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Samuel Craddock Mystery #5
The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake
"She was a dangerous girl and people think she'll be a dangerous woman." Nonie Blake is back home from a mental institution where she has spent the last twenty years, and people in Jarrett Creek are worried. Maybe too worried, for within a week of her return, Nonie is murdered.
Sheriff Samuel Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tight-lipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself.
Clues are scarce and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that she has not been there for ten years. Now Craddock has to find out where Nonie has been all this time.
Soon the sheriff finds himself dealing not only with murder but layers of deception, a long-held family secret, blackmail, and in the midst of it all--a new deputy sheriff, one Maria Hernandez, sent by the state to beef up security in the small Texas town.
Sheriff Samuel Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tight-lipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself.
Clues are scarce and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that she has not been there for ten years. Now Craddock has to find out where Nonie has been all this time.
Soon the sheriff finds himself dealing not only with murder but layers of deception, a long-held family secret, blackmail, and in the midst of it all--a new deputy sheriff, one Maria Hernandez, sent by the state to beef up security in the small Texas town.
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2016
142 people are currently reading
1057 people want to read
About the author
Terry Shames
19 books274 followersTerry Shames is the award-winning, best-selling author of eleven Samuel Craddock mysteries. Her first book, A Killing at Cotton Hill won the Macavity Award for Best First novel Her books have been shortlisted for the Strand Critics Award, Lefty awards, and won the RT Reviews Critics award. The eleventh in the series, The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, October, 2024, was an Amazon Editor's Pick and won a starred review in Library Journal.
In 2024, she debuted the Jessie Madison thriller series, with Perilous Waters. In March, 2025, she published Out of Control, a suspense novel.
Terry is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.
She lives in Southern California with her husband, her dog Monty and her cat Max.
For more visit her website at www.Terryshames.com.
In 2024, she debuted the Jessie Madison thriller series, with Perilous Waters. In March, 2025, she published Out of Control, a suspense novel.
Terry is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and International Thriller Writers.
She lives in Southern California with her husband, her dog Monty and her cat Max.
For more visit her website at www.Terryshames.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 15, 2017
I was stymied when my niece moved her family to a small town in the Texas Hill Country some years ago. I didn’t get it—that is, until I discovered Terry Shames’ delightful mystery series set in a small Texas town. Shames won the Macavity Award for best first novel in 2013 for A Killing at Cotton Hill, the first Samuel Craddock mystery set in Jarrett Creek. She has since published The Last Death of Jack Harbin, Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek, A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge, and her latest, The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake, all chronicling the slow as molasses lifestyle and the dark secrets festering below the veneer of peacefulness of this sleepy town.
Shames’s fascination with the town, similar to Jarrett Creek, where her grandfather was mayor and where she grew up is clear through her precise documentation of the details of small town life. She’s created a cast of characters that could represent any small American town, yet are inextricably bound to Jarrett Creek starting with the hero, Samuel Craddock. He’s an unpretentious widower, the town’s retired police chief, who has been called out of retirement after Jarrett Creek runs out of money. He’s old fashioned and gentlemanly, prefers the company of women and his cattle, and is at home sipping lemonade and eating berry-filled buns in his neighbor, Loretta’s, kitchen while she gossips about everyone in town. In fact, she’s a prime source for intelligence when Craddock is investigating a murder.
What Loretta doesn’t know, she can find out at the hair salon or at church. It’s Loretta who has her finger on the pulse of the town when Nonie Blake returns to Jarrett Creek after a twenty-year stint in a private mental institution. She’d tried to hang her little sister when she was fourteen and Jarrett Creek is in an uproar. Loretta declares, “She was a dangerous girl and she’ll be a dangerous woman.” Samuel doesn’t think she’d have been let out if this were true; anyway her family has taken her in. But within a week, Nonie turns up dead in the Blake family’s stock pond and Chief Craddock finds few clues to what may have happened. One thing is certain, Nonie was murdered and her reclusive family remains tight-lipped about her, the committal, and why she had come home. What Craddock can get out of them doesn’t make sense.
Samuel Craddock’s method of investigation is low-key. He’s from the old school. He talks to people and learns Nonie was released from the institution ten years before and lives in a nearby town with another former inmate from Rollingwood—more information that doesn’t fit, like the rest of Craddock’s leads. He’s stumped and he’s saddled with a rookie cop, Maria Trevino, who comes with attitude and ideas about how police work should be done, and it isn’t using Craddock’s way: “I have a good chance of getting to the bottom of a problem through my knowledge of the town and its workings; through the past and my relationships with people.” Trevino wants to look for hard evidence in ways that make Craddock uncomfortable and feel old. He begins to question himself and fears he’s losing his edge to age. Travino turns out to be an asset and teaches Craddock some valuable tips on modern police work. It takes some detecting but the two (and a little dog) uncover the layers of lies and cover-ups that go back a generation to finally reveal why Nonie Blake’s murder was necessary—to the killer.
I fell in love with Samuel Craddock and Jarrett Creek in A Killing at Cotton Hill and the feeling has persisted through five books. It’s through Samuel Craddock’s personable voice that readers make acquaintance with Jarrett Creek. These characters have become friends. I’m with them eating cookies and drinking tea. I care that Samuel worries about aging and if Loretta’s feelings have been hurt; I care that Jarrett Creek has money problems and fear that modern life is going to change the values and lifestyle of its residents. I’m rooting for Craddock to get a dog. It’s the authentic small-town vibe and the folksy dialog combined with Shame’s adept ability to plot a surprising and quirky murder investigation coupled with her masterful characterization that makes the series. I feel like I’ve lived in Jarrett Creek—and liked it.
Shames’s fascination with the town, similar to Jarrett Creek, where her grandfather was mayor and where she grew up is clear through her precise documentation of the details of small town life. She’s created a cast of characters that could represent any small American town, yet are inextricably bound to Jarrett Creek starting with the hero, Samuel Craddock. He’s an unpretentious widower, the town’s retired police chief, who has been called out of retirement after Jarrett Creek runs out of money. He’s old fashioned and gentlemanly, prefers the company of women and his cattle, and is at home sipping lemonade and eating berry-filled buns in his neighbor, Loretta’s, kitchen while she gossips about everyone in town. In fact, she’s a prime source for intelligence when Craddock is investigating a murder.
What Loretta doesn’t know, she can find out at the hair salon or at church. It’s Loretta who has her finger on the pulse of the town when Nonie Blake returns to Jarrett Creek after a twenty-year stint in a private mental institution. She’d tried to hang her little sister when she was fourteen and Jarrett Creek is in an uproar. Loretta declares, “She was a dangerous girl and she’ll be a dangerous woman.” Samuel doesn’t think she’d have been let out if this were true; anyway her family has taken her in. But within a week, Nonie turns up dead in the Blake family’s stock pond and Chief Craddock finds few clues to what may have happened. One thing is certain, Nonie was murdered and her reclusive family remains tight-lipped about her, the committal, and why she had come home. What Craddock can get out of them doesn’t make sense.
Samuel Craddock’s method of investigation is low-key. He’s from the old school. He talks to people and learns Nonie was released from the institution ten years before and lives in a nearby town with another former inmate from Rollingwood—more information that doesn’t fit, like the rest of Craddock’s leads. He’s stumped and he’s saddled with a rookie cop, Maria Trevino, who comes with attitude and ideas about how police work should be done, and it isn’t using Craddock’s way: “I have a good chance of getting to the bottom of a problem through my knowledge of the town and its workings; through the past and my relationships with people.” Trevino wants to look for hard evidence in ways that make Craddock uncomfortable and feel old. He begins to question himself and fears he’s losing his edge to age. Travino turns out to be an asset and teaches Craddock some valuable tips on modern police work. It takes some detecting but the two (and a little dog) uncover the layers of lies and cover-ups that go back a generation to finally reveal why Nonie Blake’s murder was necessary—to the killer.
I fell in love with Samuel Craddock and Jarrett Creek in A Killing at Cotton Hill and the feeling has persisted through five books. It’s through Samuel Craddock’s personable voice that readers make acquaintance with Jarrett Creek. These characters have become friends. I’m with them eating cookies and drinking tea. I care that Samuel worries about aging and if Loretta’s feelings have been hurt; I care that Jarrett Creek has money problems and fear that modern life is going to change the values and lifestyle of its residents. I’m rooting for Craddock to get a dog. It’s the authentic small-town vibe and the folksy dialog combined with Shame’s adept ability to plot a surprising and quirky murder investigation coupled with her masterful characterization that makes the series. I feel like I’ve lived in Jarrett Creek—and liked it.
February 25, 2016
Samuel Craddock is the Acting Police Chief for Jarrett Creek, Texas. The former Chief had died a while ago, and Craddock was hired after the town went bankrupt and they convinced him to return to the job he had had years ago, filling in at the mayor’s request until the town, now bankrupt, can afford to hire someone else. He is widowed and somewhat older than your usual top cop; he had been chief years back, now and for the past few months filling in at the mayor’s request until the town, now bankrupt, can afford to hire someone else. But this is ‘his town,’ and like most of the townspeople, he cares about the people who live there.
As the novel begins, apparently most people in town are angry and horrified when Winona (“Nonie” to all) Blake returns home from a mental institution where she has spent the last 20 years. Within a week of her return, Nonie is murdered. Chief Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tightlipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself. Clues are scarce, and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that Nonie was released ten years ago. Now Craddock has to find out where she has been all that time, and soon finds himself dealing with layers of deception and secrets and, in the midst of it all, a new deputy, one Maria Trevino, sent by the sheriff to beef up security in the small Texas town.
Just in case Craddock isn’t busy enough trying to solve a murder, someone is apparently sneaking into the yards of the flower growers in the community and cutting their best flowers.
This is the 5th book by this author, the 2nd in the series that I have read, and is just as delightful as its predecessor, A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge. Ms. Shames captures the small town atmosphere and the inhabitants of Jarrett Creek in a very convincing way. The investigation takes several unexpected turns. The twists and turns in the murder investigation prompt Craddock at one point to say that he feels as if he’d been in a rabbit hole, and has the reader feeling somewhat the same. But the author wraps up the investigation, and the novel, in a wholly satisfying manner, and left this reader waiting impatiently for the next in the series. The novel was just the thing for this time of year, when one [or this reader at least] prefers to avoid the dark and graphic (the people of Jarrett Creek and Bobtail are delightful), and it is recommended.
As the novel begins, apparently most people in town are angry and horrified when Winona (“Nonie” to all) Blake returns home from a mental institution where she has spent the last 20 years. Within a week of her return, Nonie is murdered. Chief Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tightlipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself. Clues are scarce, and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that Nonie was released ten years ago. Now Craddock has to find out where she has been all that time, and soon finds himself dealing with layers of deception and secrets and, in the midst of it all, a new deputy, one Maria Trevino, sent by the sheriff to beef up security in the small Texas town.
Just in case Craddock isn’t busy enough trying to solve a murder, someone is apparently sneaking into the yards of the flower growers in the community and cutting their best flowers.
This is the 5th book by this author, the 2nd in the series that I have read, and is just as delightful as its predecessor, A Deadly Affair at Bobtail Ridge. Ms. Shames captures the small town atmosphere and the inhabitants of Jarrett Creek in a very convincing way. The investigation takes several unexpected turns. The twists and turns in the murder investigation prompt Craddock at one point to say that he feels as if he’d been in a rabbit hole, and has the reader feeling somewhat the same. But the author wraps up the investigation, and the novel, in a wholly satisfying manner, and left this reader waiting impatiently for the next in the series. The novel was just the thing for this time of year, when one [or this reader at least] prefers to avoid the dark and graphic (the people of Jarrett Creek and Bobtail are delightful), and it is recommended.
April 17, 2018
Another good one in this series. The supporting characters continue to be interesting and complex, including the ones that are in it for just this mystery. The addition of the new female deputy and Loretta’s new look promise to complicate Samuel’s life. The next book is a prequel. It will be interesting to meet his late wife.
March 7, 2024
At least as good and maybe a little better than some of the others. This one had a twisty and very engrossing plot, and I especially enjoyed the little wrinkle that got thrown in, about halfway through.
January 31, 2017
This is my favorite yet! I have enjoyed all of this series and I love the Samuel Craddock character more and more, but this one was really hard to put down. A page turner with surprising twists!
February 18, 2020
This book was offered as one of the .99 cent specials on Book Bub, so I thought I would try it. The premise of the book was actually pretty good, but it completely lost steam about 2/3's of the way through. Over all it is a bit flat. None of the characters really jump off the page and come alive. Some of them came across as really stupid, even though I don't think that was the author's intention. The ending is really blah.
November 20, 2022
I'm enjoying this series a lot.
June 4, 2023
I love these books. So good and entertaining. Always have me guessing and love the small town feel.
May 30, 2016
The Necessary Murder Of Nonie Blake is the latest in the Samuel Craddock Mystery Series by Terry Shames. As the title makes clear Nonie Blake had to die. Why and who did it are the main questions that drive much of this book from start to finish.
Winona Blake, or Nonie, is legendary in Jarrett Creek, Texas and nearby areas. It has been twenty years since she left town and eventually wound up in a mental institution far to the north up near Dallas. When she was 14 all those years ago she tried to kill her younger sister. It wasn’t horseplay as she meant for her sister to hang until dead. If it hadn’t been for the quick action of her brother Charlotte Blake would have died that day.
Instead, it is Charlotte Blake, who calls Chief of Police Samuel Craddock to report the latest family tragedy. Her sister drowned in the stock pond behind their house. The home of the reclusive Blake family located a few miles down a gravel road out past the cemetery on the north side of town is about to be a very active crime scene. When Craddock gets out there it is very evident to him that the main cause of Nonie’s death is certainly not drowning. She took a significant blow to the head that also crushed her cheek and broke her jaw. The force that was used far exceeds what she could have generated by a simple fall against a tree or the ground before sliding into the water. This was not an accidental drowning by any means. Figuring out who did it and why are the primary points of an investigation that leads Samuel Craddock on a trail of secrets going back decades.
While that is the main plot there are secondary plots building off previous events and ongoing characters/situations in this highly entertaining series. Along with that, author Terry Shames had added a new character in the form of a female deputy, Marie Trevino, sent in by the state to assist as Samuel Craddock sees fit. She has her own way of doing things and that attitude is going to push Craddock to up his game.
The Necessary Murder Of Nonie Blake features yet another engrossing and complicated mystery in this long running cozy style mystery series. Macavity Award Winner for Best First Mystery author Terry Shames continues to deliver in each successive installment of the series much like what Texas author Bill Crider (prominently mentioned on the book cover) has done in his Sheriff Dan Rhodes Series, Terry Shames has created a sense of family with these characters. It doesn’t take a reader long to feel like he has known Samuel, Lorretta, and numerous others for years once one starts reading the books.
A Killing At Cotton Hill started everything off. Five books later, The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake keeps a great series rolling forward at a great pace.
The Necessary Murder Of Nonie Blake: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
Terry Shames
http://www.Terryshames.com
Seventh Street Books
http://www.seventhstreetbooks.com
2016
ISBN# 978-1-63388-120-4
Paperback (also available in eBook format)
258 Pages
$15.95
Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Winona Blake, or Nonie, is legendary in Jarrett Creek, Texas and nearby areas. It has been twenty years since she left town and eventually wound up in a mental institution far to the north up near Dallas. When she was 14 all those years ago she tried to kill her younger sister. It wasn’t horseplay as she meant for her sister to hang until dead. If it hadn’t been for the quick action of her brother Charlotte Blake would have died that day.
Instead, it is Charlotte Blake, who calls Chief of Police Samuel Craddock to report the latest family tragedy. Her sister drowned in the stock pond behind their house. The home of the reclusive Blake family located a few miles down a gravel road out past the cemetery on the north side of town is about to be a very active crime scene. When Craddock gets out there it is very evident to him that the main cause of Nonie’s death is certainly not drowning. She took a significant blow to the head that also crushed her cheek and broke her jaw. The force that was used far exceeds what she could have generated by a simple fall against a tree or the ground before sliding into the water. This was not an accidental drowning by any means. Figuring out who did it and why are the primary points of an investigation that leads Samuel Craddock on a trail of secrets going back decades.
While that is the main plot there are secondary plots building off previous events and ongoing characters/situations in this highly entertaining series. Along with that, author Terry Shames had added a new character in the form of a female deputy, Marie Trevino, sent in by the state to assist as Samuel Craddock sees fit. She has her own way of doing things and that attitude is going to push Craddock to up his game.
The Necessary Murder Of Nonie Blake features yet another engrossing and complicated mystery in this long running cozy style mystery series. Macavity Award Winner for Best First Mystery author Terry Shames continues to deliver in each successive installment of the series much like what Texas author Bill Crider (prominently mentioned on the book cover) has done in his Sheriff Dan Rhodes Series, Terry Shames has created a sense of family with these characters. It doesn’t take a reader long to feel like he has known Samuel, Lorretta, and numerous others for years once one starts reading the books.
A Killing At Cotton Hill started everything off. Five books later, The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake keeps a great series rolling forward at a great pace.
The Necessary Murder Of Nonie Blake: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
Terry Shames
http://www.Terryshames.com
Seventh Street Books
http://www.seventhstreetbooks.com
2016
ISBN# 978-1-63388-120-4
Paperback (also available in eBook format)
258 Pages
$15.95
Material supplied by the publisher in exchange for my objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
January 24, 2016
THE NECESSARY MURDER OF NONIE BLAKE has a leisurely feel that matches its backwoods Texas locale. Sam Craddock, the retired Sheriff of Jarrett Creek, Texas, was called back into service when the town went bankrupt and could no longer afford to pay its law enforcement chief. Sam agreed to do the job for free, and for the most part he doesn't have much to do anyway. His most pressing case is catching a thief who is cutting flowers in local gardens in the dead of night. However, as the book opens, there is a drowning death on a local property...a death that turns out to be the murder of a young woman identified by her family as Nonie Blake.
Twenty years ago, teenager Nonie Blake was sent away to a mental institution after attempting to hang her younger sister. She had just returned to the family home after being released from Rollingwood when the murder occurred. Her family keeps themselves to themselves in a town where everyone knows everyone else's business and this, combined with their wealth, has given them a reputation for being stuck-up and odd. No one in the family works, and the patriarch, John Blake, suffers from dementia associated with Parkinson's Disease. As Sam investigates the murder, he is constantly stonewalled or sent in wrong directions by the lies of Adelaide, John's wife. The clues Sam uncovers only seem to confuse the situation further.
Part way through the investigation, the state sends a new officer to Jarrett Creek as a part of a minority training program. Suddenly, Sam has the help and complication caused by having Maria Trevino on the force. She brings a tough attitude along with her, having previously lived only in urban environments, and this does not help her in understanding the people of Jarrett Creek. However, she also brings some up-to-date policing skills with her, and these do help in the attempt to identify Nonie's murderer.
Maria's entry into the town provides fresh eyes for the reader to see the small town dynamics. The slow pace of the book reflects the slow pace of life in Jarrett Creek. Sam takes the weekend off from his investigation, since nothing is open anyway, and uses the time to purchase some new cattle. Neighbors drop by with baked goods for a chat. Jarrett Creek seems to be a quiet sort of vanilla place to live, except for this pesky murder that must be solved.
In the end, all of the misdirections and lies are sorted out as Sam and Maria uncover the story that the Blake family has been hiding and determine both the identity of the murderer and the motive. While Maria's posting to Jarrett Creek is of indeterminate length, it appears that Shames is setting her up in this fifth of the series to become a new series character. And since Sam had such a positive experience in this book as he dog sat, there may be a dog joining the series, as well. Things to look forward to.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com.
Twenty years ago, teenager Nonie Blake was sent away to a mental institution after attempting to hang her younger sister. She had just returned to the family home after being released from Rollingwood when the murder occurred. Her family keeps themselves to themselves in a town where everyone knows everyone else's business and this, combined with their wealth, has given them a reputation for being stuck-up and odd. No one in the family works, and the patriarch, John Blake, suffers from dementia associated with Parkinson's Disease. As Sam investigates the murder, he is constantly stonewalled or sent in wrong directions by the lies of Adelaide, John's wife. The clues Sam uncovers only seem to confuse the situation further.
Part way through the investigation, the state sends a new officer to Jarrett Creek as a part of a minority training program. Suddenly, Sam has the help and complication caused by having Maria Trevino on the force. She brings a tough attitude along with her, having previously lived only in urban environments, and this does not help her in understanding the people of Jarrett Creek. However, she also brings some up-to-date policing skills with her, and these do help in the attempt to identify Nonie's murderer.
Maria's entry into the town provides fresh eyes for the reader to see the small town dynamics. The slow pace of the book reflects the slow pace of life in Jarrett Creek. Sam takes the weekend off from his investigation, since nothing is open anyway, and uses the time to purchase some new cattle. Neighbors drop by with baked goods for a chat. Jarrett Creek seems to be a quiet sort of vanilla place to live, except for this pesky murder that must be solved.
In the end, all of the misdirections and lies are sorted out as Sam and Maria uncover the story that the Blake family has been hiding and determine both the identity of the murderer and the motive. While Maria's posting to Jarrett Creek is of indeterminate length, it appears that Shames is setting her up in this fifth of the series to become a new series character. And since Sam had such a positive experience in this book as he dog sat, there may be a dog joining the series, as well. Things to look forward to.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com.
March 4, 2020
Great stand alone mystery. I have requested book four from my library
February 14, 2018
COPIED FROM THE GOODREADSSITE: She was a dangerous girl and people think she'll be a dangerous woman." Nonie Blake is back home from a mental institution where she has spent the last twenty years, and people in Jarrett Creek are worried. Maybe too worried, for within a week of her return, Nonie is murdered.
Sheriff Samuel Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tight-lipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself.
Clues are scarce and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that she has not been there for ten years. Now Craddock has to find out where Nonie has been all this time.
Soon the sheriff finds himself dealing not only with murder but layers of deception, a long-held family secret, blackmail, and in the midst of it all--a new deputy sheriff, one Maria Hernandez, sent by the state to beef up security in the small Texas town.
Sheriff Samuel Craddock thinks the only possible suspects are members of her tight-lipped family. Ever since Nonie tried to kill her sister when she was fourteen and was sent away to the institution, the family has kept to itself.
Clues are scarce and Craddock is stumped. So he checks with therapists at the mental hospital to see whether they can add anything useful to his investigation. But he discovers that she has not been there for ten years. Now Craddock has to find out where Nonie has been all this time.
Soon the sheriff finds himself dealing not only with murder but layers of deception, a long-held family secret, blackmail, and in the midst of it all--a new deputy sheriff, one Maria Hernandez, sent by the state to beef up security in the small Texas town.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2025
Twenty years ago Nonie Blake, 14, nearly killed her younger sister Charlotte.
She's been confined in a mental hospital ever since.
But now she's back at the family home.
Less than a week later she's found dead - murdered!
It's nothing new for police Chief Samuel Craddock, after all Jarrett Creek is a hotbed of death and destruction (behind the quiet façade).
The Blake family are know for keeping to themselves and have little or nothing to contribute to the investigation.
What they do say is either downright lies, deceptive, or an attempt to shift guilt elsewhere.
Also on his plate is the arrival of a new deputy, Maria Trevino, as part of an inclusion program.
She's thinks Samuel is just old-fashioned, while she's straight out of the academy and full of vigour and ideas.
They're going to have to iron out their difficulties if they're going to work together successfully.
As always the community of Jarrett Creek plays a large part even as Samuel persistently picks away at the evidence.
A solid read with a good heart.
4 Stars.
She's been confined in a mental hospital ever since.
But now she's back at the family home.
Less than a week later she's found dead - murdered!
It's nothing new for police Chief Samuel Craddock, after all Jarrett Creek is a hotbed of death and destruction (behind the quiet façade).
The Blake family are know for keeping to themselves and have little or nothing to contribute to the investigation.
What they do say is either downright lies, deceptive, or an attempt to shift guilt elsewhere.
Also on his plate is the arrival of a new deputy, Maria Trevino, as part of an inclusion program.
She's thinks Samuel is just old-fashioned, while she's straight out of the academy and full of vigour and ideas.
They're going to have to iron out their difficulties if they're going to work together successfully.
As always the community of Jarrett Creek plays a large part even as Samuel persistently picks away at the evidence.
A solid read with a good heart.
4 Stars.
March 24, 2019
Small towns. Conventional wisdom says people know every thing about everyone. Southern conventional wisdom says deep secrets can be kept for generations. Both truisms play into Shames fifth book in the Samuel Craddock series.
Nonie Blake at age 14 tried to kill her 8 year old sister. Specifically, she tried to hang her. Her family agreed the best course of action was to put her in a mental hospital. There she remained for 20 years until she suddenly returned to Jarret Creek. Within the week she was dead. Murdered, leaving a mess for Samuel to clean up.
Shames dialog drivin plots almost sound like a play to the reader. Characters are exposed by there words and by Samuels observations. Shames plays fair with her readers, leaving enough clues to help a reader along with Samuel as he explores the twists in the story of the Blake family.
The denouement provides one of the most cleaver resolutions I have read in years. You will love this mystery.
Highly recommended
Nonie Blake at age 14 tried to kill her 8 year old sister. Specifically, she tried to hang her. Her family agreed the best course of action was to put her in a mental hospital. There she remained for 20 years until she suddenly returned to Jarret Creek. Within the week she was dead. Murdered, leaving a mess for Samuel to clean up.
Shames dialog drivin plots almost sound like a play to the reader. Characters are exposed by there words and by Samuels observations. Shames plays fair with her readers, leaving enough clues to help a reader along with Samuel as he explores the twists in the story of the Blake family.
The denouement provides one of the most cleaver resolutions I have read in years. You will love this mystery.
Highly recommended
October 12, 2019
Nonie Blake returns to her family after a 20 year absence. Just a few days later she is dead. The Blake family is strangely aloof from town life and every family member seems to be lying. Sam Craddock investigates.
This is a small town mystery where almost everyone knows each other in this small town of Texas. This is the 5th book in the series and if the reader has followed the series, he should be quite familiar with everyone by now. Craddock is the local police chief with 2 deputies. As an added wrinkle, the state pays for a new deputy who is Hispanic and female.
I like the series because it's easy to read and get into. The stories are kind of low key, you just have to follow along. Sometimes it goes into high gear, sometimes it stays low key. This one is fairly low key but I enjoy it nonetheless because I enjoy the drama of a small town and the gossip.
This is a small town mystery where almost everyone knows each other in this small town of Texas. This is the 5th book in the series and if the reader has followed the series, he should be quite familiar with everyone by now. Craddock is the local police chief with 2 deputies. As an added wrinkle, the state pays for a new deputy who is Hispanic and female.
I like the series because it's easy to read and get into. The stories are kind of low key, you just have to follow along. Sometimes it goes into high gear, sometimes it stays low key. This one is fairly low key but I enjoy it nonetheless because I enjoy the drama of a small town and the gossip.
September 18, 2017
In this story family secrets have an impact on generations in this story. I did not expect to like this small Texas town. Author Terry Shames came to our book group was fun to include in our discussion. This is a real town (name changed) where she spent summers with her grandparents. Her grandfather, who she adored, was the mayor, and is the model for the sheriff in this story.
Thouggh part of a series, it reads very well on its own.
Thouggh part of a series, it reads very well on its own.
June 17, 2019
Hard to put down
This story has so many layers it just keeps changing and getting better all the way through. Even though I figured out a few things before the end it was still enjoyable to see how all the conclusions were made. I really liked all the characters and was glad to see the author could write an interesting story without all the sex and bad language and very well edited. Sorry it ended
This story has so many layers it just keeps changing and getting better all the way through. Even though I figured out a few things before the end it was still enjoyable to see how all the conclusions were made. I really liked all the characters and was glad to see the author could write an interesting story without all the sex and bad language and very well edited. Sorry it ended
September 23, 2019
I wanted something not gory or disturbing but still a good puzzle, so I knew it was time for another book by Terry Shames. This one is a particularly captivating puzzle, with lots of satisfying unexpected but not implausible twists. When a reader gets to the end and thinks, "Of course! I should have seen that coming!" that is a good mystery, and that's what a reader gets with any book by Terry Shames.
March 28, 2020
I picked up this book because of the title. It has a great title. What I found inside was a nice mystery written with a small town feel. The characters felt authentic and the place was described nicely. Nothing was urgent or driven, just a small town police chief doing his job and solving the crime. It was a good book to read in these too hectic times. I am going back to read the rest of the series and I recommend you do also.
September 10, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. Once I started, I had a hard time putting it down. It’s a great mystery beautifully written, with a likable small-town sheriff protagonist that I look forward seeing in other books, now that I’ve been introduced to this series, and author. I can’t imagine anyone who likes crime fiction and mysteries not enjoying this novel. It’s one of the best in this genre I’ve read... A+ from start to finish.
February 17, 2024
The Blakes are living on a farm but are not farmers. They tend to be loners and act strangely. Everyone thinks it is because the daughter Nonie tried to hang her sister. Nonie is sent away for counseling and has not returned for 20 years. When she does return there is a murder.
I enjoyed the twist and as always the characters are interesting. I particularly liked the addition of a female law officer.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
I enjoyed the twist and as always the characters are interesting. I particularly liked the addition of a female law officer.
I borrowed a copy from the public library.
June 11, 2019
If you liked the TV show "Murder she wrote" or "Matlock", you would probably like this book. The characters are very cliche'd, and everyone in town is 'warm and fuzzy'. Even the murderers and criminals never use bad words, so even devout Christians can safely read this book. The plot was fairly interesting, but the overall smarminess takes any edge off the story.
June 19, 2019
Small town cops
This was a book about a small town cop with a baffling crime to solve. Then he gets a big city newly minted girl cop given to his town. Between the 2 of them them they manage to figure it all out after many false starts and misconceptions on both sides. It truly is a guessing game of why, where and who.
This was a book about a small town cop with a baffling crime to solve. Then he gets a big city newly minted girl cop given to his town. Between the 2 of them them they manage to figure it all out after many false starts and misconceptions on both sides. It truly is a guessing game of why, where and who.
January 4, 2020
Good plot. Terribly written. The characters lack any type of luster, development, personality. In my opinion, there were a lot of unneeded characters. The author seemed to add a lot of her own opinions regarding places around Texas, and not in a good way. I felt like she overdid the “Southern” colloquialisms. Perhaps I am being harsh, but this book was just awful.
March 1, 2020
Enjoyable Book
I've been reading a lot of books by New authors I've never heard about and I never need know what to expect. This was a pleasant surprise. Terry Shames put together a good plot and diverse characters that kept my interest throughout. I hope she keeps Trevino and Craddock together in her next book.
I've been reading a lot of books by New authors I've never heard about and I never need know what to expect. This was a pleasant surprise. Terry Shames put together a good plot and diverse characters that kept my interest throughout. I hope she keeps Trevino and Craddock together in her next book.
September 6, 2022
Even though this was #5 in the series, I didn't feel I needed to read 1 through 4 first. This was a nice mystery with a small town feel. The characters felt authentic and the setting was well described. Not necessarily an urgent page turner; just a small town police chief doing his job and solving the crime. I will go back to read the rest of the series.
May 25, 2023
Still short handed, Samuel has to deal with a woman being murdered. Nonie tried to kill her sister twenty years earlier and has supposedly been institutionalized since then. She comes home and is found dead. Why? Well, the author uses the old trope of but the story still flows nicely. Not much above average, but I'll give it four stars anyway.
April 1, 2025
Thoroughly enjoyed!
To my delight I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I saw my name in the title and was intrigued. I have been a Louise Penney fan for decades, and am so glad to find another author who has a "genuineness" in her writing. Looking forward to going back to her first "Samuel Craddock" mystery and getting to know and become friends with all the characters!
To my delight I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I saw my name in the title and was intrigued. I have been a Louise Penney fan for decades, and am so glad to find another author who has a "genuineness" in her writing. Looking forward to going back to her first "Samuel Craddock" mystery and getting to know and become friends with all the characters!
June 7, 2019
An excellent mystery
This was my first Terry Shames novel, but it won't be my last. The writing is first rate, with a clever and complex plot and well developed characters. I highly recommend this series.
This was my first Terry Shames novel, but it won't be my last. The writing is first rate, with a clever and complex plot and well developed characters. I highly recommend this series.
June 25, 2019
This was a good mystery, set in a small town, which apparently is one of a series. The police chief is older and attempting to work with a very small part time staff to solve a murder. I’ve never read this author before, but will look for other books in this series.
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