Searing Circumstances

Eugeena Patterson Mysteries #8

by Tyora Moody

Sugar Creek's annual 4th of July celebration should be a time for community and fireworks, but this year, it ends with a bang of a different kind.

When City Councilman Terrence Dixon is found dead at his own lavish party, the neighborhood is thrown into chaos. Dixon’s controversial votes and grand plans to revitalize Sugar Creek made him more enemies than friends.

When the suspects include personal friends, Eugeena Patterson-Jones and her husband Amos find themselves reluctantly drawn into a pool of simmering resentments. The murderer could very well be someone they know well, or thought they knew.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 28, 2026

About the author

Tyora Moody is the author of Soul-Searching Mysteries which includes cozy mystery, women sleuth mystery, and romantic suspense under the Christian Fiction genre. Her books include the Eugeena Patterson Mysteries, Serena Manchester Mysteries, Reed Family Mysteries, and the Victory Gospel Family Series.

When Tyora isn’t working for a literary client, she's either loving on her cats, listening to an audiobook or podcast, binge-watching crime shows or Marvel movies, and of course, thinking about the next book.

To contact Tyora about book club discussions or to sign-up for her newsletter, visit her online at TyoraMoody.com.

Reviews

[Lee Holden, E.]

Excellent read

Excellent read, I loved the characters and storyline. Eugeena Patterson mysteries are a joy to read. Eugeena is a person that can go anywhere and talk to everyone. She knows how to analyze facts and read people. Which makes for an interesting, sometimes funny commentary on murders in her town. With the help of her husband Amos a former detective with the CPD, she always manages to figure out the culprit. I look forward to the next installment.

[Sue Ellen]

It's been a long wait for a new Eugeena Patterson mystery, but this one was well worth the wait. The new characters were interesting and distinctive. The mystery was well constructed. My first suspect turned out to be the one "who dunnit," but as the plot developed, I kept finding myself in doubt. As always, I look forward to more visits with Muss Eugeena.

[Ja Davis]

When I need a reading break, an easy cozy mystery I can count on is the Eugeena Patterson series. At #8 I'm familiar with the characters and I know Tyora Moody's going to wrap it all up satisfactorily!
Thanks Tyora!!!