What do you think?
Rate this book
A Death in Zion Falls: A Small Town Murder Mystery about Family, Secrets, and Betrayal.
A tight 98-page small-town murder mystery you can finish in one sitting. No filler. No padding. Just family secrets, old resentments, and a detective who trusts no one.
Dr. Evelyn Porter gave The Village of Zion Falls everything.
Her time. Her patience. Her weekends. Her peace.
She was the doctor who remembered names, remembered histories, remembered the things people didn’t even admit to themselves. Dr. Porter kept showing up for a village that took more from her every year and called it normal.
Then Dr. Porter was found dead on her kitchen floor.
And Zion Falls responded the only way it knows how when something breaks its image. It looked for someone to blame so it wouldn’t have to look at itself. The village’s love turned into suspicion. Its gratitude turned into judgment. Its mourning turned into a hunt for a reason that would make this feel acceptable.
Detective Marcus Hale doesn’t get the luxury of believing the story that spreads the fastest. He has to prove what happened. And what he sees right away is simple and terrifying. The killer wasn’t a stranger in the dark. They were someone close enough to be trusted, close enough to ruin Dr. Porter.
Now Hale is digging through family fractures, old resentments, and the secrets people protect because the truth would ruin the lives they’re still trying to keep together.
A Death in Zion Falls is a small town murder mystery about loyalty, reputation, and the moment a community decides one of its own is easier to sacrifice than to save.
Dr. Evelyn Porter gave The Village of Zion Falls everything.
Her time. Her patience. Her weekends. Her peace.
She was the doctor who remembered names, remembered histories, remembered the things people didn’t even admit to themselves. Dr. Porter kept showing up for a village that took more from her every year and called it normal.
Then Dr. Porter was found dead on her kitchen floor.
And Zion Falls responded the only way it knows how when something breaks its image. It looked for someone to blame so it wouldn’t have to look at itself. The village’s love turned into suspicion. Its gratitude turned into judgment. Its mourning turned into a hunt for a reason that would make this feel acceptable.
Detective Marcus Hale doesn’t get the luxury of believing the story that spreads the fastest. He has to prove what happened. And what he sees right away is simple and terrifying. The killer wasn’t a stranger in the dark. They were someone close enough to be trusted, close enough to ruin Dr. Porter.
Now Hale is digging through family fractures, old resentments, and the secrets people protect because the truth would ruin the lives they’re still trying to keep together.
A Death in Zion Falls is a small town murder mystery about loyalty, reputation, and the moment a community decides one of its own is easier to sacrifice than to save.
98 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2026
About the author
Christopher Cooper
114 books10 followersChristopher Cooper has contributed to the fortnightly BBC magazine Doctor Who Adventures, as well as writing the comic strip stories Health & Safety (in Doctor Who The Official Annual 2010) and Somebody Else's Problem: A Gwen Cooper Story (in Torchwood Magazine). He is also the author of the Doctor Who novel The Krillitane Storm and the Big Finish 'Bernice Summerfield' audio drama Brand Management.
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
May 13, 2026
Must reading! What a great experience to read this work of fiction from a first-time novelist who lives and owns a business just down the road a bit from me!
Great opening paragraph; great first chapter; I’m hooked! By chapter two, I was already visualizing my version of characters and context. I already know this is great writing and story telling.
When I bought the book directly from the author I insisted on a signed hard cover edition although it was slightly more money. Author Chris Cooper chuckled at my mention of “wanting a first edition signed copy,” but I was serious if only believing in my own hunch. I believe the value of this purchase will be realized far beyond my first reading. By the time I finished, I knew I had just experienced something powerful and new, a beginning not an epilogue. My instincts on the hard cover purchase were correct.
Cooper’s character development and writing in general are brilliant, far beyond what I would expect from a first-time author who lives and runs a business down the road a bit.
“Every patient was not just a chart: they were a debt she was paying back to the world that had finally given her a seat at the table.”
Author Chris Cooper shows wisdom and insight into basic human nature:
“People do not get to choose when your heart stops holding on. They just like to pretend they would have done it better.”
His detail on characters and context add excellence to the story and move it along. That’s author Chris Cooper’s talent. I felt in one instance he may want to work on scene/chapter segues, but only one. I saw mostly excellent, page-turning segues like this:
“He had been a detective long enough to know that once a story made sense, it became almost impossible to see past it.”
I also found one errant detail in Chapter 9: even in a small town a police officer would need an affidavit to get a search warrant from a judge, not just the evidence.
Overall, I was left wanting more, a sequel perhaps, maybe of Zion Falls, a novel rather than a 120 page novella, but more of Chris Cooper’s writing:
“But when the folks in Zion Falls talk about the past, this is not the story they tell. That is a story for another day.”
I look forward to reading about that day, too!
Great opening paragraph; great first chapter; I’m hooked! By chapter two, I was already visualizing my version of characters and context. I already know this is great writing and story telling.
When I bought the book directly from the author I insisted on a signed hard cover edition although it was slightly more money. Author Chris Cooper chuckled at my mention of “wanting a first edition signed copy,” but I was serious if only believing in my own hunch. I believe the value of this purchase will be realized far beyond my first reading. By the time I finished, I knew I had just experienced something powerful and new, a beginning not an epilogue. My instincts on the hard cover purchase were correct.
Cooper’s character development and writing in general are brilliant, far beyond what I would expect from a first-time author who lives and runs a business down the road a bit.
“Every patient was not just a chart: they were a debt she was paying back to the world that had finally given her a seat at the table.”
Author Chris Cooper shows wisdom and insight into basic human nature:
“People do not get to choose when your heart stops holding on. They just like to pretend they would have done it better.”
His detail on characters and context add excellence to the story and move it along. That’s author Chris Cooper’s talent. I felt in one instance he may want to work on scene/chapter segues, but only one. I saw mostly excellent, page-turning segues like this:
“He had been a detective long enough to know that once a story made sense, it became almost impossible to see past it.”
I also found one errant detail in Chapter 9: even in a small town a police officer would need an affidavit to get a search warrant from a judge, not just the evidence.
Overall, I was left wanting more, a sequel perhaps, maybe of Zion Falls, a novel rather than a 120 page novella, but more of Chris Cooper’s writing:
“But when the folks in Zion Falls talk about the past, this is not the story they tell. That is a story for another day.”
I look forward to reading about that day, too!
April 20, 2026
A short story that you won't forget
I don't want to give anything away so will keep this short. A very good first novel that keeps you guessing. Mostly i was impressed with the psychological mentality of the characters and the Feel of small town whispers and how that can make matters hard for everyone. Hopefully there will be another book from this author.
I don't want to give anything away so will keep this short. A very good first novel that keeps you guessing. Mostly i was impressed with the psychological mentality of the characters and the Feel of small town whispers and how that can make matters hard for everyone. Hopefully there will be another book from this author.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a great short read mystery. Check it out!
April 28, 2026
Nice little murder mystery to stick in your purse and read when you have a few minutes here & there. Not lengthy, attention grabbing with a little twist in there.
May 12, 2026
An engaging and quick read by this first time author. Not a lot of fluff, almost straight to the point. But wait for the twist at the end.
May 20, 2026
Great Book!!
For your first book I think you did fantastic! What a great book! I suggest to everyone to check it out and hopefully there will be many more to come.
For your first book I think you did fantastic! What a great book! I suggest to everyone to check it out and hopefully there will be many more to come.
May 24, 2026
I enjoyed the story even though it's not my usual genre. A no frills murder investigation in a coherent well written short story. Easy read and good character insight.
June 11, 2026
A fun quick read if you like a mystery! I tried to guess and got it wrong, so it was fun to find out “who done it” and support someone local in the meantime. Congrats to Chris on your first book!!
June 14, 2026
I enjoyed this short story from the first time author. Characters and descriptions of the town were well done. Kept me turning the page!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews