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Tyndall
Genealogy should be a relaxing and interesting hobby for a retired homicide detective. But in Jack Oliva's case, it may turn out to be fatal...
Retired Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva is curious about his roots. For nearly seventy years, his mother never mentioned his grandfather's name, leaving Jack to wonder why she never celebrated her father's birthday or commemorated the anniversary of his death. Following his mother's death, Jack discovers an old photograph of the grandfather he never knew and, intrigued by the mystery, he decides to dig into his family's history.
The search takes him to the tiny town of Tyndall, South Dakota where his grandfather died in 1925. But as Jack begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding his grandfather's death, he gets a surprise he never anticipated. He also quickly discovers that some old scores are never fully settled and that resurrecting scandals, even those a century old, can sometimes be a very dangerous thing to do.
Retired Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva is curious about his roots. For nearly seventy years, his mother never mentioned his grandfather's name, leaving Jack to wonder why she never celebrated her father's birthday or commemorated the anniversary of his death. Following his mother's death, Jack discovers an old photograph of the grandfather he never knew and, intrigued by the mystery, he decides to dig into his family's history.
The search takes him to the tiny town of Tyndall, South Dakota where his grandfather died in 1925. But as Jack begins to investigate the circumstances surrounding his grandfather's death, he gets a surprise he never anticipated. He also quickly discovers that some old scores are never fully settled and that resurrecting scandals, even those a century old, can sometimes be a very dangerous thing to do.
- GenresMystery
240 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2021
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
James L. Thane
10 books7,075 followersJames L. Thane was born and raised in northwestern Montana and has worked as a janitor, a dry cleaner, an auto parts salesman, a sawyer, an ambulance driver and a college professor. While working as an historian, Thane wrote one non-fiction book and a number of magazine and journal articles. But he always loved reading crime fiction and so decided to take a crack at writing a suspense novel. The result was NO PLACE TO DIE, the first Sean Richardson novel. The next three, in order, are UNTIL DEATH, FATAL BLOW, and SOUTH OF THE DEUCE. Thane has also written two traditional mystery novels, CROSSROADS, which is set in Montana, and TYNDALL, which is set in South Dakota. He has also written two stand-alone thrillers, PICTURE ME GONE, which was released in 2022, and A SHOT TO THE HEART, which will be released on October 31, 2023.
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November 2, 2021When retired homicide detective Jack Oliva goes searching for his roots in the tiny town of Tyndall, South Dakota, he gets a surprise he never anticipated. He also quickly discovers that some old scores are never fully settled and that resurrecting scandals, even those a century old, can sometimes be a very dangerous thing to do.
November 8, 2021
What a great way to unravel the story of a grandfather. This research into the 1920s and banking issues of the time holds universal appeal and results in a captivating tale. The characters are believable and hold the interest in what would seem at the outset to be a fairly prosaic activity as a policeman travels to South Dakota to discover the facts surrounding a suicide of a grandfather in a bank vault in the 1920's.
Holds the interest from start to finish and really appreciated the end notes. Great read!
Kindle Unlimited
Holds the interest from start to finish and really appreciated the end notes. Great read!
Kindle Unlimited
December 2, 2021
James L Thane, author of the excellent crime stories featuring detective Sean Richardson, treats us to a new stand alone novel.
Not much happens in the small rural community of Tyndall in South Dakota until retired detective Jack Oliva arrives. Having found an old photograph he remenbers asking his mother how his grandfather (her father) had died. When he's told it was during a bank robbery in 1925 Jack travels to Tyndall to search for his roots, but looking into the past is more dangerous than he imagined.
Tyndall is a place brought vividly to life by James L Thane & his descriptions of the library, the sheriff's office & other locations are superb. Thane's characters are so well drawn & believable that you forget you are reading a work of fiction.
When I read the Author's Notes at the end of the story I discovered the book is loosely based on real events, & it's well worth reading these notes to see how the author mixed fact & fiction & added another memorable novel to his repertoire.
Not much happens in the small rural community of Tyndall in South Dakota until retired detective Jack Oliva arrives. Having found an old photograph he remenbers asking his mother how his grandfather (her father) had died. When he's told it was during a bank robbery in 1925 Jack travels to Tyndall to search for his roots, but looking into the past is more dangerous than he imagined.
Tyndall is a place brought vividly to life by James L Thane & his descriptions of the library, the sheriff's office & other locations are superb. Thane's characters are so well drawn & believable that you forget you are reading a work of fiction.
When I read the Author's Notes at the end of the story I discovered the book is loosely based on real events, & it's well worth reading these notes to see how the author mixed fact & fiction & added another memorable novel to his repertoire.
November 14, 2021
By the mid-1920's Tyndall, South Dakota was already in an economic downturn. It was the canary in the coal mine, a rural community already beset by falling income and high debt. Bank failures would follow even before Black Friday. It's hardly surprising that Jack Oliva had little interrest in a time two generations before he was born. As a randomly curious child, he did once ask his mother what happened to “grandpa.” Her answer was abrupt. He died in a bank robbery. Period. No additional information forthcoming; no further questions welcomed.
Now a retired cop from the Phoenix Police Department, Jack discovers a box of old photos among his recently deceased mother's belongings. One photo interests him. It was taken in 1909. It's the only photo of his maternal grandfather, Charles Kratina. Sixteen years later, the upstanding family man would be dead.
Retiree Jack Oliva has plenty of time and lots of curiosity. Who was Charles Kratina? Why the reticence surrounding his death? Jack's investigation is conducted with deliberation: Google, Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, census records. He finds photos of buildings from the '20's still standing. To his surprise some families contemporaneous with Kratina have remained in Tyndall. The next step is obvious. Lured by the desire to examine uncatalogued documents and to talk with anyone who might have remembered Charles Kratina, he visits Tyndall.
The author brings the laborious process of pre-internet research to life with historical insights he uncovers. Like Jack, the reader feels immersed in the period as it unfolds through the years. The vibe of the local bar housed in the bank building where Charles Kratina once worked, and the home-made cooking of the local cafe become a comforting hiatus from Jack's life in Phoenix.When a series of escalating threats occur, they feel all the more dissonant in contrast to the friendliness and natural curiosity displayed by the residents he has met. The threats of course do not deter Jack. Instead they merely provoke his curiosity further.
The inimate feel of this slow-burning mystery is no accident. An author's note reveals that much of the novel grew out of his own genealogical researches. He has taken this material and transformed it into an absorbing novel that brings an overlooked past to life and exposes the connections a small town's residents feel about that past. Despite the slow pace of the book, I found the story compelling. I couldn't put it down. The real-life events that inspired the novel were an added bonus.
Now a retired cop from the Phoenix Police Department, Jack discovers a box of old photos among his recently deceased mother's belongings. One photo interests him. It was taken in 1909. It's the only photo of his maternal grandfather, Charles Kratina. Sixteen years later, the upstanding family man would be dead.
Retiree Jack Oliva has plenty of time and lots of curiosity. Who was Charles Kratina? Why the reticence surrounding his death? Jack's investigation is conducted with deliberation: Google, Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com, census records. He finds photos of buildings from the '20's still standing. To his surprise some families contemporaneous with Kratina have remained in Tyndall. The next step is obvious. Lured by the desire to examine uncatalogued documents and to talk with anyone who might have remembered Charles Kratina, he visits Tyndall.
The author brings the laborious process of pre-internet research to life with historical insights he uncovers. Like Jack, the reader feels immersed in the period as it unfolds through the years. The vibe of the local bar housed in the bank building where Charles Kratina once worked, and the home-made cooking of the local cafe become a comforting hiatus from Jack's life in Phoenix.When a series of escalating threats occur, they feel all the more dissonant in contrast to the friendliness and natural curiosity displayed by the residents he has met. The threats of course do not deter Jack. Instead they merely provoke his curiosity further.
The inimate feel of this slow-burning mystery is no accident. An author's note reveals that much of the novel grew out of his own genealogical researches. He has taken this material and transformed it into an absorbing novel that brings an overlooked past to life and exposes the connections a small town's residents feel about that past. Despite the slow pace of the book, I found the story compelling. I couldn't put it down. The real-life events that inspired the novel were an added bonus.
June 7, 2022
James L. Thane writes excellent book reviews here on Goodreads. He also writes crime fiction. Most of his novels have been part of a series about Sean Richardson, a homicide detective in Phoenix, Arizona. Tyndall is a stand-alone mystery novel. This is the first of Thane's books that I have read.
Charles Kratina is dead. He was one of the cashiers in a bank in Tyndall, a small town in South Dakota. He was found shot to death in the bank vault, killed with a shotgun belonging to the bank. What appeared to be a suicide note was with his body. That was in 1925.
His grandson, Jack Oliva, a retired homicide detective in Arizona, has just found out how Kratina had died. Oliva had been told that his mother's father had been killed in a bank robbery, but he had never been given any details. After Oliva's mother's death, Oliva looks into the death of his grandfather. He finds on the internet that the bank had been about to be audited when Kratina had died. The audit showed that over $200,000 was missing. The other cashier in the bank had said that he had found out about the theft but that Kratina had begged for time to return the money so he had not informed anyone. That cashier was not fired, but the theft was so large that the bank failed (in the days before banks were federally insured) and depositors lost much of the money that they had in the bank. Oliva finds out as much as he can on the internet, but he wants to know more. That means going to Tyndall, even though he hates to be separated from his woman friend.
Initially his visit goes very well. He identifies himself in a local bar, which is now on the site on which the bank once stood, and he is greeted enthusiastically. He checks with the sheriff's office, and he is told that they don't have records going back that far; former sheriffs took their records with them when they left office. He goes repeatedly to a local café, where affable folks figure out that Oliva still has a relative in town, a distant cousin to whom he is introduced. The cousin immediately invites Oliva to have dinner with him and his wife. Oliva does research in the library, where all the old newspapers are on microfilm. Tyndall is a very friendly town.
With some exceptions.
Oliva is warned off, first by a threatening anonymous note, and then by other means. The sheriff is cooperative, but he notes, "I hate to sound like a clichéd western movie, Jack, but until you rode into Tyndall, this was a peaceful, quiet little town. And since you got here, it seems like we've had nothing but trouble."
This is a good, fun, fast-moving story. There are some surprising flaws, however.
The last part of the book is an "Author's Note" recounting the story about James Thane's actual grandfather's death that inspired this tale. This is fascinating and amazing. I have often criticized mystery fiction for being too complicated and too unlikely. Perhaps I have been wrong.
I enjoyed all of this book except the details of the ending that I have mentioned. I would certainly recommend it to any mystery reader.
Charles Kratina is dead. He was one of the cashiers in a bank in Tyndall, a small town in South Dakota. He was found shot to death in the bank vault, killed with a shotgun belonging to the bank. What appeared to be a suicide note was with his body. That was in 1925.
His grandson, Jack Oliva, a retired homicide detective in Arizona, has just found out how Kratina had died. Oliva had been told that his mother's father had been killed in a bank robbery, but he had never been given any details. After Oliva's mother's death, Oliva looks into the death of his grandfather. He finds on the internet that the bank had been about to be audited when Kratina had died. The audit showed that over $200,000 was missing. The other cashier in the bank had said that he had found out about the theft but that Kratina had begged for time to return the money so he had not informed anyone. That cashier was not fired, but the theft was so large that the bank failed (in the days before banks were federally insured) and depositors lost much of the money that they had in the bank. Oliva finds out as much as he can on the internet, but he wants to know more. That means going to Tyndall, even though he hates to be separated from his woman friend.
Initially his visit goes very well. He identifies himself in a local bar, which is now on the site on which the bank once stood, and he is greeted enthusiastically. He checks with the sheriff's office, and he is told that they don't have records going back that far; former sheriffs took their records with them when they left office. He goes repeatedly to a local café, where affable folks figure out that Oliva still has a relative in town, a distant cousin to whom he is introduced. The cousin immediately invites Oliva to have dinner with him and his wife. Oliva does research in the library, where all the old newspapers are on microfilm. Tyndall is a very friendly town.
With some exceptions.
Oliva is warned off, first by a threatening anonymous note, and then by other means. The sheriff is cooperative, but he notes, "I hate to sound like a clichéd western movie, Jack, but until you rode into Tyndall, this was a peaceful, quiet little town. And since you got here, it seems like we've had nothing but trouble."
This is a good, fun, fast-moving story. There are some surprising flaws, however.
The last part of the book is an "Author's Note" recounting the story about James Thane's actual grandfather's death that inspired this tale. This is fascinating and amazing. I have often criticized mystery fiction for being too complicated and too unlikely. Perhaps I have been wrong.
I enjoyed all of this book except the details of the ending that I have mentioned. I would certainly recommend it to any mystery reader.
December 2, 2021
I enjoy Thane's writing. Smooth, linear, doesn't get in the way of the story and quickly moves it along. This one I can identify with, remembering a trip to a small New England town outside Boston to find my great and grandparent's homes, schools and graves so the genealogy road trip was an interesting topic. Evidently my great grandfather "mouthed" his way out of his job so not as severe as the method chosen by the protagonist's grandfather's suicide.
Interesting tale, well told!
Interesting tale, well told!
October 26, 2023
Following a Boston Teran novel might prove daunting for a lesser author, but not so for Mr.Thane and his entertaining Tyndall. What's more, the historical basis for this novel, which the author included at the end of the novel, was almost as interesting as the fictional version.
This novel features retired Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva looking into the mystery surrounding the death of a grandfather that he never met. Classified as a suicide, it was settled decades before Jack begins to research his family tree & what led up to the death of a man who was apparently well regarded by his small rural community. Jack is a genial character with an open and friendly demeanor (something one doesn't usually associate with a detective). Thane is good at setting the tone and sense of place here, and leads the reader toward what appears to be a dead-end. However, I suspect that readers familiar with the mystery genre will suss out pretty quickly that all is not as straightforward as purported. The real question is whether or not you figure out the real story before the eventual reveal.
I began with a nod to one of my favorite authors and I'm not saying that the work of Mr. Thane and that of B. Teran are equivalent. What is notable, however, is that both find a way to entertain the reader, albeit with vastly different styles. If I've one quibble with this story, it would be the rather linear fashion by which it unfolds. I felt a little ahead of the curve for much of the book, but ultimately was pleased by the resolution. I couldn't help but imagine a clear connection between Oliva and Thane and, after reading the backstory following the conclusion, I guess I was correct.
In all, another fine entry from one of our very own Goodreads authors / reviewers. I'm catching up on his novels and hope he returns with some more featuring Sean Richardson, my favorite of his characters. Good job, Jim.
This novel features retired Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva looking into the mystery surrounding the death of a grandfather that he never met. Classified as a suicide, it was settled decades before Jack begins to research his family tree & what led up to the death of a man who was apparently well regarded by his small rural community. Jack is a genial character with an open and friendly demeanor (something one doesn't usually associate with a detective). Thane is good at setting the tone and sense of place here, and leads the reader toward what appears to be a dead-end. However, I suspect that readers familiar with the mystery genre will suss out pretty quickly that all is not as straightforward as purported. The real question is whether or not you figure out the real story before the eventual reveal.
I began with a nod to one of my favorite authors and I'm not saying that the work of Mr. Thane and that of B. Teran are equivalent. What is notable, however, is that both find a way to entertain the reader, albeit with vastly different styles. If I've one quibble with this story, it would be the rather linear fashion by which it unfolds. I felt a little ahead of the curve for much of the book, but ultimately was pleased by the resolution. I couldn't help but imagine a clear connection between Oliva and Thane and, after reading the backstory following the conclusion, I guess I was correct.
In all, another fine entry from one of our very own Goodreads authors / reviewers. I'm catching up on his novels and hope he returns with some more featuring Sean Richardson, my favorite of his characters. Good job, Jim.
November 26, 2021
If you've come across "Tyndall" in search of another Sean Richardson adrenaline-fueled thriller, you're out of luck. But stick around- this is a different type of mystery you'll enjoy!
Jack Oliva, whom we encountered in one of author James Thane's previous novels, is a retired Phoenix detective doing his best to fill his days of leisure. In the course of going through some of his deceased mother's possessions, he encounters a photo of his grandfather he never knew that sets him off on a quest to clarify the details around his death. Using the tools available to modern genealogical researchers (Google, Ancestry, etc.) he discovers the essentials: death by suicide in Tyndall, SD in 1925 following the discovery of his involvement in a banking embezzlement scheme. The superficial information doesn't satisfy Oliva, though. After breaking the news to his girlfriend he decides to take a little trip, flying north to Omaha and heading west from there to Tyndall via rental car. As a somewhat experienced amateur genealogist I can attest that you can glean a lot of information about your ancestors from a cozy chair in front of your computer, but sometimes you just have to travel to get to details that are impossible to computerize. Jack discovered that very quickly.
Oliva only had a few days planned to spend in Tyndall, which should have been more than enough since it's a small farming community with not much going on. He used his time productively, getting a feel for the pulse of the town by striking up conversations with various store owners, waitresses, barkeeps, and the local librarian. Although very few folks in Tyndall were alive when his grandfather's suicide took place, the memories of the impact of the embezzlement that preceded it are still there for some residents. He, of course, eventually comes in contact with the local sheriff as well as a few other prominent citizens, most notably the scion of the family that owns the local John Deere franchise and who now runs it. Most are happy to have a tourist from the far-flung exotic metropolis of Phoenix in their midst, but others would rather Jack go back from where he came. He becomes a victim of a couple attempts at intimidation and receives an anonymous threat, which means his originally innocuous research is hitting someone in town a little too close for comfort.
"Tyndall" moves at a fairly leisurely pace for its first half as Oliva makes his original discovery, does his research, takes his trip, and begins his 'field' work. It picks up steam as some of the pieces fall into place and others leave Oliva a bit befuddled. As the threatening incidents occur and Jack gets deeper into the mystery of his grandfather's death, the intensity ratchets up until his detective instincts take over and a satisfying conclusion takes place.
I like the writing in "Tyndall" and the pace of the story. The challenge of solving a 95 year old mystery was handled adeptly by unhurriedly following the process that a typical researcher would take, and the fact that the protagonist was a retired cop made it logical that he'd take the additional step of actually getting on the ground where his ancestors lived their lives. As I mentioned, this isn't a standard crime story but it's well worth your time.
Jack Oliva, whom we encountered in one of author James Thane's previous novels, is a retired Phoenix detective doing his best to fill his days of leisure. In the course of going through some of his deceased mother's possessions, he encounters a photo of his grandfather he never knew that sets him off on a quest to clarify the details around his death. Using the tools available to modern genealogical researchers (Google, Ancestry, etc.) he discovers the essentials: death by suicide in Tyndall, SD in 1925 following the discovery of his involvement in a banking embezzlement scheme. The superficial information doesn't satisfy Oliva, though. After breaking the news to his girlfriend he decides to take a little trip, flying north to Omaha and heading west from there to Tyndall via rental car. As a somewhat experienced amateur genealogist I can attest that you can glean a lot of information about your ancestors from a cozy chair in front of your computer, but sometimes you just have to travel to get to details that are impossible to computerize. Jack discovered that very quickly.
Oliva only had a few days planned to spend in Tyndall, which should have been more than enough since it's a small farming community with not much going on. He used his time productively, getting a feel for the pulse of the town by striking up conversations with various store owners, waitresses, barkeeps, and the local librarian. Although very few folks in Tyndall were alive when his grandfather's suicide took place, the memories of the impact of the embezzlement that preceded it are still there for some residents. He, of course, eventually comes in contact with the local sheriff as well as a few other prominent citizens, most notably the scion of the family that owns the local John Deere franchise and who now runs it. Most are happy to have a tourist from the far-flung exotic metropolis of Phoenix in their midst, but others would rather Jack go back from where he came. He becomes a victim of a couple attempts at intimidation and receives an anonymous threat, which means his originally innocuous research is hitting someone in town a little too close for comfort.
"Tyndall" moves at a fairly leisurely pace for its first half as Oliva makes his original discovery, does his research, takes his trip, and begins his 'field' work. It picks up steam as some of the pieces fall into place and others leave Oliva a bit befuddled. As the threatening incidents occur and Jack gets deeper into the mystery of his grandfather's death, the intensity ratchets up until his detective instincts take over and a satisfying conclusion takes place.
I like the writing in "Tyndall" and the pace of the story. The challenge of solving a 95 year old mystery was handled adeptly by unhurriedly following the process that a typical researcher would take, and the fact that the protagonist was a retired cop made it logical that he'd take the additional step of actually getting on the ground where his ancestors lived their lives. As I mentioned, this isn't a standard crime story but it's well worth your time.
February 1, 2023
James L. Thane has been delivering quality thrillers consistently for a while now, starting with No Place to Die, and Tyndall isn't going to change that. Retired Phoenix detective Jack Oliva, last seen in the fourth Sean Richardson thriller, South of the Deuce, appears in the lead this time with a case that is personal to him. While going through his recently dead mother's things, Oliva lays his eyes on a photograph of his grandfather, Charles Kratina, for the first time in his life. Both Oliva's mother and grandmother had been reluctant to talk about his granddad, stating only that Kratina had died in connection with a bank robbery. Seeing the old photograph kindles in Oliva the desire to know more about his grandfather whose death would’ve occurred in the 1920s, and starts looking for information about Kratina and the place of his death, a small town named Tyndall in South Dakota, on the internet. What he finds on the web stokes his curiosity, and Oliva decides to visit the town and spend a few days visiting the local library and the museum and talking to a few people. So, he reaches Tyndall and feels welcomed by the people he meets, even discovers a cousin who is pleased to make his acquaintance. Over a couple of days, Oliva does a lot of investigative work, putting together a coherent account of the events surrounding his grandfather’s death, which does not gel with the hitherto accepted story. Meanwhile, Oliva’s research seems to have made someone in the town nervous, and that someone seems to be prepared to do whatever it takes to stop him, even if it means killing him.
Tyndall is substantially different from Thane’s other thrillers, having neither a serial killer on the loose nor a mounting count of bodies, but its narrative is as gripping as any of those. I had liked Oliva a lot in his previous appearance, and his getting a novel of his own is a pleasant occasion. The plot of Tyndall moves at an entirely appropriate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, as befits the smalltown setting and the investigation of a decades-old case. Thane brings the town of Tyndall to life with clear, vivid descriptions, and his characters, including the minor ones, feel authentic, and mostly likeable. While Tyndall works as an excellent thriller by itself, its basis on real-life events, that too related to the author’s own family, makes it even more captivating. Barring the somewhat weak ending and the unconvincing motive of the antagonist, Tyndall is a fine tale that would appeal to all thriller fans.
Tyndall is substantially different from Thane’s other thrillers, having neither a serial killer on the loose nor a mounting count of bodies, but its narrative is as gripping as any of those. I had liked Oliva a lot in his previous appearance, and his getting a novel of his own is a pleasant occasion. The plot of Tyndall moves at an entirely appropriate pace, neither too fast nor too slow, as befits the smalltown setting and the investigation of a decades-old case. Thane brings the town of Tyndall to life with clear, vivid descriptions, and his characters, including the minor ones, feel authentic, and mostly likeable. While Tyndall works as an excellent thriller by itself, its basis on real-life events, that too related to the author’s own family, makes it even more captivating. Barring the somewhat weak ending and the unconvincing motive of the antagonist, Tyndall is a fine tale that would appeal to all thriller fans.
November 14, 2021
I have read all of James L. Thane's books. I wasn't sure if I would like this one because it doesn't have Thane's usual detective, Sean Richardson. But as soon as I picked it up I was hooked. The book features Jack Oliva, who made an appearance in Thane's book, "South of the Deuce." Oliva is a retired homicide detective who becomes intrigued with the story of his grandfather, Charles Kratina. On May 20, 1925, Charles Kratina was found shot to death in the vault of the bank where he worked in a small town named Tyndall, South Dakota. Oliva's mother or grandmother had never talked about him. After doing research and reading newspaper accounts surrounding the event, Oliva becomes obsessed with finding out what had actually happened on that morning nearly 100 years ago. Oliva takes a trip from Phoenix to Tyndall to do some research. What he finds there solves the mystery, but nearly takes Oliva's life in the process.
This book is a taut, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat read. I literally could not put it down. I read it so quickly that I went back and read it again just to get all the details. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end, as it contains another surprise. An engrossing, exciting read!
This book is a taut, keep-you-on-the-edge-of-your-seat read. I literally could not put it down. I read it so quickly that I went back and read it again just to get all the details. Be sure to read the Author's Note at the end, as it contains another surprise. An engrossing, exciting read!
December 1, 2021
Tyndall is one of those wonderful books that causes me to delve into research about history I’m not familiar with. Always a plus with me!! Not being from the MidWest nor with an agricultural background, I had no idea that the crash on Wall Street in 1929 nor the total collapse of our national economy had actually begun in the early twenties with the collapse of the agricultural industry in the upper Midwest and hence the closure of hundreds of banks there.
What begins for our protagonist, a retired police detective in Arizona, as a fairly simple genealogical search for his roots in South Dakota becomes a most interesting search into life in the Upper MidWest in the twenties.
With this book, written in the first person, Thane is giving his readers a totally different writing style. Best wishes to him on this new book and on this new style.
What begins for our protagonist, a retired police detective in Arizona, as a fairly simple genealogical search for his roots in South Dakota becomes a most interesting search into life in the Upper MidWest in the twenties.
With this book, written in the first person, Thane is giving his readers a totally different writing style. Best wishes to him on this new book and on this new style.
January 20, 2022
(3). The Godfather of goodreads mystery has another nice entry here. It feels to me like Jim is channeling his inner Brady Coyne here. An easy to read story that mostly unfolds at a very easy going pace, layers turning back in rhythm, and then Bam! We get the big twist/turn/reveal and things are nicely wrapped up. I still miss Sean Richardson but I have a sneaking suspicion we will be getting back to him sooner than later. The epilogue where we get the information on the basis of the story is really fascinating as well. Good stuff.
February 11, 2022
An excellent story, loosely based on Thane’s own grandfather, of a suicide about which ex-Phoenix homicide detective Jack Oliva travels to a small town in South Dakota to get more background on his newly discovered grandfather. Well written in Thane’s straightforward style the narrative keeps up momentum throughout until a final crescendo.
November 19, 2021
Awesome Book
Very well written. You can easily picture the town of Tyndall and cast of characters . Good mystery too and loved that it was based on a true story. It kept you wanting to keep reading to find out what happens. Looking forward to the next great book from Jim Thane.
Very well written. You can easily picture the town of Tyndall and cast of characters . Good mystery too and loved that it was based on a true story. It kept you wanting to keep reading to find out what happens. Looking forward to the next great book from Jim Thane.
December 30, 2024
A very interesting story and great story telling too. A historical mystery solved in the present times, but the author doesn't go into the dual timelines which is favored by most of the writers. He keeps it simple and it works. A wee complaint though, no one would go alone to confront the bad guy.
January 7, 2023
Surprisingly good for a 100 year old cold case.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews