What do you think?
Rate this book
The Anderson Chronicles #4
Nefarious Intent
In the shadow of murder, secrets come to light.Holiday festivities in tiny Anderson, Montana take an unexpected turn when a welfare check becomes a murder investigation. Stone County deputy Tom Edwards discovers the frozen corpses of a local couple bound to chairs at their home in the Moonlight Mountains. The couple’s son and daughter-in-law soon go missing, the only clue a puddle of blood. A tragic bus accident and embezzled church funds add suspects and complicate motives.
Stone County Sheriff Peter Elliott and his crew are once again faced with more suspects than clues and an increasingly hostile press in their struggle to solve these murders.
Stone County Sheriff Peter Elliott and his crew are once again faced with more suspects than clues and an increasingly hostile press in their struggle to solve these murders.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2024
2 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 20, 2025
This series keeps getting better!
This is book 4 of the Anderson Chronicles, featuring Sheriff Peter Elliott and his crew. It’s part of a series, but each is written to be a standalone.
Nefarious Intent is set in mid-December in the Moonlight Mountain area of Montana. As the book opens, a grocery clerk is concerned that an elderly couple has placed a grocery order, but hasn’t come to pick it up. When a welfare check is made, they are discovered frozen to death in the kitchen of their remote cabin. Who did this? Why? When?
I love Karson’s books because they are cerebral drama. I dislike being spoon-fed. They’re also filled with richly drawn characters who are believable and authentically sounding; ordinary people doing ordinary things in a small town. There are also multiple subplots with many characters, BUT keeping track of any of them wasn’t difficult. Karson imbues each with different voices, making each unique. Montana also features as a character; this time, we get to see the interaction of Montana winter with the plot. You’ll be excited to discover that Karson’s books aren’t formulaic. She mixes up the crime and the types of people who commit them. Each one feels fresh.
If you like to get wrapped up in a great whodunnit filled with embezzlement schemes, abductions, and murders written in a small town with a great cast of characters, this series is for you!
Karson plans on releasing two books per year. She has book 5 in the editing process and has planned book 6.
I was gifted this copy by Books Go Social and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
This is book 4 of the Anderson Chronicles, featuring Sheriff Peter Elliott and his crew. It’s part of a series, but each is written to be a standalone.
Nefarious Intent is set in mid-December in the Moonlight Mountain area of Montana. As the book opens, a grocery clerk is concerned that an elderly couple has placed a grocery order, but hasn’t come to pick it up. When a welfare check is made, they are discovered frozen to death in the kitchen of their remote cabin. Who did this? Why? When?
I love Karson’s books because they are cerebral drama. I dislike being spoon-fed. They’re also filled with richly drawn characters who are believable and authentically sounding; ordinary people doing ordinary things in a small town. There are also multiple subplots with many characters, BUT keeping track of any of them wasn’t difficult. Karson imbues each with different voices, making each unique. Montana also features as a character; this time, we get to see the interaction of Montana winter with the plot. You’ll be excited to discover that Karson’s books aren’t formulaic. She mixes up the crime and the types of people who commit them. Each one feels fresh.
If you like to get wrapped up in a great whodunnit filled with embezzlement schemes, abductions, and murders written in a small town with a great cast of characters, this series is for you!
Karson plans on releasing two books per year. She has book 5 in the editing process and has planned book 6.
I was gifted this copy by Books Go Social and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 13, 2025
Karson delivers tightly wound mysteries where justice is never simple, and danger lurks beneath Montana’s rugged beauty. In Land Grab, outsiders scheme to carve up Anderson for profit. A baker’s wife finds a bloody crime scene—her husband missing. Hours later, a sapphire dealer is found hanged, his gems gone. Suicide? The autopsy says murder. Sheriff Peter Elliott must untangle a web of theft, threats, and Russian Mafia muscle before more bodies drop.
Innocence Slain takes a darker turn. Women have vanished from Anderson for years—unnoticed, until Stacey Nichols disappears. New deputy Birdie Bradshaw’s investigation into old cases uncovers a pattern long ignored. Meanwhile, Stacey is fighting to escape her captor. With time running out, Peter races to find her before she’s lost forever.
A junk man turns up dead at the dump, buried under grass clippings and a kiddie pool in Justice Rendered. A town steeped in secrets, an antique serving fork, and a killer with nothing to lose—Peter’s investigation turns deadly as danger closes in. A couple is found murdered in their Moonlight Mountains home, and their son and daughter-in-law are nowhere to be found in Nefarious Intent. A bus crash and stolen church funds complicate the matter further. With the media circling and pressure mounting, Peter must hunt the killer before time runs out.
Peter Elliott remains at the heart of the series. He is no grizzled relic or cowboy caricature. He’s methodical, sharp, and respected. Karson crafts him as a leader who has earned his authority yet remains vulnerable, a man who understands that justice in Anderson is rarely black and white. His interactions with other characters, including with the gossipy bakery owner, the conniving Liz Benton, or the relentless Helen Ferguson, bring levity to the heavy cases he investigates. Zack is an absolute darling.
Karson masterfully blends small-town quirks, such as petty disputes over garage sales, nosy neighbors, and long-standing feuds, with the stark realities of crime. Equal parts picturesque and decaying, the town of Anderson makes for more than a backdrop. Shaped by its sapphire mines, fading traditions, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, it becomes a living, breathing entity. Each book builds its tension deliberately, drawing readers into Anderson’s rhythms before tightening the noose. Innocence Slain carries the most emotional weight, delving into the town’s darkest truths, while Land Grab leans into political maneuvering and greed. The result is a crime series where the past is never truly buried, and justice is anything but simple. Fans of Craig Johnson’s Longmire series or C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett novels will find much to love here. Anderson, Montana, may look idyllic on the surface, but Karson ensures we never forget just how dark and dangerous it can be underneath.
Innocence Slain takes a darker turn. Women have vanished from Anderson for years—unnoticed, until Stacey Nichols disappears. New deputy Birdie Bradshaw’s investigation into old cases uncovers a pattern long ignored. Meanwhile, Stacey is fighting to escape her captor. With time running out, Peter races to find her before she’s lost forever.
A junk man turns up dead at the dump, buried under grass clippings and a kiddie pool in Justice Rendered. A town steeped in secrets, an antique serving fork, and a killer with nothing to lose—Peter’s investigation turns deadly as danger closes in. A couple is found murdered in their Moonlight Mountains home, and their son and daughter-in-law are nowhere to be found in Nefarious Intent. A bus crash and stolen church funds complicate the matter further. With the media circling and pressure mounting, Peter must hunt the killer before time runs out.
Peter Elliott remains at the heart of the series. He is no grizzled relic or cowboy caricature. He’s methodical, sharp, and respected. Karson crafts him as a leader who has earned his authority yet remains vulnerable, a man who understands that justice in Anderson is rarely black and white. His interactions with other characters, including with the gossipy bakery owner, the conniving Liz Benton, or the relentless Helen Ferguson, bring levity to the heavy cases he investigates. Zack is an absolute darling.
Karson masterfully blends small-town quirks, such as petty disputes over garage sales, nosy neighbors, and long-standing feuds, with the stark realities of crime. Equal parts picturesque and decaying, the town of Anderson makes for more than a backdrop. Shaped by its sapphire mines, fading traditions, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, it becomes a living, breathing entity. Each book builds its tension deliberately, drawing readers into Anderson’s rhythms before tightening the noose. Innocence Slain carries the most emotional weight, delving into the town’s darkest truths, while Land Grab leans into political maneuvering and greed. The result is a crime series where the past is never truly buried, and justice is anything but simple. Fans of Craig Johnson’s Longmire series or C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett novels will find much to love here. Anderson, Montana, may look idyllic on the surface, but Karson ensures we never forget just how dark and dangerous it can be underneath.
January 20, 2025
After setting the scene of Christmas preparations in the small town of Anderson, Kit Karson plunges us right into the mystery with the bodies of Frank and Alice Celares found frozen in their home with no heat and the back door open. The house shows signs of being ransacked. Immediately, the staff of the Sheriff's Department begin the investigation. Potential motives are discovered including Frank's prior school bus accident in which three young boys died. A note on the church door stating, "She got what she deserved!!!" has the pastor worried that someone suspects Alice of stealing funds from the church's special offerings.
The novel proceeds at a steady pace with the various deputies pursuing interviews of the townsfolk and conducting a stakeout. At intervals throughout the story, the deputies report their findings to the sheriff and vice versa, frequently over a box of donuts. Included in the investigation team is the sheriff's dog Zack who does some "trailing" work, searching for missing people.
Also threaded through the novel are other incidents that divert the sheriff's attention, such as a riot at the local food market and his required annual horseback ride in the holiday parade. These events add a three dimensional feel to the lives of sheriff and deputies. Other aspects of people's lives don't stop just because they are trying to solve a murder. In addition, brief but well written descriptions of the town and the local townsfolk add depth to the story.
Overall, this was a great mystery. The author allows the reader to assemble the clues at the same time as the investigation team and doesn't hold back critical clues necessary to unraveling the solution. We also get glimpses into the lives and backstory of the sheriff's team which rounds out our familiarity with the characters.
Although it is part of a series, this book could also be read as a stand-alone story. There are some minor references to events in prior books, but they do not distract or confuse a reader that is new to the series. People who enjoy mysteries set in small US towns will find this an entertaining novel. It would be an excellent choice for fans of the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
I received an Advanced Review Copy for my honest review of this book. My original review is posted on the Reedsy Discovery website.
Reedsy Review
The novel proceeds at a steady pace with the various deputies pursuing interviews of the townsfolk and conducting a stakeout. At intervals throughout the story, the deputies report their findings to the sheriff and vice versa, frequently over a box of donuts. Included in the investigation team is the sheriff's dog Zack who does some "trailing" work, searching for missing people.
Also threaded through the novel are other incidents that divert the sheriff's attention, such as a riot at the local food market and his required annual horseback ride in the holiday parade. These events add a three dimensional feel to the lives of sheriff and deputies. Other aspects of people's lives don't stop just because they are trying to solve a murder. In addition, brief but well written descriptions of the town and the local townsfolk add depth to the story.
Overall, this was a great mystery. The author allows the reader to assemble the clues at the same time as the investigation team and doesn't hold back critical clues necessary to unraveling the solution. We also get glimpses into the lives and backstory of the sheriff's team which rounds out our familiarity with the characters.
Although it is part of a series, this book could also be read as a stand-alone story. There are some minor references to events in prior books, but they do not distract or confuse a reader that is new to the series. People who enjoy mysteries set in small US towns will find this an entertaining novel. It would be an excellent choice for fans of the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
I received an Advanced Review Copy for my honest review of this book. My original review is posted on the Reedsy Discovery website.
Reedsy Review
April 20, 2025
Book #4 in the Anderson Chronicles series. Each book could be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. In NEFARIOUS INTENT, the crimes seem to happening faster than the snow is piling up. Sheriff Elliot and his cast of friends, family and deputies are stretched thin as the winter holidays bring the tourists, and the criminals, into Anderson, Montana. The clues don't add up as deputies dig up the past and revenge becomes the #1 motive, maybe.
Kit Karson gives us a closer look at the personal lives of Sheriff Elliot and his deputies. There are plenty of open stories left to lead readers into the next book.......yes, please. The town of Anderson and the surrounding community will make excellent homes for the next round of Anderson Chronicles.
Kit Karson gives us a closer look at the personal lives of Sheriff Elliot and his deputies. There are plenty of open stories left to lead readers into the next book.......yes, please. The town of Anderson and the surrounding community will make excellent homes for the next round of Anderson Chronicles.
April 27, 2025
Nefarious Intent is the 4th book in The Anderson Chronicles series. With the Christmas holidays just around the corner, sadly in Anderson, Montana no one at the police station is getting any sort of rest. Seems like they no sooner solve a murder, than another one pops up to take its place. This time there are any number of suspects, so lots of effort will go into solving these murders. I would recommend this book to others.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and I am leaving my review voluntarily.
December 1, 2025
As a couple is found dead in their home, the fact that their son and daughter-in-law go missing as well raises alarm. Who would want to kill the older couple? Why take their son?
As the sheriff investigates, there looks to be a tie back to a crime family from back east. Then, money from the church is missing as well, which leaves the sheriff scratching his head, and wondering if they are not all connected somehow.
Enjoyable read! I am really liking this series. The sheriff is a fun character, as are his deputies. The town has some very colorful characters living in it.
As the sheriff investigates, there looks to be a tie back to a crime family from back east. Then, money from the church is missing as well, which leaves the sheriff scratching his head, and wondering if they are not all connected somehow.
Enjoyable read! I am really liking this series. The sheriff is a fun character, as are his deputies. The town has some very colorful characters living in it.
August 4, 2025
Overall, this was a great mystery. The author allows the reader to assemble the clues at the same time as the investigation team and doesn't hold back critical clues necessary to unravel the solution. We also get glimpses into the lives and backstory of the sheriff's team, which rounds out our familiarity with the characters.
January 20, 2025
After setting the scene of Christmas preparations in the small town of Anderson, Kit Karson plunges us right into the mystery with the bodies of Frank and Alice Celares found frozen in their home with no heat and the back door open. The house shows signs of being ransacked. Immediately, the staff of the Sheriff's Department begin the investigation. Potential motives are discovered including Frank's prior school bus accident in which three young boys died. A note on the church door stating, "She got what she deserved!!!" has the pastor worried that someone suspects Alice of stealing funds from the church's special offerings.
The novel proceeds at a steady pace with the various deputies pursuing interviews of the townsfolk and conducting a stakeout. At intervals throughout the story, the deputies report their findings to the sheriff and vice versa, frequently over a box of donuts. Included in the investigation team is the sheriff's dog Zack who does some "trailing" work, searching for missing people.
Also threaded through the novel are other incidents that divert the sheriff's attention, such as a riot at the local food market and his required annual horseback ride in the holiday parade. These events add a three dimensional feel to the lives of sheriff and deputies. Other aspects of people's lives don't stop just because they are trying to solve a murder. In addition, brief but well written descriptions of the town and the local townsfolk add depth to the story.
Overall, this was a great mystery. The author allows the reader to assemble the clues at the same time as the investigation team and doesn't hold back critical clues necessary to unraveling the solution. We also get glimpses into the lives and backstory of the sheriff's team which rounds out our familiarity with the characters.
Although it is part of a series, this book could also be read as a stand-alone story. There are some minor references to events in prior books, but they do not distract or confuse a reader that is new to the series. People who enjoy mysteries set in small US towns will find this an entertaining novel. It would be an excellent choice for fans of the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
My original review was posted on the Reedsy Discovery website -
Reedsy Review
The novel proceeds at a steady pace with the various deputies pursuing interviews of the townsfolk and conducting a stakeout. At intervals throughout the story, the deputies report their findings to the sheriff and vice versa, frequently over a box of donuts. Included in the investigation team is the sheriff's dog Zack who does some "trailing" work, searching for missing people.
Also threaded through the novel are other incidents that divert the sheriff's attention, such as a riot at the local food market and his required annual horseback ride in the holiday parade. These events add a three dimensional feel to the lives of sheriff and deputies. Other aspects of people's lives don't stop just because they are trying to solve a murder. In addition, brief but well written descriptions of the town and the local townsfolk add depth to the story.
Overall, this was a great mystery. The author allows the reader to assemble the clues at the same time as the investigation team and doesn't hold back critical clues necessary to unraveling the solution. We also get glimpses into the lives and backstory of the sheriff's team which rounds out our familiarity with the characters.
Although it is part of a series, this book could also be read as a stand-alone story. There are some minor references to events in prior books, but they do not distract or confuse a reader that is new to the series. People who enjoy mysteries set in small US towns will find this an entertaining novel. It would be an excellent choice for fans of the Longmire series by Craig Johnson.
I received an Advanced Review Copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
My original review was posted on the Reedsy Discovery website -
Reedsy Review
January 21, 2025
An ok hoopla book but not a series I'd continue.
See review by Corrine Severn dated Jan 2025 for a pretty full synopsis of the book.
It's a plodding investigation by a small town sheriff's office and a few different crimes linked together.
See review by Corrine Severn dated Jan 2025 for a pretty full synopsis of the book.
It's a plodding investigation by a small town sheriff's office and a few different crimes linked together.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews