Terry Shames (A Killing at Cotton Hill
) brings retired police chief Samuel Craddock back for another investigation in The Last Death of Jack Harbin.
A little crusty around the edges, Craddock is concerned when Bob Harbin
has a fatal heart attack, leaving his son, Jack--who lost a leg and his
eyesight in the Gulf War--without care. No one in the small town of
Jarrett Creek, Tex., knows how Jack is going to manage without his dad
to take care of him.Jack, a high school football star who signed up for the military because of a girl (who then married his best friend), is bitter about his situation and devastated at the loss. Then, less than a week later, Jack is murdered.
Jarrett Creek's current police chief is an alcoholic, so the mayor quietly asks Craddock to investigate the death. Craddock knows all the key players: Was the killer Jack's erstwhile best friend or his creepy brother who was involved in a Branch Davidian-type cult or someone who'd resented Jack's status as a football star and war hero? For that matter, did Bob really die of a heart attack?
Craddock's methodological investigative strategies and occasionally curmudgeonly ways of thinking (narrated in the first person) are a joy to read. The Last Death of Jack Harbin brings the rivalries and secrets only possible in a small town to the forefront, creating a host of entirely believable minor characters. Football fans, mystery lovers and anyone who's ever lived in a small town will all enjoy The Last Death of Jack Harbin.
Two things surprised me about this book: one, I liked it a lot. Somehow you wouldn't think I'd like a slightly curmudgeonly detective, and I've never liked small-town life, but I loved how vividly Shames recreated it.
Two, Terry Shames is a woman. I guess because my dad is named Terry, I always assume Terry is a male name. Boy was I surprised at the Tucson Festival of Books when she was sitting in a panel with Cara Black! Ironically, I couldn't get The Last Death of Jack Harbin signed, because I'd already given it to my dad.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Should I recommend this to my grandma? Hesitantly. There's some language.
Do YOU like small town life?
I originally wrote most of this review for Shelf Awareness. And it contains a few of my affiliate links.
