An Empty Grave: An Andy Hayes Mystery

Andy Hayes Mysteries #7

by Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Private investigator Andy Hayes takes the assignment against his better judgment. In 1979, a high-profile burglar shot a cop, was apprehended, and then disappeared without ever being prosecuted. Forty years later, after the wounded cop’s suicide, his son, Preston Campbell, is convinced there’s been a cover-up that allowed his father’s attacker to go free. At first, Hayes dismisses Campbell’s outlandish conspiracy theories. But when a mysterious Cold War connection to the burglar emerges, the investigation heats up, and Hayes discovers a series of deaths that seem to be connected, one way or another, to the missing criminal. Nothing seems to add up, though, and Hayes finds himself hurtling headlong down a decades-old path of deadly secrets. In the midst of cracking the cold case, Hayes has another mystery to solve closer to What’s been troubling his younger son, Joe, and why is his ex-wife so eager to have the boy out of her house? Further complicating matters, Hayes learns that another private eye, the captivating but inscrutable Hillary Quinne, is also on the trail of the vanished burglar and needs Hayes’s help. As their professional and personal lives blur, Hayes wonders what he’s gotten himself into, and whether he really wants out.

264 pages, Paperback

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS is the Shamus Award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes private eye series, the standalone crime novel "The End of the Road," and editor of "Columbus Noir." His short fiction has appeared in "Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine," "Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine," Mystery Magazine," the anthologies "The Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2021," "Mickey Finn 21st Century Noir: Vols I and III," "Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon," and other magazines and anthologies. Andrew's nonfiction book, "No Winners Here Tonight," is the definitive history of the death penalty in Ohio.

Reviews

[Eileen Hammond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written page turner that’s tough to put down

Hard-bitten PI Andy Hayes is back and gets embroiled in a 40-year-old mystery about a cop-killer who walked free. But the killer’s dead. Or is he? Gripping page turner you won’t want to put down. Highly recommend.

[Miriam Kahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew Welsh-Huggins writes a taut mystery full of clues, lots of investigating, some drawn from his job as legal-affairs reporter for the Associated Press.

Andy (Woody) Hayes seventh investigation is full of tangents that threaten to distract Hayes from his quarry. The twists and turns take Hayes around Columbus, from classy neighborhoods in Hilliard and Dublin to some seedier areas like Franklinton, and back to Clintoville and his own neighborhood, German Village. The clues come and fizzle out, leads turn to more leads, and then Hayes is attacked. That's when Hayes knows he on the right trail.

Characters from earlier investigations appear, tying the series together. The ending is as thrilling as the chase.

Read the series in order, or jump right in. You'll love them no matter what. No football knowledge required.

Thanks to Swallow Press at Ohio University Press for an ARC to read and review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest addition to the Andy Hayes series is a fabulous read! In 1979, a police officer is killed: forty years later his son still believes that the murderer is alive, despite the news media indicating he died in a fire. As Andy explores this cold case, he realizes that his younger son desperately wants to come and live with him. I enjoyed the many references to places in Columbus. Stand alone mystery.

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this is the seventh book in the series. Always fun to read as Andy navigates to streets of Columbus Ohio, my town.

This case had a lot of characters that didn’t seem to be related but eventually, it all came together. And of course, Andy still has issues with relationships as well as his two sons with different moms. But I feel like I know him and just might see him around town somewhere.

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a huge cast of characters. My memory isn’t that great and I had a lot of trouble following the story. So, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others in the series. This book is a couple of years old now, so I hope there’s another book in this series on the drawing board. I’ll definitely read it. Very creative author. His books are absolutely not predictable.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Andy Hayes series and this latest installment hooked me from page 1. With a keen eye for fascinating crime and clever prose, An Empty Grave puts detective fiction fans in hard-boiled heaven. Very much looking forward to the next installment of the series!

[Tom Stadler · Rating 3 out of 5]

First read of this author, a solid cold case investigation with enough twists that kept me wondering where it would lead. Unusual characterization with the Detective Hayes juggling his family issues as well as the case. Will definitely read more by this author.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, a wonderful story. His characters feel like family (maybe a little crazy family). I facilitate a mystery book club and we all want to be the one that has read the latest book.

[Dora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complicated, but really interesting.

[Sherri Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

super interesting story ! By damn were there a lot of names to keep track of. Will look for more Andy books.