Root of All Evil

Laurel Highlands Mystery #1

by Liz Milliron

"Fast-paced, authentic and compelling - this tightly written procedural is action-packed and full of heart. Milliron definitely knows her stuff - what a wonderful new voice in crime fiction!" - Hank Phillippi Ryan, nationally best selling author of TRUST ME

Rumors of a meth operation in rustic Fayette County catch the attention of Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan. When he learns that Aaron Trafford, a man who recently dodged a drug conviction, has returned to the county, the conclusion seems obvious. Trafford has set up a new operation.

Meanwhile, assistant public defender Sally Castle’s colleague, Colin Rafferty, has become uncharacteristically nervous and secretive. Her suspicion that he’s hiding something serious is confirmed when she learns of a threatening visitor and discovers a note on his desk stating, “You’d better fix this.”

Colin’s subsequent murder is the first frayed thread in a complex web of deceit. Jim fears Sally’s stubborn determination to get justice for her friend will put her in a killer’s crosshairs, but Sally won't rest until she finds answers--even if it costs her everything.

Genres: Mystery

320 pages, Paperback

Published August 14, 2018

About the author

Compassion, loyalty...and crime.

Liz Milliron is the Shamus award-nominated author of the Homefront Mysteries, set in Buffalo, NY during the early years of WWII, the Laurel Highlands Mysteries set in the scenic Laurel Highlands of southwest Pennsylvania, and the Jackson Davis Mysteries set in Niagara Falls, NY. Her short fiction has been published in multiple anthologies including Murder Most International, Murder Most Historical, and the Anthony award-winning Blood on the Bayou. Liz is a past president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of Sisters in Crime and the current Secretary, as well as the Education Liaison for the National Board of Sisters in Crime. She is also a member of International Thriller Writers, Pennwriters and the Historical Novel Society. Liz lives in the Laurel Highlands with her husband and a very spoiled retired-racer greyhound.

https://www.facebook.com/LizMilliron/
https://www.instagram.com/lizmilliron/

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Root of All Evil by Liz Milliron is a great start to a police procedural/mystery series. This is a lighter book, and by that, I mean there isn’t a lot of graphic images or disturbing situations. So if you enjoy mysteries, but want it a bit heavier than a cozy mystery, Root of All Evil could be perfect for you.

Milliron does a fantastic job jumping between State Trooper Duncan’s investigation out on the streets and Assistant Public Defender Castle’s case at her office and a lot on the streets too. Castle is not one to sit back and let the information come to her, which I really enjoyed. She’s not afraid to take risks in an investigation.

There is a very realistic start of a relationship between Duncan and Castle. A lot of times I feel like this is just something that is expected in a book and doesn’t do much for me. But I really enjoyed how well Milliron had them flirting and kept up the questioning of where their relationship will lead. It didn’t take over the story though, instead it added a wonderful emotional level to the book.

Another plus for Root of All Evil, besides its well developed characters, is the believable pacing of the story. There are no results that come back immediately, and both Duncan and Castle really have to work to solve the case. Another thing that I really enjoyed, that doesn’t happen often, is that the book wasn’t suddenly over in 10 pages. Nothing felt rushed and the story moved along at the perfect pace.

I’ll be checking out Heaven Has No Rage, book two in the Laurel Highlands Mysteries, to make sure this debut novel isn’t just some marvelous fluke at being so good for a first in a series!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Root of all evil.
Liz milliron.

Private investigator mysteries.

I will Say, This book was very intriguing.

I like how the author kept the suspense going.
Not only is this book about. Drug operations.
But some dirty. Secrets. Using more than one way to get what they want.
Sometimes sex is involved. But that can get twisted. And sometimes well you go out with a bang. That you didn't see coming.

I felt like there was a bit of suspense.


We have one public defender
Sally Castle’s.. Trying to prove who killed her Co worker and friend. Because doing the right thing is what she does.. Not stopping until she has the bad guy.. And then there's Jim. State police.. he is there to take down all the bad guys.

And sometimes he misses a phone call or two.

I enjoyed this book. It's the first in the series. I plan on reading the others.

[Kait Carson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Milliron knocks it out of the park with this debut novel.

The book grabs you on the first page and does not let you go. This is one of the few times that an ending actually surprised me. Sally Castle a public defender and Jim Duncan a Pennsylvania State Trooper share a professional relationship and a budding personal relationship. Don't let that fool you. When Sally discovers a co-worker's body the case is assigned to a local detective, not the State Police, but Jim still has a hand in when the investigation dovetails with one of his cases. Sally remains involved for believable reasons I can't go into without revealing spoilers.

Milliron did her homework with this book. The tension between Castle and Duncan is just right and very believable as it plays out on a personal and professional level. The jurisdictional issues between the local detective and the State police are spot on as is the conflict and stately dance between them. Milliron even got the legal issues right. Amazing. Hard to believe this is a first novel. The mystery is well plotted, all of the clues and red herrings are well drawn each with their own storyline and resolution. Wonderful book - zero first-timer mistakes - highly recommended.

[David Freas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I start, I confess I know Liz Milliron.

Reading a new author is always a risk. Will the writer’s style or voice or characters or storyline connect with you, the reader?

Liz connected. One key component for me is I have to care about the characters, want them to succeed, want them to survive. I wanted that for Jim and Sally. I also liked the way she developed the relationship between them – slow but steady growth with some stumbles along the way, not a race to bed.

I noticed an error on Pg. 196: No cop would let a suspect, especially a possible murderer, get behind them entering a house. They would insist the civilian enter first.

I’ll be back for the next (and hopefully third and fourth) book in the series.

[Grace Topping · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a police procedural without violence, sex, and bad language, this book is for you. It is a combination police procedural and traditional mystery, with every other chapter from the viewpoint of a public defender (amateur sleuth) and a Pennsylvania state trooper. So you get two perspectives of a case. The setting of southwest Pennsylvania is almost like another character in the book. The opening couple of pages are a bit slow, but it picks up quickly from there and delivers a suspenseful story to the end.

[Edith Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Milliron really aces this first in the Laurel Highlands Mysteries. The two protagonists play off each other with a hinted-at romance that's kept at bay. The story lines and suspects kept surprising me, and Milliron proves herself a master of suspense. I highly recommend this novel as well as Murder Most Scenic, her collection of short stories in the same series that preceded Root of All Evil. Now to wait for book two!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written by a friend of my sons, so when he bought it I decided I would read it. I’m so glad that I did. I like the characters a lot and I’m looking forward to the next in the series. One of the things I liked best was that and where there was violence it wasn’t blood and gore and there wasn’t bad language. I will recommend this book to others.

[Paul Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Public Defender Sally Castle and Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan investigate drugs and corruption and murder. POV alternates between Sally and Jim in a superb crime thriller from an author to watch.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read. The characters are well-developed and the dialog was believable. The story moved along at a good pace.

[Jenny W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in less than a week because it kept me intrigued.

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taut procedural set in the Laurel Highlands in Western PA with a strongly developed sense of place.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting debut that will keep readers guessing until the very end!

Root of All Evil is the first book in author Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands Mystery series featuring a trio of main characters: veteran Pennsylvania state trooper Jim Duncan, his sassy young trainee Aislyn McAllister, and assistant public defender Sally Castle. This intriguing story hits the ground running when Sally discovers a colleague murdered in their office in the courthouse.

Each of the three main characters is an interesting, distinct individual who brings valuable strengths and skills to their informal partnership. Attorney Sally Castle is smart, driven to provide her clients a proper defense, and knows the law. However, she’s headstrong and impatient, leading her into big trouble several times. Trooper Jim Duncan is a twelve-year veteran with a load of street smarts and the seniority and respect of his supervisor to allow him to investigate the cases he encounters while on his patrol beat. He’s a nice guy who wants to do right, a gentleman with the upright morals of a true Boy Scout. I enjoyed the chemistry between Jim and Sally immensely and look forward to their relationship evolving in future books. A new trooper, Aislyn McAllister, is determined to get out on her own beat and stop the bad guys. Somewhat abrasive at first, she soon settles in and gets sassier and sassier as she gains confidence in her abilities, intuition, and rapport with Jim, who is acting as her field training officer. She is scheduled to be cut loose from training at the end of the month, but she’s a deep one with a yet-to-be-fully-revealed backstory, so I hope she is assigned nearby and returns in future adventures.

The action of the story begins immediately with an observed argument and the sudden and unexplained departure of Sally’s coworker, Colin Rafferty, from a Friday after-work happy hour. The author does a great job conveying Sally’s unease over Colin’s inexplicable disappearance from the bar and his subsequent failure to answer texts and phone calls to firm up their Saturday plans with each other. Readers soon find out why, and from then on, the action never ceases. Just when I was convinced I knew the truth behind the murder, a major plot twist sent the story off in another direction. It isn’t until the eleventh hour that the entire story is revealed. I thought it was an exciting and satisfying case closure.

I recommend ROOT OF ALL EVIL to readers of mystery fiction or those looking for a great new series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

State Trooper Jim Duncan is concerned when he hears a notorious drug dealer has been spotted in Fayette County again. He’s determined to catch the man this time. Meanwhile, his friend Sally Castle, an ADA, is shocked to find a coworker murdered in his office one Monday morning. Sally can’t stay on the sidelines with the case hitting so close to home. The pair quickly see a connection between events. But can they figure out what happened?

I’ve been meaning to pick up this series for a while since I’ve enjoyed other books from this author. While this is her debut novel, it’s not the first story with these characters. I do wish this book had more introduction to the characters, but we did get to know them pretty well over the course of the story. Jim and Sally share point of view duties, which helps. The pacing seemed a little uneven in the middle, but that’s a minor complaint. I did feel one of the characters could have been smarter as the climax neared, but the wrap up did answer all of my questions. Since this is a police procedural, it will have more content than the lighter books I often read. Now that I’ve started this series, I’m hoping to get to visit the characters again soon.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon as I started reading, I felt fully submerged in the action that takes place from cover to cover! The pacing is on point – steadily building up to each factor of the case. It makes you feel completely invested in the case with the characters!

Although this book is pretty subdued as far as graphic descriptions go, I still felt that tingle of the unknown providing personal tension while I read. When money is involved, the idea of evil typically follows suit. Milliron does an excellent job of creating the build-up of evidence, exposing greed, corruption, and murder. As the alignment begins, you’ll get comfortable in thinking you know how everything fits together, but that is when you’ll find this book shines at its best — it throws you for such a hard loop that you won’t know if you’re coming or going.

The scenery helps amplify the situation with the crimes as well as with the budding relations between Duncan and Castle. These two are some of the strongest characters who felt like real people you would come across in your own hometown. They’re engaging, intricate, and a breath of fresh air as their flirtation doesn’t overshadow the real reason I enjoy reading police procedurals.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this novel that combines the work of Jim, a state trooper and Sally, a public defender. Sally is tenacious in finding out who killed a fellow worker, and Jim works hard to keep up with her and keep her safe. Milliron did a good job of depicting the territorial tension between the state troopers and the local police, Sally getting in there too.

The narrative follows both Jim and Sally's actions. He has his hands full with assigned investigations and training a new trooper. This allows Sally to pursue unusual leads. She makes a good amateur sleuth, often putting the professionals to shame. There are a number of issues in the plot, from a meth lab discovery to possible judicial corruption, but they work together to make an entertaining read. I like that the potential romantic relationship between Jim and Sally takes second place to the mystery.

This is a good start to a series. I look forward to seeing how Jim and Sally develop their relationship and how the new trooper is involved in future mysteries.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Angie Boyter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a later book in this series and liked it enough to try this one, although I had problems with the plot. This one is much worse, and I bailed out after 25%.
Just 2 examples: Sally is having drinks with a coworker, and he says he is going to the restroom. She sees him outside the restroom arguing with someone, and he never returns, leaving his jacket behind, bill unpaid presumably, etc. She is mildly curious but not nearly as curious/distressed as someone would normally, be. He doesn't answer phone calls, so she goes to his house 2 days later to look for him and speaks to him but ever really asks why he walked out on her. Weird.
Then after the murder and after the police have thoroughly searched the apartment Sally gets the super to let her in and finds a secret compartment in the desk with a notebook with mysterious entries. IS this trite or what?
I could go on....
On the upside Sally and Duncan are nice characters, and I love the Laurel Highlands setting, but that is NOT enough to me me want to continue when there are so many good books to read.

[Robert Federline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is the genre is known as a cozy mystery. While this is not my usual choice, I can't help but feel that I have made new friends in the lead characters in this series. The choices they make are honest choices and their experiences are real.

The situations do not feel contrived, nor is the story replete with gratuitous sex and violence. Ms. Milliron will not shy away from those issues, but they are never gratuitous; they are germane to the story and related with dignity and not mere sensationalism.

The relationships of the characters are real, and there is lacking complete omniscience from the perspective of the narrator, so you discover things along with her while reading. You find yourself caring about these people and what happens to them. Always a sign of good writing.

While this may not be my usual genre choice, I will find myself reading (voraciously) any more books by Liz Milliron, or any of the other pen names she uses.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Milliron, Liz
ROOT OF ALL EVIL

Fall colors, the smell of burning coffee and even worse, a meth lab (like cat litter magnified) — worst of all, the smell of corruption -- envelop the twists and turns of this complicated investigation. Power corrupts, and love of money in the root of all evil.
Lessons learned . . . Sally had been mentoring Rafferty, and Jim Duncan is training a rookie, helping her work on observation, deduction, and especially patience in the “long game.”
“If I’d known about the paperwork and research involved in this job, I might have chosen a different line of work.” (I sometimes felt that way about teaching). McAllister lending her jacket to Tyra is a glimpse of hope for the compassionate officer she could become.
I enjoyed watching the clues come together like jigsaw puzzle pieces, finding answers bit by bit.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 4 out of 5]

Root of All Evil by Liz Milliron is a really good murder mystery. There is a lot of crime that is happening. The past evil deeds have come to the surface and the threats come in buckets. I like the action-packed high intense scenes. The characters such as Sally and Jim made this an enjoyable read. Sally reminds me a lot of the Murder She Wrote. Because they elderly lady detective goes out on all limbs try solving a deadly mystery just like Sally is doing. Jim has his hands full proving what he suspects and keeping Sally alive from danger. If you love crime fiction and mystery, then this is a fabulous book to read! Overall, I recommend it to all fans of those genres. It's both thrilling and suspenseful.

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Barry Fulton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story: a murder in the public defenders office, then another. State cop, Jim Duncan, close friend of victim's colleague, Sally Castle, is mentoring an impatient rookie. Drug dealers, prostitutes, and other miscreants add to the color. But, the setting (SW PA, Laurel Highlands) could be anywhere. It's local distinction hardly plays a part, beyond occasional mentions of prominent locations in Fayette County. The dialogue is flat--and the would-be heroine, Sally Castle, takes so many risks that the credibility of the story is undermined.

[Ryan Hoffman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Root of All Evil is the first in a lighter toned police procedural/mystery series. The two sleuths are State Trooper Jim Duncan and public defender Sally Castle. Jim's investigation leads into the whereabouts of a meth lab in the area, and the head of it, Aaron Trafford. Sally becomes invested and involved after her colleague, Colin Rafferty, becomes secretive and is murdered. After a connection to Aaron Trafford, Sally ends up inserting herself in Jim's investigation. The setting is Fayette County, Pennsylvania in the Laurel Highlands region.

[Kay Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyable tale...especially by a new author. The story made sense, was interesting and believable.

Editing was shaky. Found 4 or 5 typos.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable. Great characters

[Mickey Hoffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters are cookie cutter and not believable and the plot is rather plodding.

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟3.5