Dead Broke in Jarrett Creek
A Samuel Craddock Mystery
-
-
4.3 • 7 Ratings
-
-
- $9.99
-
- $9.99
Publisher Description
The small town of Jarrett Creek is bankrupt. Samuel Craddock thought he was retired but now he's been asked to return as police chief. Gary Dellmore, heir apparent to the main bank, is dead, apparently murdered. Dellmore supposedly had a roving eye, although his wife says he was never serious about dallying. Still, Craddock wonders: Did the husbands and fathers of women he flirted with think he was harmless? What about his current lover, who insists that Dellmore was going to leave his wife for her? Craddock discovers that Dellmore had a record of bad business investments. Even worse, he took a kickback from a loan he procured, which ultimately drove the town into bankruptcy. Many people had motive to want Dellmore dead. Then the investigation turns up another crime. As Craddock digs down to the root of this mess, many in Jarrett Creek are left wondering what happened to the innocence of their close-knit community.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Jarrett Creek, Tex., is running out of money in Shames's solid third mystery featuring retired police chief Sam Craddock (after A Killing in Cotton Hill). Since the small town can now afford only two part-time police officers, Craddock volunteers to investigate the shooting murder of Gary Dellmore, the son of the local banker. Gary's flagrant extramarital affairs first draw suspicion to his glum widow, but Craddock soon discovers that the deceased was aware of irregularities in the water-park project that wrecked Jarrett Creek's finances; indeed, he may have been making money on the shady deal. With his makeshift police force, Craddock is forced to rely more on his insight into his neighbors' characters than on forensics as he separates layers of mischief and mayhem. Still, like a good, steady shade tree mechanic, he gets the job done.
