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Shepard & Kelly Mysteries #2
Trouble Afoot
When Park Ranger Zoe Watts finds a man beaten within an inch of his life on an otherwise peaceful, suburban trail, she’s in uncharted waters— especially considering all the peculiar activity in the woods lately. Happenings that point toward something wicked. Something more myth than human.
As Zoe digs, she comes up empty. Every person who hikes, bikes, or runs through the park is suddenly a possible suspect. Shrugged off by her fellow rangers, Zoe secretly teams up with the crime-fighting team of PI Casper Kelly and Delaney Shepard (and of course their trusty pup Hoagie), fresh off solving the case of the Punkhorns.
But the further Casper and the team dig, the muddier the truth appears. Before long, it’s clear that Casper is up against his toughest case yet.
With more twists than a switchback up a mountain, buckle up. Be prepared. There is trouble afoot…
As Zoe digs, she comes up empty. Every person who hikes, bikes, or runs through the park is suddenly a possible suspect. Shrugged off by her fellow rangers, Zoe secretly teams up with the crime-fighting team of PI Casper Kelly and Delaney Shepard (and of course their trusty pup Hoagie), fresh off solving the case of the Punkhorns.
But the further Casper and the team dig, the muddier the truth appears. Before long, it’s clear that Casper is up against his toughest case yet.
With more twists than a switchback up a mountain, buckle up. Be prepared. There is trouble afoot…
Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2021
3 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Benjamin Bradley
5 books67 followersBenjamin Bradley is a member of both Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. His upcoming release WHAT HE LEFT BEHIND hits shelves on April 29, 2025 from CamCat Books. He's the author of the Shepard & Kelly Mystery series and his short fiction has appeared in literary magazines including Reckon Review and Flash Fiction Magazine. He works in public health and homelessness and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, their cat Fox, and their dog Harper.
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 29, 2021
Trouble Afoot is a great story and just everything I look for in a mystery. I love the interplay between the two investigators and I hope there's another book in this series so I can continue to watch them evolve. Being from New England, I especially appreciate the regional aspects of this book. Creepy, and I love that!
September 9, 2021
I have had an opportunity to read Trouble Afoot before its publication date. It is a well-written page-turning mystery that brings together a unique group of people including park rangers, two cousins, and Big Foot. Combining the paranormal with the everyday, Trouble Afoot keeps you glued to each page as you try and figure out who did what to whom. It can also be a little creepy which adds to the enjoyment. Have fun reading!
November 3, 2021
An exciting follow up to Casper, Delaney, and Hoagies first adventure. New characters, connections, and mysteries kept me guessing throughout their journey, all while building a rich background for our main characters, with hints of deeper revelations to come in later books! Highly recommend for any one looking for a fun mystery.
June 25, 2022
Title – Trouble Afoot
Author – Benjamin Bradley
Genre – Cozy Mystery
Word Count - 70,000
Rating – Four stats out of five
No. 25 - 2022
Posted 6/25/2022
My Impressions:
Main Characters:
Zoe Watts – State park ranger
Gil – Zoe’s fiancé
Casper Kelly – Private Detective
Delaney Shepard – Detective & Casper’s girlfriend
Kyle Pittman – High school teacher
Andy Tucker – High school coach
Joanne Mitchell – Clerk at state park
Trouble begins to brew at North Carolina’s Umstead State Park when visitors start reporting observations of something akin to the legendary ‘Big Foot’ creature. The park is large, and the staff is small. Ranger Zoe Watts has her hands full with the new sightings at work and her fiancé, Gil. Plus, her favorite cousin and her boyfriend are scheduled to stop overnight on their way to Florida. Cousin Delaney Shepard is a police detective and boyfriend Casper Kelly is a private eye.
But other people have their own problems too. Kyle Pittman and Andy Tucker are high school teachers who use the park trails to run and collect extra money for a side job they perform. They suspect what they have been asked to do is illegal, but the money is like a drug to them; as you will understand later.
The other park rangers are a unique cast of oddball characters from the Chief Ranger down to the junior ranger, Zoe and the park clerk, Joanne Mitchell.
When an early morning visitor to the park is attacked on a running trail and severely beaten, everyone is a suspect. The rangers stage a trap to catch whatever or whoever attacked the park visitor and eventually catch the disgruntled perpetrator.
But the complex story doesn’t end there.
The story is listed as a straight mystery, but I judge it to be a cozy mystery and far from a thriller.
Editing and sentence structure are good with minor exceptions
Character Development is good, and details of the park and forest are crisp and interesting.
The plot is a bit different but held my interest to the end.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
Author – Benjamin Bradley
Genre – Cozy Mystery
Word Count - 70,000
Rating – Four stats out of five
No. 25 - 2022
Posted 6/25/2022
My Impressions:
Main Characters:
Zoe Watts – State park ranger
Gil – Zoe’s fiancé
Casper Kelly – Private Detective
Delaney Shepard – Detective & Casper’s girlfriend
Kyle Pittman – High school teacher
Andy Tucker – High school coach
Joanne Mitchell – Clerk at state park
Trouble begins to brew at North Carolina’s Umstead State Park when visitors start reporting observations of something akin to the legendary ‘Big Foot’ creature. The park is large, and the staff is small. Ranger Zoe Watts has her hands full with the new sightings at work and her fiancé, Gil. Plus, her favorite cousin and her boyfriend are scheduled to stop overnight on their way to Florida. Cousin Delaney Shepard is a police detective and boyfriend Casper Kelly is a private eye.
But other people have their own problems too. Kyle Pittman and Andy Tucker are high school teachers who use the park trails to run and collect extra money for a side job they perform. They suspect what they have been asked to do is illegal, but the money is like a drug to them; as you will understand later.
The other park rangers are a unique cast of oddball characters from the Chief Ranger down to the junior ranger, Zoe and the park clerk, Joanne Mitchell.
When an early morning visitor to the park is attacked on a running trail and severely beaten, everyone is a suspect. The rangers stage a trap to catch whatever or whoever attacked the park visitor and eventually catch the disgruntled perpetrator.
But the complex story doesn’t end there.
The story is listed as a straight mystery, but I judge it to be a cozy mystery and far from a thriller.
Editing and sentence structure are good with minor exceptions
Character Development is good, and details of the park and forest are crisp and interesting.
The plot is a bit different but held my interest to the end.
Vigilant Reader Book Reviews.
April 18, 2022
Trouble Afoot by Benjamin Bradley is an exciting and tense read. I have not read anything by the author before, so this was my first encounter with paranormal investigators Casper Kelly and Delaney Shepard, and I get the impression that there is much that I missed in the first book, especially when we first encounter them here on a woodland holiday visiting family. Not that this is a problem - this story works as a standalone and I look forward to working backwards from here.
I really liked the opening four chapters of this book. Each chapter contains a snapshot of a different set of characters, and whilst this can get overwhelming in many instances, the author cleverly weaves them together. Each one feels unique enough that their personalities don’t mesh together. Kelly and Shepard were interesting leads with quick minds and sharp skills, and Zoe worked as a great secondary character that often drove the plot. Gil too provided some relief, which kept the writing fresh and varied.
And of course there is big foot, or at least the mystery of it. I thought it was interesting how the author kept the mystery of big foot going, as I often find that the mystery and the unknown is more scary than the actual reveal. This sort of tension runs through the book from the two fisherman’s encounter at the start, and you can feel it in the woodlands or when Kelly and Shepard are in safer areas. There is the constant fear of the unknown that the author uses to his advantage.
I hope to have more encounters with Kelly and Shepard soon. Trouble Afoot is a must for any cozy mystery fans or lovers of the paranormal. A very good read.
I really liked the opening four chapters of this book. Each chapter contains a snapshot of a different set of characters, and whilst this can get overwhelming in many instances, the author cleverly weaves them together. Each one feels unique enough that their personalities don’t mesh together. Kelly and Shepard were interesting leads with quick minds and sharp skills, and Zoe worked as a great secondary character that often drove the plot. Gil too provided some relief, which kept the writing fresh and varied.
And of course there is big foot, or at least the mystery of it. I thought it was interesting how the author kept the mystery of big foot going, as I often find that the mystery and the unknown is more scary than the actual reveal. This sort of tension runs through the book from the two fisherman’s encounter at the start, and you can feel it in the woodlands or when Kelly and Shepard are in safer areas. There is the constant fear of the unknown that the author uses to his advantage.
I hope to have more encounters with Kelly and Shepard soon. Trouble Afoot is a must for any cozy mystery fans or lovers of the paranormal. A very good read.
February 2, 2022
I was so excited when I found out that Bradley had a new book out because I really enjoyed his first novel. The great news is that his second novel is even better. Trouble Afoot is set in North Carolina State Park, Umstead. It is a perfect place for a Bigfoot experience. Wait, don’t stop reading yet because my favorite paranormal investigator, Casper Kelly is back and on the job!
We find that Casper and his girlfriend and police officer, Delaney Shephard, are on vacation to visit family. The first stop is Delaney’s cousin Zoe, a Park Ranger at Umstead Park. Zoe is engaged to a goofy guy by the name of Gil who also happens to be a Bigfoot specialist. Gil even has a podcast series about Bigfoot. Unfortunately during their visit, Zoe finds a hiker on the trail beaten within an inch of his life. What makes this even worse is that in the past month there have been several sightings of a huge ape-type creature walking upright through the woods.
Obviously, there could not be better timing for Casper and Delaney to be visiting and Zoe takes full advantage of both of their skill sets. Bradley does not write fluff. The story is suspenseful, with each new sighting adding to the tension in the air. Could this really be Bigfoot or is someone playing a terrible joke on the Park Rangers and visitors?
Trouble Afoot is an edgy monster story that will keep you reading on the edge of your seat while at the same time enjoying the quirky characters. There is just something fun about a monster story that is well written and can still cause apprehension. Check it out!
We find that Casper and his girlfriend and police officer, Delaney Shephard, are on vacation to visit family. The first stop is Delaney’s cousin Zoe, a Park Ranger at Umstead Park. Zoe is engaged to a goofy guy by the name of Gil who also happens to be a Bigfoot specialist. Gil even has a podcast series about Bigfoot. Unfortunately during their visit, Zoe finds a hiker on the trail beaten within an inch of his life. What makes this even worse is that in the past month there have been several sightings of a huge ape-type creature walking upright through the woods.
Obviously, there could not be better timing for Casper and Delaney to be visiting and Zoe takes full advantage of both of their skill sets. Bradley does not write fluff. The story is suspenseful, with each new sighting adding to the tension in the air. Could this really be Bigfoot or is someone playing a terrible joke on the Park Rangers and visitors?
Trouble Afoot is an edgy monster story that will keep you reading on the edge of your seat while at the same time enjoying the quirky characters. There is just something fun about a monster story that is well written and can still cause apprehension. Check it out!
July 21, 2022
"Maps were the first form of misdirection, for what is a map but a way of emphasizing some things and making others invisible?"
Trouble Afoot is the second Shepard & Kelly Mystery by Benjamin Bradley and like the first book, misdirection abounds. This time Delaney Shepard and Casper Kelly (along with their irrepressible dog Hoagie) stop in North Carolina to visit Shepard's cousin. While there, they are drawn into a mystery surrounding a mysterious creature that has been sighted in Umstead State Park. Does this creature, possibly Bigfoot, exist? Or is there another explanation?
Bradley has a knack for writing enjoyable characters that you want to spend time with. In fact my only disappointment with this story is that I would have liked to have seen more of Delaney and Shepard (and Hoagie). Watching the two (three) of them work together to solve a mystery is always a treat.
As with his previous books, the mystery is fun to try and figure out. There are enough red herrings to keep you guessing the entire time. There was even an Easter egg in this one for any readers who had read Bradley's first book (Stash) that also took place at the Umstead.
I highly recommend this enjoyable entry to this series! I should note that while there is a reference to their first case, the book can be read before Welcome to the Punkhorns.
Trouble Afoot is the second Shepard & Kelly Mystery by Benjamin Bradley and like the first book, misdirection abounds. This time Delaney Shepard and Casper Kelly (along with their irrepressible dog Hoagie) stop in North Carolina to visit Shepard's cousin. While there, they are drawn into a mystery surrounding a mysterious creature that has been sighted in Umstead State Park. Does this creature, possibly Bigfoot, exist? Or is there another explanation?
Bradley has a knack for writing enjoyable characters that you want to spend time with. In fact my only disappointment with this story is that I would have liked to have seen more of Delaney and Shepard (and Hoagie). Watching the two (three) of them work together to solve a mystery is always a treat.
As with his previous books, the mystery is fun to try and figure out. There are enough red herrings to keep you guessing the entire time. There was even an Easter egg in this one for any readers who had read Bradley's first book (Stash) that also took place at the Umstead.
I highly recommend this enjoyable entry to this series! I should note that while there is a reference to their first case, the book can be read before Welcome to the Punkhorns.
December 30, 2021
I really enjoyed how the characters come together to solve this mystery. It’s twists and turns kept me riveted to the book until the end. I recommend this book. I received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
December 15, 2021
I do enjoy this author's style! A great read that had me turning pages (I have been a Hoagie fan since the first book). Can be read as a standalone.
March 5, 2022
big foot
Constantly changing, kept the story going. Really enjoyed reading this book!
The author did a great job of keeping the interest on high!
Constantly changing, kept the story going. Really enjoyed reading this book!
The author did a great job of keeping the interest on high!
October 16, 2021
Fun Sequel!
I'm enjoying getting to know these characters better. Book two has a creative plot that keeps you flipping through the pages to find out what happens next.
I'm enjoying getting to know these characters better. Book two has a creative plot that keeps you flipping through the pages to find out what happens next.
October 4, 2021
love a good chase
What a good book. The characters in this book are so real that I feel like I personally know them. A good mystery and chase throughout the book. I hope there will another book soon so I can follow what hoagie and his friends are up to. I have already recommended it to a friend.
What a good book. The characters in this book are so real that I feel like I personally know them. A good mystery and chase throughout the book. I hope there will another book soon so I can follow what hoagie and his friends are up to. I have already recommended it to a friend.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews