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The Richard Carter Novels #11
Journey Man
The tombstone reads “Richard Carter.” It has a fine Latin inscription and a death date. Unlike his wife Jill, he finds it easy to dismiss as a prank. He’s more concerned with the “Jane Doe” who turns up asphyxiated and shockingly posed. It is the unmistakable signature of a sexual predator, a monster deep into his fantasy, a man probably already seeking his next victim.
An FBI friend tells Richard that the Bureau is tracking a coast-to-coast serial killer with an identical MO and signature, a killer who leaves immaculate crime scenes that tell investigators only what the killer wants them to know: how clever he is.
Is the local killer the FBI’s “Journey Man,” or only a copycat? Does it matter? How can Richard find the invisible? He needs a pattern, a clue, but all he has is a woman who might have been a victim.
While he struggles to find connections, Richard is unaware of something going on at home, something begun with the arrival of his tombstone. His wife Jill’s past, combined with what is happening, breathes new life into the smoldering coals of her emotional distress. When the killer strikes closer to home, she hurtles toward an abyss. Jill is nothing if not strong, but is she strong enough to bear this alone? Or will she become “collateral damage” of the Journey Man’s rampage through Hawthorn County?
An FBI friend tells Richard that the Bureau is tracking a coast-to-coast serial killer with an identical MO and signature, a killer who leaves immaculate crime scenes that tell investigators only what the killer wants them to know: how clever he is.
Is the local killer the FBI’s “Journey Man,” or only a copycat? Does it matter? How can Richard find the invisible? He needs a pattern, a clue, but all he has is a woman who might have been a victim.
While he struggles to find connections, Richard is unaware of something going on at home, something begun with the arrival of his tombstone. His wife Jill’s past, combined with what is happening, breathes new life into the smoldering coals of her emotional distress. When the killer strikes closer to home, she hurtles toward an abyss. Jill is nothing if not strong, but is she strong enough to bear this alone? Or will she become “collateral damage” of the Journey Man’s rampage through Hawthorn County?
299 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2016
4 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
A.R. Simmons
16 books59 followersAR Simmons grew up in the Missouri Ozarks. He walked a gravel road to a rural school evocative of “Walton’s Mountain.” His parents did factory work to buy things not provided by their subsistence farm which was passed down from his grandfather who cleared the land from the native forest. He and his wife (beta reader, illustrator, and muse) still live on that farm. So his roots run deep in the Ozark soil. Using the culture, language, and mores of this "Bible Belt" region, he writes culturally immersive stories of obsession set amidst the small-town and rural life that he knows and loves.
He began writing seriously with a suspense novel which he serialized around the turn of the millennium on his website www.bluecreeknovels. It took until 2013 for him to publish the first Richard Carter novel (Bonne Femme) as an e-book. The series now includes fourteen mystery/suspense stand-alone stories that also chronicle Richard’s life with each story spaced about a year apart. This required a year-by-year update to the technology available to the characters because time marches on.
PS. Simmons is a rather common drudge, so once considered changing his nom-de-plume to “Bess Sellers.”
He began writing seriously with a suspense novel which he serialized around the turn of the millennium on his website www.bluecreeknovels. It took until 2013 for him to publish the first Richard Carter novel (Bonne Femme) as an e-book. The series now includes fourteen mystery/suspense stand-alone stories that also chronicle Richard’s life with each story spaced about a year apart. This required a year-by-year update to the technology available to the characters because time marches on.
PS. Simmons is a rather common drudge, so once considered changing his nom-de-plume to “Bess Sellers.”
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 15, 2017
I liked it was very down to earth and the sparks of humor added in. This novel was suspenseful and very well written as a standalone even though it's my first time reading this series and it's book #11 I've started on. I was able to get to know the characters profoundly well through the plot. The descriptions were very detailed but not overly so. The rural setting was spectacular and very authentic. It had me reminiscing over the humble beginnings of the rural life I had come from in Mississippi even though the setting of this novel is in Missouri. The story pulled me into a real life I know well. My mother grew up with a portion of her childhood spent with her mother, nine brothers and sisters living in the Boot Heels of Missouri, so I was familiar with the familial roots displayed eloquently and quite poignantly with a beautiful effortlessness of simplicity. I became fond of this author and this series because of all these effervescent qualities. How precious those memories are and how they are a big part of me still. That kind of depth and authenticity you can't buy and it can only be written about with such a flawless essence because it was actually lived. Thank you A.R. Simmons for bringing me back home with your novel!
March 5, 2019
Kept my attention from the first page to the last
November 21, 2016
I love this series!!
This book is well written with great characters!! The story developed at a steady pace so it never lagged, has perfect amount of backstory so understand the roles of characters and plot development.
I was on the edge of my seat through entire book, trying to narrow down the "who done it" and I couldn't put it down!! I don't give away spoilers, but I highly recommend this book and this series as A MUST READ!!!! You will love it!!
This book is well written with great characters!! The story developed at a steady pace so it never lagged, has perfect amount of backstory so understand the roles of characters and plot development.
I was on the edge of my seat through entire book, trying to narrow down the "who done it" and I couldn't put it down!! I don't give away spoilers, but I highly recommend this book and this series as A MUST READ!!!! You will love it!!
March 20, 2017
I loved this book. I've read all eleven. They were all excellent, but this was the best. I hope there will be a twelfth.
April 27, 2017
Richard Carter is a deputy sheriff in a rural Missouri town. One day, he is called out to a cemetery where a tombstone with his name (and a death date two months in the future) has been recently erected. While it’s apparently not a crime to put up a tombstone for someone who is still alive, the event leaves Carter unnerved. Is this meant as a joke or is it something more sinister?
Whatever the cause, he doesn’t have long to ponder the significance, because a body is soon discovered in the woods. The young woman is found elaborately bound, with a plastic bag over her head and a length of plastic tubing tied around her neck. The victim isn’t from the area, so the first thing Carter and his fellow deputies must do is attempt to establish her identity. The sheriff’s department has recently been expanded. Joining Carter, his boss “Shug” Shively and fellow deputy Ron Guidry are Jared “JMac” McAnulty and Cicely “Kit” Kitteridge. The two new officers apparently have hopes of eventually moving on to work with the FBI, a dream Carter has had to give up due to some events in his past.
As Carter begins to investigate the murder, he is required to be away from home for longer and longer periods. This is particularly bad timing, as his wife Jill is going through a particularly rough time in her life. The couple live in a cabin outside of town along with 8-year-old daughter Mirabelle, with only young neighbors Raven and Shane nearby. Due to the area of Missouri where they live, Jill has become increasingly worried about safety during storms, so she is having a storm shelter, as well as a bedroom for Mirabelle, added onto their cabin. As well as her worry about storms, she is also having dreams about previous events where she or her family have been in danger. Even though the family has a large dog, she continually hears noises in the house. She works as a community college instructor, but sometimes her anxiety is so bad that she skips her classes rather than leave the house.
When news about the murder hits the media, a woman comes forward with an unbelievable tale. She tells Carter that she was attacked and left for dead a few years ago, and she believes the same person who attacked her also killed the young woman. Nicole Whitmer was married to a pastor at the time, and he persuaded her not to report the attack at the time, since he feared the publicity would impact his church negatively. Still, Carter (and other policemen) are skeptical of her story. As Carter learns more about her and the events surrounding her situation, he begins to believe her. But if she was also attacked by the same man, what has he been doing in the 3 years since that first crime? Carter has an FBI friend who tells him that they are tracking a serial killer known as “Journey Man” who as a similar MO to Carter’s killer. He’s called “Journey Man” because victims have been found across the US, meaning he’s a killer on the move. Has he made a stop in Carter’s town?
I enjoyed reading about the very real themes that were explored in this book: male/female roles, overcoming stereotypes and working through anxiety. It showed real situations where men in positions of authority treat male and female subordinates in the same job very differently. It also showed how females in non-traditional roles work hard to prove themselves and how they can become overly defensive or interpret actions as being hostile when no offense was intended. At the same time, there were some odd quirks with the book. There were long, long, LONG conversations between characters, some job related but mostly personal, that went on and on. For instance, when Jared McAnulty arrives, Carter is instructed to give him an overview of the job and what it entails. They go out for coffee and he explains how “Shug” is a good boss, how to get along with him, and that drinking on the job is immediate grounds for dismissal. A few days later, Kit Kitteridge arrives, and the boss once again asks Carter to show her the ropes. They go out for coffee and he explains how “Shug” is a good boss, how to get along with him, and that drinking on the job is immediate grounds for dismissal. It wasn’t really necessary to go over the same ground again! The Guidry character was supposedly a cross-word fanatic, and he was forever stopping in mid-sentence to give a long drawn-out explanation of word origins. And he wasn’t the only one. Jill, who, as a teacher and a mother undoubtedly wanted to educate her daughter, would respond to questions from her daughter in a word-for-word dictionary definition. For instance, when she was cooking and the daughter asked what the word “macerate” meant, Jill responded, “To soften by steeping in liquid over a low heat.” Also, when consulting a doctor for her physical problems, she tells the doctor she realizes “inappropriate activation of the involuntary nervous system can cause my glands to excrete excessively.” Who speaks like that? Her poor students!
This is book 11 in a series, so there were some past events that were referred to that I was unfamiliar with. There was a “Cast of Characters” section at the end that detailed the main characters and some events that have happened in previous books. There was a lot going on, but the book tied up all the loose ends in a satisfying manner.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Whatever the cause, he doesn’t have long to ponder the significance, because a body is soon discovered in the woods. The young woman is found elaborately bound, with a plastic bag over her head and a length of plastic tubing tied around her neck. The victim isn’t from the area, so the first thing Carter and his fellow deputies must do is attempt to establish her identity. The sheriff’s department has recently been expanded. Joining Carter, his boss “Shug” Shively and fellow deputy Ron Guidry are Jared “JMac” McAnulty and Cicely “Kit” Kitteridge. The two new officers apparently have hopes of eventually moving on to work with the FBI, a dream Carter has had to give up due to some events in his past.
As Carter begins to investigate the murder, he is required to be away from home for longer and longer periods. This is particularly bad timing, as his wife Jill is going through a particularly rough time in her life. The couple live in a cabin outside of town along with 8-year-old daughter Mirabelle, with only young neighbors Raven and Shane nearby. Due to the area of Missouri where they live, Jill has become increasingly worried about safety during storms, so she is having a storm shelter, as well as a bedroom for Mirabelle, added onto their cabin. As well as her worry about storms, she is also having dreams about previous events where she or her family have been in danger. Even though the family has a large dog, she continually hears noises in the house. She works as a community college instructor, but sometimes her anxiety is so bad that she skips her classes rather than leave the house.
When news about the murder hits the media, a woman comes forward with an unbelievable tale. She tells Carter that she was attacked and left for dead a few years ago, and she believes the same person who attacked her also killed the young woman. Nicole Whitmer was married to a pastor at the time, and he persuaded her not to report the attack at the time, since he feared the publicity would impact his church negatively. Still, Carter (and other policemen) are skeptical of her story. As Carter learns more about her and the events surrounding her situation, he begins to believe her. But if she was also attacked by the same man, what has he been doing in the 3 years since that first crime? Carter has an FBI friend who tells him that they are tracking a serial killer known as “Journey Man” who as a similar MO to Carter’s killer. He’s called “Journey Man” because victims have been found across the US, meaning he’s a killer on the move. Has he made a stop in Carter’s town?
I enjoyed reading about the very real themes that were explored in this book: male/female roles, overcoming stereotypes and working through anxiety. It showed real situations where men in positions of authority treat male and female subordinates in the same job very differently. It also showed how females in non-traditional roles work hard to prove themselves and how they can become overly defensive or interpret actions as being hostile when no offense was intended. At the same time, there were some odd quirks with the book. There were long, long, LONG conversations between characters, some job related but mostly personal, that went on and on. For instance, when Jared McAnulty arrives, Carter is instructed to give him an overview of the job and what it entails. They go out for coffee and he explains how “Shug” is a good boss, how to get along with him, and that drinking on the job is immediate grounds for dismissal. A few days later, Kit Kitteridge arrives, and the boss once again asks Carter to show her the ropes. They go out for coffee and he explains how “Shug” is a good boss, how to get along with him, and that drinking on the job is immediate grounds for dismissal. It wasn’t really necessary to go over the same ground again! The Guidry character was supposedly a cross-word fanatic, and he was forever stopping in mid-sentence to give a long drawn-out explanation of word origins. And he wasn’t the only one. Jill, who, as a teacher and a mother undoubtedly wanted to educate her daughter, would respond to questions from her daughter in a word-for-word dictionary definition. For instance, when she was cooking and the daughter asked what the word “macerate” meant, Jill responded, “To soften by steeping in liquid over a low heat.” Also, when consulting a doctor for her physical problems, she tells the doctor she realizes “inappropriate activation of the involuntary nervous system can cause my glands to excrete excessively.” Who speaks like that? Her poor students!
This is book 11 in a series, so there were some past events that were referred to that I was unfamiliar with. There was a “Cast of Characters” section at the end that detailed the main characters and some events that have happened in previous books. There was a lot going on, but the book tied up all the loose ends in a satisfying manner.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews