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Red Farlow Mysteries #5
Cracker Town
In 1955, Cleet Wrightman is found guilty of murdering a woman and sent to the Georgia State Mental Hospital to serve out his time until 1973. In spring of that year, young agent Red Farlow investigates the slayings of three members of the Goings family in Valdosta, but he was never able to apprehend the murderer.
Fifty years later, the surviving son hires Red to revisit the crime and track down the killer. As he begins his cold-case probe, uncanny coincidences emerge from a key witness and old interview files. He follows a lead to Cleet’s hometown of Damville and its polluted Cracker Town area and discovers two brothers prone to violence are the ones speaking up the loudest against Cleet. But where is he? Cleet hasn't been seen since his 1973 release. Red believes the man is still alive and knows who the real killer is but finding both proves challenging.
Red's going to need more than old investigation files and DR. Goings's clinical notes if he's going to solve this cold case.
Fifty years later, the surviving son hires Red to revisit the crime and track down the killer. As he begins his cold-case probe, uncanny coincidences emerge from a key witness and old interview files. He follows a lead to Cleet’s hometown of Damville and its polluted Cracker Town area and discovers two brothers prone to violence are the ones speaking up the loudest against Cleet. But where is he? Cleet hasn't been seen since his 1973 release. Red believes the man is still alive and knows who the real killer is but finding both proves challenging.
Red's going to need more than old investigation files and DR. Goings's clinical notes if he's going to solve this cold case.
- GenresMystery
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 14, 2021
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
September 11, 2021
Cracker Town by W.F. Ranew
Red Farlow Mysteries #5
Red Farlow is on a cold case this time. He has been tasked with finding out the truth about the murder of a family that took place decades previously. The case may be cold but Red is hot on the trail finding threads to follow, pull, sort through, untangle, and watch as they weave together to create an intriguing story for the reader.
What I liked:
* Red Farlow: older, private detective, married, capable, knowledgeable, has many contacts from years on the job, good people skills, interesting.
* The four-part layout of the story with timeline moving from the case being undertaken then moving to the past then moving further into the past before returning to the present and the eventual conclusion of the story.
* The setting in the South
* Getting to know the various characters and thinking about their parts in the story
* The overlapping of Red’s past with this case
* The sleuthing done and how it unfolds
* Thinking about human behavior and motivation – there were some doozies in this story
* The twists…and there were a few
* That all the threads were tied up in a neat bow by the end of the book
* Knowing that there will be a new book in the series coming out at some point in the future
What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Having to wait for the next book in the series
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review
4-5 Stars
Red Farlow Mysteries #5
Red Farlow is on a cold case this time. He has been tasked with finding out the truth about the murder of a family that took place decades previously. The case may be cold but Red is hot on the trail finding threads to follow, pull, sort through, untangle, and watch as they weave together to create an intriguing story for the reader.
What I liked:
* Red Farlow: older, private detective, married, capable, knowledgeable, has many contacts from years on the job, good people skills, interesting.
* The four-part layout of the story with timeline moving from the case being undertaken then moving to the past then moving further into the past before returning to the present and the eventual conclusion of the story.
* The setting in the South
* Getting to know the various characters and thinking about their parts in the story
* The overlapping of Red’s past with this case
* The sleuthing done and how it unfolds
* Thinking about human behavior and motivation – there were some doozies in this story
* The twists…and there were a few
* That all the threads were tied up in a neat bow by the end of the book
* Knowing that there will be a new book in the series coming out at some point in the future
What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Having to wait for the next book in the series
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review
4-5 Stars
December 15, 2021
“Cracker Town” is book 5 in the Red Farlow Mysteries and is remarkably interesting and intriguing murder mystery!
Read full review in the 2021 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2021 Holiday issue of InD'tale Magazine.
November 17, 2021
Red Farlow is a character I really like and his creator, W.F. Ranew, is a great storyteller. Sometimes not knowing what happened to someone is worse than knowing and Red’s been asked to find out the truth about a long ago murder. Nothing is impossible for Red though.
Ranew is a favorite of mine. As I have said about his other books, he doesn’t beat around the bush. There’s not lots of descriptive writing. On the other hand I know a lot about Red Farlow so Ranew must have gotten it all in there somewhere. His books are easy to read and always worth the time.
Ranew is a favorite of mine. As I have said about his other books, he doesn’t beat around the bush. There’s not lots of descriptive writing. On the other hand I know a lot about Red Farlow so Ranew must have gotten it all in there somewhere. His books are easy to read and always worth the time.
January 12, 2022
I've become a huge fan of W.F. Ranew. Each of the books I've read from him have been a hit in my eyes.
This book is no exception and was so very well written. It's a mystery that makes you think on a deep level. It keeps your mind going throughout the entirety of the story.
This book kept me in suspense, great fast paced read. Each chapter ending left me wanting to dive into the next.
There are plenty of twists along the way that will keep the reader on their toes.
A great read.
This book is no exception and was so very well written. It's a mystery that makes you think on a deep level. It keeps your mind going throughout the entirety of the story.
This book kept me in suspense, great fast paced read. Each chapter ending left me wanting to dive into the next.
There are plenty of twists along the way that will keep the reader on their toes.
A great read.
January 4, 2022
This book wasn’t a surprise as I have high expectations of W.F. Ranew. That being said, it delivered in that it kept my interest all the way through. I’ve enjoyed each in this series. W.F. Ranew is unique in his writing style, as is his story. Definitely a must read if you’re looking for a different kind of story that will keep you guessing.
December 19, 2021
If the rest of the books in this set are as good as this one I can't wait to read them! This book was amazing! Page turner to say the least and well worth losing a nights sleep! Easy to follow and hard to put down!
December 23, 2021
I think my main takeaway from this novel is that you get a lot more than you are expecting.
For me, as a reader, I became completely involved in the world he created.
A great writing style that had such a great story line. I’m glad I got the chance to read this book!
For me, as a reader, I became completely involved in the world he created.
A great writing style that had such a great story line. I’m glad I got the chance to read this book!
December 7, 2021
Red is hired to look into a case that was closed over fifty years ago. Fifty years ago Red had a case, the slayings of three members of the Goings family, the murderer was never found.
In that same year a man, Cleet Wrightman was was sent to a Georgia State Mental Hospital for the murder of a young woman. Cleet was released almost twenty years later and has not been seen since. Red believes Cleet is still alive but the question is where is he?
Now fifty years later Red has reopened the case. He is very lucky that he has found a witness from the time of the killings in 1955 who has a box of old files on the murder case.
Red believes if he can find the missing Cleet Wrightman he could blow the case wide open as he probably knows more than anyone what truly transpired all those years ago.
As with all of the Red Farlow Mysteries, Cracker Town was a fast-paced read that drew me in from the first page and had me racing to the end to find out who the killer was and where Cleet Wrightman was hiding.
When I saw that there was another Red Farlow mystery out I knew right then and there that I had to read it. The Red Farlow mysteries are filled with lots of secrets that it likes to hold onto revealing them very slowly and it also has a lot of twists, twists that I never saw coming.
As with all of the Red Farlow Mysteries I definitely recommend Cracker Town to all murder mystery fans! Grab your copy of Cracker Town today!
In that same year a man, Cleet Wrightman was was sent to a Georgia State Mental Hospital for the murder of a young woman. Cleet was released almost twenty years later and has not been seen since. Red believes Cleet is still alive but the question is where is he?
Now fifty years later Red has reopened the case. He is very lucky that he has found a witness from the time of the killings in 1955 who has a box of old files on the murder case.
Red believes if he can find the missing Cleet Wrightman he could blow the case wide open as he probably knows more than anyone what truly transpired all those years ago.
As with all of the Red Farlow Mysteries, Cracker Town was a fast-paced read that drew me in from the first page and had me racing to the end to find out who the killer was and where Cleet Wrightman was hiding.
When I saw that there was another Red Farlow mystery out I knew right then and there that I had to read it. The Red Farlow mysteries are filled with lots of secrets that it likes to hold onto revealing them very slowly and it also has a lot of twists, twists that I never saw coming.
As with all of the Red Farlow Mysteries I definitely recommend Cracker Town to all murder mystery fans! Grab your copy of Cracker Town today!
October 8, 2021
Interesting and provocative mystery!! Red Farlow, private investigator. is very methodical in carefully gathering all the information on an old unsolved murders’s case. As he unfolds clues, suspense builds to nail biting anticipation. W. F. Ranew throws an “Oh No ….” tidbit in near the end! Very enjoyable read!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews