In the Dismal Swamp

by Patrick Balester

When Greg Parnell returns to Great Bridge, Virginia, he's hoping for a little quiet time after an adrenaline-packed undercover operation with the Fish and Wildlife Department. He is quickly disappointed when a dead body turns up floating in the Great Dismal Swamp. And this is not just any dead body. Ashley Myrtle was the wife of a prominent local politician. Greg soon discovers that Ashley, an apparent drowning victim, may have been murdered. Unfortunately, no one wants to believe him. The mayor, the woman's husband, an old boyfriend and even her coworkers seem eager to rule her death an accidental drowning. With help from a reluctant FBI agent, Greg follows a trail of small town secrets and lies to discover what really happened on that cold spring day. Refusing to give up, he discovers a vital clue deep in the swamp that leads to the killer. But justice won't be served until he can prove it was a case of murder.

Genres: Mystery

265 pages, Hardcover

First published June 24, 2008

About the author

Patrick Balester is a mystery writer and avid reader whose first novel, In The Dismal Swamp, was recently released on Kindle. He grew up on the East Coast and once lived a stone's throw from the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge. He currently reside in Kansas City, and is always on the hunt for a good mystery to read, or a tasty barbeque joint. He is a member of Sisters In Crime and the Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read

This was an ok book. The main characters were good people but lacked depth. The story was straight forward with out complex twists.

[Loretta K. Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story that held my interest

Easy read enjoyed the setting and the characters
The story was basic but believable
Will read a next one to see how the characters develop

[Roy Lawton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a good book. Would make a great made for tv movie. I was very busy while reading this one but never had a problem jumping right back into it.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. Easy read.....and easy to figure out.

[Cortney Durbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was obvious to me that this was a debut novel. It came across a little amateurish, but was still a decent book in general.

My complaints:

It was a little too obvious who the killer was right from the beginning. I fully expected a twist ending that never came because it was just too obvious.

The author treated us like we were dumb by explaining things that didn't need explained. For instance, a character calls another character by his last name and the author concludes the sentence with, "said (so and so), using his surname". There were plenty more examples. I'd advise the author to trust the audience to draw the intended conclusions on their own.

There were moments when the main characters threw little sissy fits that just weren't believable of cops.

There were plenty of things I liked about the book, as well. For instance:

The characters were for the most part vivid and believable (with few exceptions).

The author clearly has an understanding and love of the setting he used and it reflects well in his work.

The story was engaging without ever becoming dry.

Overall, I'd recommend picking up this book from Amazon. It's worth the $2 it costs to download! ;)

[Nancy]

When Greg Parnell returns to Great Bridge, Virginia, he's hoping for a little quiet time after an adrenaline-packed undercover operation with the Fish and Wildlife Department. He is quickly disappointed when a dead body turns up floating in the Great Dismal Swamp. And this is not just any dead body. Ashley Myrtle was the wife of a prominent local politician. Greg soon discovers that Ashley, an apparent drowning victim, may have been murdered. Unfortunately, no one wants to believe him. The mayor, the woman's husband, an old boyfriend and even her coworkers seem eager to rule her death an accidental drowning. With help from a reluctant FBI agent, Greg follows a trail of small town secrets and lies to discover what really happened on that cold spring day. Refusing to give up, he discovers a vital clue deep in the swamp that leads to the killer. But justice won't be served until he can prove it was a case of murder.

It turns out that the developer - Meyers - is the killer. He didn't want Ashley's report to stop his building.

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. Like Stephen White, you can tell he has a good understanding of the area. He keeps it simple and to the facts. The one thing that may not have rang entirely true is there is an FBI agent (Dan)who on a number of occasions miss openly, obvious clues. The main character (Gregg Parnell) has the flavor of realism that I liked. Doubts, and strengths as well as supporting an ailing mother. He is attracted to a girl in the diner, and they have the cutest interactions. It's a good book I'd recommend.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Patrick Balester's first novel and I am very impressed. Could not put this book down! Smooth easy read that will have you on the edge of your seat of who did it. Greg Parnell works for the Fish and Wildlife Department and assigned to the Great Dismal Swamp. Shorty after his arrival a body is found in the swamp and he takes the lead to try and figure out if it was a Murder and if it was, who did it? Greg also has a eye on a girl. So it has a little bit of a romance story going on the side.

[Krisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As soon as I saw this was set in Great Bridge I had to read it. I have lived my whole life there and was curious to see how he described it. Its definitely a little dated, the town is no where that sleepy a place, at least not anymore. The plot was good if not a bit predictable. A quick read and overall not bad. It was great fun reading the descriptions of places I could walk to, even if he did change their names!

[Jane Elfring]

As someone who has gone through roads on the Dismal Swamp and is interested in its history, I found it fascinating to read this murder mystery that gave a lot of the background of the area and its rich ecological significance. This was an easy read and somewhat predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the interaction between the two main characters, Greg and Dan, but I knew who the murder was fairly early in the book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked the characters. Good story too.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy reading!

[Tanya Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was overdue for a book like this. Fairly simple plot, but it kept me engaged and up reading well past my bed time.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clumsy. Clumsy mystery, clumsy writing. Sorry I let the location hook me in.