High Lonesome Road

Chloe Newcomb #2

by Betsy Thornton

In her debut novel, The Cowboy Rides Away, Betsy Thornton amazed reviewers with her vivid description of Cochise County, AZ and the people who live there. Now five years later readers are taken back to the harshness of the desert and to Chloe Newcomb, a victim advocate with the Cochise County Attorney's Office. Chloe's responsibilities include counseling those who have witnessed an act of violence or whose lives have been affected by violence.Her latest assignment is to counsel a woman who found the body of the county's bookmobile driver riddled with bullets.Chloe has been on calls like this before, but she is not prepared for the shock of knowing the victim. Erica Hill, a flamboyant and independent woman, was once a friend of Chloe's beloved deceased brother. Chloe hadn't seen Erica in years until a few months earlier when Erica showed up at one of her volunteer training sessions. Full of guilt over not keeping in touch with Erica, Chloe embarks on an independent investigation. Her search involves Erica's teenage son, her jealous sister and a defense lawyer who seems to take an overly strong interest in the case.What Chloe discovers is a secret so dark that even after Erica's death it still has the power to damage the lives of everyone around her. Betsy Thornton lives in Bisbee, Arizona, where she works for the Cochise County Attorney's Victim Witness Program as a victim compensation advocate and a victim advocate.

Genres: Mystery

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

Aka Beth Thornton.

Betsy Thornton is a contemporary American writer of mystery fiction novels set in the Southwestern United States.

Reviews

[Lizzie Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chloe Newcombe, ex New York investigator is now a victim advocate in Dudley Arizona. Chloe is fighting depression since her lover Kyle Barnett killed a man, resigned from his job and disappeared. But work keeps her demons at bay at least during waking hours, sleeping hours are another matter.

When Chloe is called to the scene of the death of a bookmobile librarian shot to death, she little suspects that she will know the victim, or that this recognition will take her back to her own past. From the MO it is clear that this was not random, someone wanted Erica Hill dead. As Chloe seeks to help Erica’s son Troy, she encounters defence lawyer Stuart Ross, and Erica’s friends Nelson and Larry. And then Erica’s sister and husband arrive.

Meanwhile, the rumour has grown and circulated around the small locality that Dot Sone who found the body saw the killer, and Chloe fears for her. But Dot Stone is a formidably lady and is sure she can take care of herself!

The tension is skilfully built as Chloe recalls what she knew of Dot, friend of her dead brother, and what she now learns from more recent friends. What she discovers is a secret, but how does this impact on the killing?

A really enthralling mystery that kept me guessing.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another murder, finally solved by the end of the book. Needed some serious editing. Bisbee, AZ once again comes to life at the hand of Betsy Thornton. I can't figure out why so much of the action takes place in the valley.

[LJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

HIGH LONESOME ROAD – G
Thornton, Betsy – 2nd of series

Chloe Newcombe is a divorced New Yorker now transplanted to Arizona's high desert region where she's taken a job as a victim's advocate with the county attorney's office. Here Chloe must again endure a wrenching personal involvement, this time because the murdered woman (the bookmobile driver whose body has been found riddled with bullets, a book clutched to her chest) had long ago been a friend of Chloe's adored older brother, himself also now dead and deeply mourned.

This was the first book I’ve read of hers. I felt it was a bit heavy on the back story, but I did enjoyed it. It had some very good characters and, while I had a suspicion of the killer, it wasn’t real obvious.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in AZ in a small divided among old residents, hippies, and newcomers. It starts with the bookmobile driver being killed while making rounds (alone, may I add, which is unlikely even with budget cuts). No one can figure out who did it, but soon her teenage son is accused, and then released. I didn't much like many of the main characters, but it was a pretty good plot. Lots of red herrings.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 2 out of 5]

A new writer/series for me. I didn't really like this book. Felt it wasn't organized very well and needed better character development. The main character, Chloe Newcombe, is a Victim Witness Advocate in an old town in Arizona. She doesn't really solve anything, and I was left with a lot of questions about her and her motivations.

[Jerry Blackerby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was so-so. I enjoyed it to a certain extent, but there were many twists and turns in the plot. It did not really drag, but there were times, I felt like something was missing with so many twists and turns. I even had to look back a few times and I never have to do that normally.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Small town crime, the area south of Tucson is a world of it's own. I was looking for more local color from this great region. Betsy just glossed over the Copper Queen.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mysteries set locally are always appealing. Enjoyed the character of the protagonist.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just discovered this series and really enjoyed it. Am now well into the first book in the series.