Digest magazine. His short story collections include:
* It Goes On
* Most Men
You can find more about Donn and his writing at DRShoultz.com.
Donn began writing fiction more than a decade ago following a sales and marketing career that took him across the world. His early work featured Miles Stevens, a time-traveling CIA agent, sent back from 2050 and his home in Langley, Virginia to intercept historic tragedies already in the history books.
Donn’s recent focus is adding stories to his Mountain Mystery Series. In each Mountain Mystery, tension rises quickly. The mystery (usually a murder) makes an early appearance. Hometown heroes spring into action, searching for clues, often competing with local law enforcement as they move closer and closer to danger. The stories are set in fictitious mountain communities with the Blue Ridge Mountains as a backdrop. Clues are sprinkled throughout with twists keeping readers off balance. These books are great for weekend reads, offering crisp, fast-moving chapters and up-all-night suspense.
If you’re looking for a mystery series with legs, this is it. Your favorite sleuths from the initial stories return in future novels, making them a series within the Mountain Mystery collection of novels.
In order of publication, his books include:
Miles Stevens Series
* Melting Sand
* Cyber One
* Gone Viral
Mountain Mystery Series
* At the River's Edge (Emily Edwards #1)
* Butcher Road (Jack Fowler #1)
* Fallen from Sight (Ryan Nelson #1)
* A Town Divided (Luke Maxwell #1)
* A Town in Fear (Luke Maxwell #2)
* Dark River (Emily Edwards #2)
* Road to Justice (Jack Fowler #2)
* Rising River (Emily Edwards #3
* Border Town (Luke Maxwell #3))
Donn's short stories, which he interweaves between writing novels, are an eclectic collection of tales looking at the lives of lovers, schemers, everyday people, and even pets. Each includes a twist and is designed to bring a tear and/or a smile to the reader. His stories have received national contest recognition, including from Writer's Digest magazine. His short story collections include:
* It Goes On
* Most Men
You can find more about Donn and his writing at DRShoultz.com.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 12, 2024
Great read!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries! Never know who did the crime till the end. Can't wait till the next book is out!
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries! Never know who did the crime till the end. Can't wait till the next book is out!
December 11, 2024
Thank you to the author, the publisher and Goodreads for a copy of this great book!
D.R. Shoultz has written a novel that is not just a murder mystery but an all too true account of how the citizens of a small town react to the influx of migrants, seasonal migrant workers and illegal immigrants. It is a topic germaine to the current state of affairs in the United States. Mr. Shoultz writes a story of how people respond to "others," who come from different cultures and how, in this novel, respond with violence.
Each of the main characters is relatable and real in a way that makes the reader feel as if s/he already knows them. The reader can feel comfortable with the characters, and for the characters with less than likable personalities the reader may have an instant dislike for them.
This is an easy, quick read and one that keeps the reader guessing.
D.R. Shoultz has written a novel that is not just a murder mystery but an all too true account of how the citizens of a small town react to the influx of migrants, seasonal migrant workers and illegal immigrants. It is a topic germaine to the current state of affairs in the United States. Mr. Shoultz writes a story of how people respond to "others," who come from different cultures and how, in this novel, respond with violence.
Each of the main characters is relatable and real in a way that makes the reader feel as if s/he already knows them. The reader can feel comfortable with the characters, and for the characters with less than likable personalities the reader may have an instant dislike for them.
This is an easy, quick read and one that keeps the reader guessing.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews