Return to Millers Kill

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A young woman, dressed for a party, lies dead in the middle of the road. She has no shoes, no stockings, no handbag. It’s August 1952 and Millers Kill Police Chief Harry McNeil has no answers. No one knows how she died. No one even knows her name.

The case turns cold; the victim remains unidentified, her death declared the result of natural causes.

A young woman, dressed for a party, lies dead in the middle of the road. She has no shoes, no stockings, no purse. It’s August 1972 and Millers Kill Police Chief Jack Liddle has no answers. No one knows how she died. No one even knows her name.

The case is eerily similar to the still-unsolved case from twenty years ago, but this time the Chief has a suspect. A young soldier just returned from Vietnam. His name is Russell Van Alstyne.

A young woman, dressed for a party, lies dead in the middle of the road. She has no shoes, no stockings, no identification. It’s August, this year, and Millers Kill Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne has no answers. No one knows how she died. No one even knows her name.

Today, life today is hectic for Reverend Clare Fergusson, who now finds herself juggling home, baby, and her responsibilities at St. Alban’s Church. Determined to be a good mother, she continues her participation in the addiction support group.

A third case . . . Russ and the officers of the Millers Kill Police Department cannot overlook the similarities. They will do everything in their power to solve the case. But they also have to worry about the aldermen and their looming plan that will change everything.

Readers will be delighted to welcome back Clare, Russ, and the good folks of Millers Kill in this, the ninth book in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne mystery series [following “Through the Evil Days”]. As always, the skillfully-drawn yet flawed characters populating this story, both central and secondary, are both believable and relatable, filled with hopes and dreams, struggles and successes, joys and disappointments. All the expected characters make an appearance, welcoming readers to their little town once again.

A strong sense of place anchors the narrative; surprising twists and turns take the story in unexpected directions. The investigations into the cases of the three mysterious separated-by-decades deaths unfold as the intriguing plot plays out.

The weaving together of the strong storylines creates an elegant tapestry for the narrative; the richly-nuanced story pulls the readers in and keeps the pages turning in this unputdownable tale that belongs on everyone’s must-read list.

Highly recommended.