Barn Burner

Jubilant Falls #1

by Debra Gaskill

Barns are burning on farms all around Jubilant Falls, Ohio -but that's the least of newspaper editor Addison McIntyre's problems. The daughter of Golgotha College president Dr. Seaford Thorn has come up missing - along with $500,000 from the college's endowment fund. When Addison's own daughter Isabella, already suspended from school for assaulting a teacher, attempts suicide, Addison must come to terms with the real meaning of family secrets- her own and others. Barnburner tackles the legacy of mental illness in a small town, the secrets everyone keeps-and the damages that all of those secrets can do.
"Debra Gaskill's small town Jubilant Falls reads as true as Faulkner's Jefferson, Mississippi. From the first page, Addison makes the reader long for her next crime to solve or mystery to unravel." -Douglas Savage, author of the novels The Court Martial of Robert E. Lee (History Book Club main selection)
Debra Gaskill is the managing editor of the Washington Court House (Ohio) Record Herald. She has been a journalist for 15 years, writing for a number of Ohio newspapers, the Associated Press and several national magazines. Debra and her husband Greg have two adult children. They raise llamas and alpacas on their farm in Enon, Ohio. This is her first book, which was written as a thesis for her master's degree in creative writing from Antioch University.

226 pages, Paperback

First published August 3, 2009

About the author

Debra Gaskill is the former managing editor of the Washington Court House (Ohio) Record Herald, which earned two Associated Press General Excellence awards during her tenure. She was an award-winning journalist for 20 years, writing for a number of Ohio newspapers covering the cops and courts beat, and the Associated Press, covering any stories thrown her way.

Gaskill brings her knowledge of newspapers to her Jubilant Falls series. The mysteries 'Barn Burner' (2009), 'The Major's Wife' (2010), 'Lethal Little Lies' (2013), 'Murder on the Lunatic Fringe' (2014) and 'Death of A High Maintenance Blonde' (2014) all center around crimes committed in the fictional small town Jubilant Falls, Ohio, and often center around the damage family secrets can do. 'The Major's Wife' received honorable mention in the 2011 Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards and 'Barn Burner' was a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award at Killer Nashville..

Her private detective, Niccolo Fitzhugh, is a retired cop who's wandering eye cost him his police career. The series, which includes 'Call Fitz,' 'Holy Fitz,' and 'Love Fitz' brings her cops and courts experience together in a mystery that "creates complex characters and places them in real settings" according to customer reviews on Amazon.com.

Gaskill has an associates degree in liberal arts from Thomas Nelson Community College in Hampton, Va., a bachelor's degree in English and journalism from Wittenberg University and a master of fine arts in creative writing from Antioch University, Yellow Springs.

She and her husband Greg, a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, have two children and two grandchildren. They raise llamas and alpacas on their farm in Enon, Ohio.

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was chosen by my book club because it was a local author. Barn Burner was Gaskill's thesis for her master's degree.
Mystery is not a genre I am familiar with, but I understand the writing process. Kudos to Gaskill for writing a book. But, booos to those on her committee, the editor, and her agent.
Book club could not distinguish between typos and bad grammar. There were at least 3 instances where the continuity of the story went to ashes.
Addison, the main character and newspaper writer, is engaging and real. I do love this about the book.
My advice to Gaskill is to keep writing, but find a different editor.