Murdered in Craven

The Craven County Mysteries #1

by C. Hope Clark

Quinn Sterling's father was murdered, and the Craven County sheriff—her uncle—botched the investigation. Now too many troubling questions remain for Quinn to walk away. Instead, she leaves her career at the FBI to take on her inheritance—a 3,000-acre pecan dynasty in the South Carolina Lowcountry. As the only heir she assumes the reins of the family business—while keeping an eye on her father's cold case, and her toe in the old game as a private investigator.

With her two childhood friends, one now a caretaker of Sterling Banks, and the other a deputy sheriff, she managed to hold everything together until a blind client and a mentor from her early days pull her into a case that will jeopardize her friends, her farm, and her legacy, not to mention her life when her past meets her present.

Genres: Mystery, Southern

280 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

[Sue Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Already a huge fan of C. Hope Clark previous series, I was excited when read the description of this new series. Captivated from the first few pages, I tore through the book in one night. Quinn Sterling, pecan heiress and ex-FBI agent, returned manage the grove after the unsolved murder of her father. Keeping her investigative skills alive by a side gig as a PI, her potential new client wants her to check up on a missing boyfriend and the PI she hired to find him. When the PI is found shot in a motel room, bad things start happening...and it all harks back to her why her father died. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Murdered in Craven is a capably written series starter by C. Hope Clark. Released 30th Nov 2021 by Bell Bridge Books, it's 278 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This combines the feel of a modern PI procedural with thriller aspects. The main protagonist is a former FBI investigator and heiress who moves back to her family's pecan groves following the unsolved murder of her father. She's soon embroiled in more investigations which might shed light on her father's death.

The characterizations are very well rendered and the characters are three dimensional and believable. There are numerous dysfunctional family relationships described in the book and some of the background was uncomfortable to read. There were a few places in the narrative where I found myself kicked out of my suspension of disbelief because of presumably out of character behavior on the part of the MC. There was some dysfunctional and, frankly, squicky behavior between Quinn and the boys (non-biologically related sort-of siblings) with whom she was raised. There were also a few places where one would expect more meticulous investigation from an FBI agent and Quinn was sloppy/lazy.

Aside from those small issues, this is an engaging mystery with a strong protagonist and written by an experienced and gifted author.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect of the characters in this book after loving so much the heroines in C. Hope Clark’s previous series. Quinn Sterling is an exceptional character and drew me into her right away. Having grown up on her family pecan plantation in South Carolina, she lost her mother at a young age. She was an only child being raised by her father and she deeply loved being on the plantation after the unexpected murder of her father. Before her father is death, Quinn graduates hig school and immediately went to work at the Craven Count Sheriff’s department where her father’s only sibling was th Sheriff. At her father is urging, she went to college and still having law enforcement in her blood, entered Quantico becoming an FBI agent. She was so devastated at the death of her father that she returned to the pecan plantation and eventually relinquished her position with the FBI. She became a Private Investigator to stay involved somewhat in law enforcement. She recalls many reminiscences of her childhood and remains close to two of her childhood friends who have assisted her when things have gotten out of hand. The book is full of believable characters and I found myself feeling as I knew each one personally. I highly recommend Murder in Craven!

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sounded SO interesting when I read the synopsis, but honestly, it was a bit of a letdown. Coming off reading a private investigator book, this was another one and I was hoping that it would be better. There were too many useless descriptions, and those had such flowery language. For me, that doesn’t really fit in with a thriller. There were parts that were interesting, but throughout the first 2/3’s of the book there’d be something interesting and then there’d be a long time before there was any action. All the action came at the end. That action was very interesting and kept me reading. Unfortunately, for me, this was not a page turner, and I wasn’t obsessed with reading it as I have been some other books. I probably won’t pick up and read the second one in the series.

[Bonnie Tharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new mystery. As a huge fan of C Hope Clark books, this new one did not disappoint.

Quinn, Jonah, and Try are great characters. The tension kept mounting and I could not stop reading. I've been reading Hope Clark's novels since the beginning and I love the twists and turns. Her new series is just as compelling as all of the others.

When the desires of the rich outsiders interfere with the lives of Craven Country Quinn Sterling feels the need to help, which nearly gets her killed. She's lost a lot in her thirty-odd years and is haunted by the unsolved death of her father. Strange characters have decided it's time for her to sell her property and will stop at nothing to convince her. These are some nasty folks.

Quinn has the help of her best friends, Jonah and Ty. When bad things are directed at her friend's families she will stop at nothing to stop them. Great read!!

[Carolyn Bragg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish I could write a more positive review. For a quick read, this book was "Fine." With more research, this book could be so much better. Quinn makes a believable person, but not a trained detective.

This "gritty" mystery begins well, but as facts come to light, we discover that Quinn, the Private Detective is both lazy and sloppy. Okay, we can live with that. But she's supposed to be former FBI, and only left because her dad was sick. So, she was well trained, and is now sloppy?

The subject is less about solving murders than unhealthy relationships. Quinn grew up with two boys; just like brothers. But at some point she kissed one, then seduced and slept with the other (shh, don't tell the other one). And they're still pretending to do the "sibling" thing. This girl is messed up!

One of her brothers is more aggressive than passive, verbally attacks her because of her career choices, and treats her like dirt. But she's so grateful he doesn't stay mad long, and then he just acts like nothing happened. What a great guy!

Red flags, anyone? And the language may be common every-day to a lot of people, but it is unnecessarily crude.

I'm not trained as Quinn is supposed to be, but based on all that I have seen and read, plus common sense and logic, she makes a large number of unreasonable mistakes. She does no research, takes no precautions, and just hopes people are home. The cookie lady (cozy mystery detective) is more prepared than this woman!

The good news: Good plot, basic story, suspense, I like Lenore and Ty.

The bad news: Uncle Larry's motive vs his actions do not wash. He treats Quinn like an enemy. Orchards change a LOT in 20 years. I don't like Quinn as a person.

My recommendation:
Tighten-up the book. I know that the story relies on Quinn making certain mistakes, but her angst about upsetting people gets annoying. Make her a little bit stronger.

Research some of the details and change little things, so the reader doesn't keep stopping to say things like "They would notice that," or "Where did that come from?" These details can make the difference between a book for fodder and a respected book!

Content Warning: Crude language and continuous swearing.

2/5 Stars = Fine, with hope for a tight revision with editing!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free preview of this ebook. This review is voluntary.

#MurderedinCraven #NetGalley


Note to publisher: Chapter 18 says Quinn has almost sixty uncles. X-ray corrections in GoodReads.

[Cindy Ervin Huff]

Murder in Craven

c. Hope Clark has done it again with the first book in her new series Craven County Mysteries. Murder in Craven introduced me to Quinn Sterling, a former FBI agent and the last remaining heir of Sterling Banks, a large, generational Pecan farm. Quinn still has one burning question after leaving the FBI six years earlier to run the farm and doing PI work on the side—who killed her father? And when her PI investigation seems to trip over her father’s murder, the chase is on.
Clark’s South Carolina backdrop is right in the middle of her other two series, Carolina Sloan Mysteries and the Edisto Island Mysteries. Edisto River runs only the edge of Sterling Banks. Can’t wait to see if the three ladies work together sometime.
The southern charm and culture of the generational rich are the thread that pull the plot together. Every time I read one of Clark’s mysteries, I find out more about southern life. And I walked alongside Quinn in the same way I did Sloan and Cassie as they pushed their way through hoops and uncovered lies to get to the truth and find the murderer with just the right amount of Southern finesse to get witnesses and suspects to give information away.
Quinn has two handsome, caring men in her life, close friends since they were children. Making the story more interesting and as complex as a lifelong friendship can be. And as for how fast the reader can solve who-done-it before Quinn—there are just enough twists to keep you guessing. Loved this story and will now move on to book two, Burned in Craven, which came out shortly after this one. So glad I don’t have to wait.
C. Hope Clark delivers her plot twists with grit, and a little fried okra on the side. Truly an exceptional mystery writer.

[Brad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murdered in Craven is the first book in a new series from C. Hope Clark.

"After her father is murdered, Quinn Sterling returns home home to run the family pecan grove. She resigns from the FBI but still takes the occasional case as a Private Investigator. She is approached about finding someone's boyfriend, Mickey, who happened to be the one who found her father's body. Quinn has questions for him - questions that her Uncle Larry, the local sheriff, never got answers for. Quinn wants to know who killed her father and why. But someone wants something from Quinn and they're willing to go to extreme lengths to get it."

This story is a little grittier than the previous books I've read from Clark. There are multiple people killed in this one but it's not gratuitous. I like that the setting is a place that used to be a county in SC (but has now been absorbed into several counties)

I like the characters, especially Quinn. Her uncle, Larry, is a bit of a stereotype but it still works.
The story takes a bit to build but with brand new characters, it's okay. It hits a point about halfway where you don't want to put it down.

This is a great story if you're looking for some crime fiction with a southern setting. Great beginning to this new series

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinn Sterling inherited the family pecan business when her father was murdered. Seeing as her uncle the sheriff royally flubbed the investigation, she decides to leave her job at the FBI and return home to lead the family business and look into her father’s murder. To keep herself in the game, she also works as a private investigator.

Hired to investigate a missing PI, Quinn finds the missing PI was looking into her father’s murder. When she finds the PI is dead, she soon realizes she’s walked into the lion’s den. Everything she cares about is threatened, included her own life. Can she solve the case or will she lose everything?

Some of my favorite books are the ones that transport me with the writing. In this case, I could smell the pecans, feel the Low Country humidity, hear the dialect and accent of locals, and feel the fear that comes from putting everything you value in danger. That’s quite the accomplishment and will be looking for more from this author in the future.

[Cathy Nance · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first first few chapters were essential in setting up the characters and the locations. You will smell the grease in the restaurant with the wonderful descriptions of the food. You will see the beautiful huge pecan trees on the plantation. Although I was a little impatient with the first few chapters, I became fully invested in the setting and the main characters. After about the halfway mark of the book, the action really ramps up! I liked the way the author contrasted the main character’s views of darkness, first in a familiar setting, which was the sock-foot chase scene on the plantation, and then showed her struggling with darkness in an unfamiliar setting, when she is out of her element in the Charleston apartment. Overall was a great read with lots of action and also a little romance. Im eager to read the rest of the series now.

[Mary Davidsaver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because C. Hope Clark named her protagonist Quinn. That is the middle name of my granddaughter. I certainly hope that one day my Quinn will grow as tall, strong, and confident as the "princess" of Sterling Banks, the plantation Clark creates along the Edisto River. Quinn Sterling is a heroine on a grand scale that matches the location and history of that area of South Carolina, but at heart the story is all about family. Quinn Sterling is a former FBI agent, an occasional private investigator, and a full-time manager of a large pecan operation. When the chips are down those pecan trees become lifesaving shelter as she plays a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a determined assassin. It's all part of the dramatic ending that you can't put down.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like author C. Hope Clark and her previous works. This new series doesn't disappoint as this is book 1 in the Craven County Mysteries series. Quinn has resigned from her job with the FBI to return to the family Pecan farm and continue the family tradition. Her father was murdered and the killer was never caught. Now someone isn't happy that Quinn isn't selling the valuable property and keeping it as a farm. To make a little extra money she works ad a private investigator and decides to find out who is threatening her and if it ties to her Dad's murder. A great start with a mystery that is involved and holds your interest. Can't wait for book 2, Buried in Craven. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[JANELLE · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the beginning of a new series and I can't wait to see how it continues!

Former FBI - turned PI, Quinn, inherits the generational family pecan plantation after her father is murdered. She has moved back home to run the business and sidelines some private investigative work. She is contacted by a Charleston heiress about her missing boyfriend, but something seems fishy...and ends up tied to her father's death.

The characters are great - I'm intrigued to learn more about Quinn and Jonah, Jule, Ty and his mother and the restaurant. and the Uncle.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a temporary, digital ARC in return for my review.

[Marci Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth the read

This one started a little slow for me and I was mildly distracted throughout by references to things that happened in the past, making me think there was a previous book despite titling this as the first in the series. However, as always, eventually the strong characters and intricate plot took over and I ultimately enjoyed the book. As a small town and rural county girl myself, there were recognizable undertones and descriptions that gave the setting a touch of home. Looking forward to more from Quinn, Jonah and Sterling Banks.

[Linda Bittle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beginning of An Exciting New Series

I've enjoyed the Carolina Slade and Edisto Island books, and this new series is the best yet! Quinn Sterling is a fully realized character with a complicated history and complex relationships.

This first book presents a compelling mystery and lays out a backstory that will take a while (and many books) to unravel. I'm so looking forward to continuing the journey as Quinn takes on new PI clients and runs her inherited pecan farm on the banks of the Edisto River, where geography becomes another character.

[Laurisa Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clark has done it again! Quinn Sterling is an heiress to a pecan plantation, former FBI agent, and a private investigator. When an old PI friend of hers turns up dead and a blind, rich beauty solicits her to find the one missing witness of Quinn's father's death six years earlier, Quinn herself becomes the newest target.

I'm a big fan of Clark's Edisto Mysteries series, and while Sheriff Callie Morgan will always be my favorite heroine, Quinn Sterling is a feisty, driven female protagonist destined to gather her own loyal fans.

[Betsy Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

C. Hope Clark is back at it, doing what she does best: creating memorable, realistic characters in a gorgeous setting (this time it’s a 3K acre pecan orchard in the South Carolina Lowcountry.) Main character Quinn Sterling is a former FBI agent who is now a private investigator and sole heir to Sterling Banks, the family farm. When Quinn is approached by a potential client to track down a man from the past, things get interesting. If mysteries are your “thing” I highly recommend “Murdered in Craven.”

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great characters in this fast paced, riveting thriller! There's a lot of family history behind everything that both drives and complicates all of the investigations. The plot is tight and has some diabolical twists and truly maddening red herrings. The publisher's blurb has enough of a recap and is a good hook, so no need to go over that again. Loved it and finished it in one day.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Bell Bridge Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Thanks be that this one really is TTS enabled!

[patt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been meaning to read this author’s books for a couple of years now and I’m glad I got the opportunity. This is a pretty serious murder mystery and very enjoyable. The characters were well developed and realistic. Having lived in the nearby area for a few years, I enjoyed the authors descriptions of Charleston and Edisto. I recommend Murdered in Craven to anyone who enjoys this genre or southern fiction. I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and compelling start of a new series. I liked the characters and the plot kept me reading.
The descriptions of the places are well done and you can visualize places.
I look forward to reading the next instalment.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Darlene White · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story in the lowcountry setting. Hope Clark did a wonderful job In this new series she has written. It is another page turner and suspenseful. The characters in this story are great and makes you feel like you are part of the family, like you are right there with Quinn. Hope has gotten better with her novels. Each new one she writes just keeps getting better.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Craving a fast paced mystery?

I've read other books wC Hope Clark, and was expecting a book with some twists and turns. It did not disappoint.
Set in the South, this is the first book in The Craven Count Mysteries series. There were some unexpected events as Quinn tried to solve her father's murder.
I enjoyed the book,and look forward to reading more.

[Olivia Pariset · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could this be any better?!

C. Hope Clark's Murdered in Craven is spell-binding, leaving your heart pounding as you wonder what will happen next, or who will survive. Hope, you outdid yourself with this one! I love all of your characters, but Quinn is my new favorite!

[NANCY HENDLEY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Wow ! Another winner from C. Hope Clark ! Another fine Low Country mystery and a new character, Quinn , former FBI and now a PI in her spare time all while running a pecan plantation. You will not be disappointed!

[margie a drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suspenseful, fast paced. Great read.

Intriguing story line weaving mystery with history. Once the plot grabs you, it will not let go until the end. There is also a romantic story in the background. Which friend will she choose, if any!

[Carol Sligh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read as always from C Hope Clark

Enjoyable read. I purchased the next book in line and found it to
the same book just a different title.

[Kathy Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book

Well written, great characters. Intrigue to keep you reading. This is the first book of this author i have read but intend to read them all.

[Glenda Millaudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read from beginning to end! Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Eileen Prussman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, C Hope Clark had me on the edge of my seat in this exciting mystery. Now, my only question is whether to re-read the second book in the series, “Burned in Craven” that Amazon had sent to my Kindle, and mis-titled, when I ordered this one. I love the characters and I am anxious to catch up with them some more.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of two other mystery series by C. Hope Clarke I approached her new series cautiously. I’m not sure I can take to new series at my advanced age. Well, I bloody well can and I adore Quinn and her family. The story was new and fresh and predictably full of delicious twists and turns.
Read it. You will not be sorry.