Burned in Craven

The Craven County Mysteries #2

by C. Hope Clark

Quinn Sterling left the FBI for the Lowcountry, and no one questions her loyalty to Craven County or her willingness to do what it takes to nail the truth. When a school board member hires her for a domestic issue, the marital problem morphs into a treacherous stew of politics and corruption. Public school board squabbles turn into threats, then arson, then murder, and Quinn suspects that the crime spree is more sophisticated than the rural county's small-time politicians. Someone is willing to kill for financial gain, and Quinn recognizes a dark, sinister force threatening the lives of every board member… and every member of Quinn's adopted family when Jonah Proveaux, the Sterling Banks foreman and Quinn's childhood friend, steps in to shield an elderly woman from harassment and a land grab scheme.

Quinn is kicking a hornet's nest, only these hornets play with fire, death, and guns.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 30, 2021

About the author

C. Hope Clark was born and reared in the South, from Mississippi to South Carolina with a few stints in Alabama and Georgia. The granddaughter of a Mississippi cotton farmer, Hope holds a B.S. in Agriculture with honors from Clemson University and 25 years’ experience with the U. S. Department of Agriculture to include awards for her management, all of which enable her to talk the talk of Carolina Slade, the protagonist in most of her novels. Her love of writing, however, carried her up the ranks to the ability to retire young, and she left USDA to pen her stories and freelance.

Lowcountry Bribe‘s won several awards to include finalist status of the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense sponsored by Romance Writers of America. The novel enjoyed semi-finalist status (top 100 out of 10,000) in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. The book went on to win the Silver Falchion Award for Crime Fiction twice and the EPIC E-book Award for Best Mystery three times.

Her books cover three mystery series in the Carolina Slade Mysteries, the Edisto Island Mysteries, and the Craven County Mysteries.

Hope is married to a 30-year veteran of federal law enforcement, a Senior Special Agent, now a contract investigator. They met on a bribery investigation within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the basis for the opening scene to Lowcountry Bribe. Hope and her special agent live on the rural banks of Lake Murray outside of Chapin, South Carolina, forever spinning tales on their back porch, bourbon and coke in hand, when not tending a loveable flock of hens.

She also currently manages FundsforWriters.com, a weekly newsletter service she founded that reaches 28,000 writers to include university professors, professional journalists and published mystery authors. Writer’s Digest has recognized the site in its annual 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for two dozen years.

She’s published in The Writer Magazine, Writer’s Digest, and other trade and online publications. She speaks at writers’ conferences, book clubs, libraries and more, and has taught many webinars for the Writer's Digest University world. Hope is a member of Mystery Writers of America.

Reviews

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burned in Craven is the 2nd book in the new Craven County Mystery series from C. Hope Clark.

"After her father's murder, Quinn Sterling left the FBI and returned home to take care of the family business. She still accepts the occasional PI job to whe t her appetite for solving crime. She takes on a client to help her with a divorce but gets pulled into a nasty school board squabble. When someone is murdered and another almost killed, Quinn wonders just how far the school board will go to get their way."

This story is genius. You know why? Clark is local to my area and we just had a no-holds-barred school board election last year. A Facebook group plays a part in this story and Clark was an admin (along with a former neighbor) She eventually passed the torch so she could write her next book (I'm thinking this one) The vitriol and mudslinging and name calling was rampant before the election. No one was murdered and no houses were destroyed but it was an election that divided the community.
Clark looks at the social media mob mentality and at what people will do to hold onto power. She's not afraid to kill off any character. There are some interesting dynamics between Quinn, Ty and Jonah. I like that this takes place in a fictional place (Craven County was absorbed many years ago by neighboring ounties) And it's nice to see local places mentioned.
This is some excellent southern crime fiction from Clark

[JANELLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just really enjoyed this book - and it's the second in the Craven County series that I've gotten to read. They are just awesome books - well-written characters, whom you'll love - the descriptions of the Low Country are so vivid, right down to the smell of the pecan trees. I was glad to go back to Craven and revisit these folks.

In the first book, Quinn Sterling left the FBI to return home to Sterling Banks to manage the pecan farm. She still takes PI cases and this book has her pitted again a ferocious school board trying to force a sweet little ole lady to sell her land. Jonah is on hand and is helping Miss Abbott fight off the school board sharks. Turns out, not only is the school board involved, but they're being informed what to do by outsiders, too. And don't forget Uncle and Ty, they're there at the meetings. And Knox makes another appearance when things get so out of hand the FBI is called in.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review. This is a series not to be missed!

[Bonnie Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lost a lot of sleep over this one and highly recommend it. C. Hope Clark never disappoints. Her mysteries are well thought out, her characters interesting and full-bodied. The local is vivid down to the humidity on the black Edisto River.

Secondary characters were interesting as well. The story of outside land developers moving in on this rural community is no doubt a real issue all over. I never realized how much sway a school board would have in a small community. And when outside developers start threatening and making mischief someone has to stand up and make them stop. Quinn is a fixer and she's not letting them grab the county land, not even the school board. The developers, however, are ruthless and not only burn the ones that fight, but kill as well.

Thank you Hope for a wonderful new novel.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by C. Hope Clarke.
I loved “Murdered in Craven” the previous novel, but this was outstanding. Yes, the usual great characters are there along with suspense and the lovely background of the low country.
However, the author tosses unusual bits of information throughout the book compelling me to break from reading and do a bit of a Google. A reference to pecan tassels or an old Creole song will have me seeking more information. I love this. Ms. Clarke likes to throw a zinger in here and there My fave in this book was” he had the potency of summer camp Koolaid”
So along with such satisfying sidebars, the book is an excellent mystery with well designed twists and well developed characters.

[Linda Bittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

sweetie and Fried Okra

Life is complicated in Craven County, South Carolina, and PI Quinn Sterling is right in the middle of it. Her new case seems pretty simple at first. How bad could local school board politics get, anyway?

Let me count the ways tension builds in Craven - money, land, secrets, arson - and things are just getting started. Add a wicked look at the crazy side of social media, Quinn's own personal dilemma about the two honorable men in her life and things get exciting.

The second book in The Craven County Mysteries series lives up to the promise of the first.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had difficulty reading the first book in this series, Murdered in Craven. This book caught my attention better. Perhaps having the characters fleshed out helps. You do not have to read the first book in the series, but it helps.
as the title indicates, lots of fires in this book - trigger warning?
the school board part of the plot - VERY good, kept me reading to see what was going to happen
looking forward to, other than the obvious uncle letting the guy who killed his brother/her father off the hook, what is the beef with uncle and niece?
Team Jonah or team Ty?
On to book three...

[Susan Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great second installment in this series! I really enjoyed reading about the development of Quinn and Jonah's relationship in addition to the school board drama. Lots of twists and turns in the story line. The potential for development of our precious farmland is a serious threat, and the novel respectfully treats it as such. Looking forward to reading book three in the Craven County Mysteries series. Ms. Clark's story-telling never disappoints!

[Jim Great Elk · Rating 5 out of 5]

big fish in small ponds are the meal of even those larger

“We must not make a scarecrow of the law, setting it up to fear the birds of prey, and let it keep one shape till custom make it their perch and not their terror.”
Angelo in Measure for Measure (

[Kathy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

Another great book by C. Hope Clark. I did find an error. In referring to the “gestapo” it was spelled “gustapo”. Hard to miss that since it is history. Waiting for the next book.

[Glenda Millaudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m loving the Craven County series! Never a dull moment and kept me up at night to finish. It does keep you hanging at the end, (in a good way) and I can’t wait to see what happens. Now next, Craven County Line!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It tells a tale of greed, corruption, murder, and mystery in a small town. The characters were somewhat interesting but I just could not get really invested in any of them. There was just something that made the book drag.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the new series! Looking forward to many more books with Quinn, Jonah & Ty!!

[Darlene White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another great novel that Hope has written! I believe that she just keeps getting better with each one she writes! Another page turner and a real suspenseful novel. A great read!

[Sherry Bledsoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great

I'm ready for Book 3 in the Craven County Mysteries. You can't just leave us like this and yet I can't find any word on work on Book 3. Please let there be a book 3!!!