Hank Worth first appeared in The Branson Beauty and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Hank.

What is your name?
I’m Hank Worth, or if you’re my father-in-law, then I’m “boy-o.”

How old are you?
I’m 38 years old.

What is your profession?
I’m the sheriff of Branson County, Missouri. When we moved down here to this Ozark county from Kansas City, I applied for a job as a patrol deputy. But the county commissioners were looking to fill the top spot after the sheriff left for the state legislature. I guess I had some kind of bright, shiny big-city glow, so they appointed me sheriff. Man, was I not expecting that. And those commissioners weren’t expecting what they got—it turns out I’m not shiny at all. I’m stubborn and sarcastic and always going over budget on everything. And the murder rate has skyrocketed since I took over. Let’s not talk about that.

Do you have a significant other? What is her name and profession?
Can you see me smiling? I sure do have a significant other. I’m married to Maggie McCleary. Actually, that’s a little backward. Maggie McCleary married me. I still can’t believe it sometimes. She’s the most incredible person I’ve ever known. She’s a doctor. She runs the emergency room at Branson Valley General, which is fitting, seeing as she spent so much time there—as a patient—when she was growing up. She was a bit of a daredevil.

Any children?
We have two kids—Maribel and Benny. Maribel is 5, and Benny is a very (extremely, completely, never stops) active 3-year-old.

Do your parents live near you?
My folks still live in the same house I grew up in, near Lodi, California. They own a small vineyard. I don’t get back to visit them as often as I should.

Cats, dogs or other pets?
Don’t ask. The kids would say yes, we have a dog. I’d say we have a pain in the ass. Duncan—that’s my father-in-law—took the kids to the animal shelter one day (without checking with us first) and came home with the mutt-strosity. And they named him Guapo, which is Spanish for handsome and the exact opposite of what that dog is. He’s a sausage with legs and a head that’s too small and one ear that flops and one that sticks straight up. And he’s completely untrainable. We’ve tried. Repeatedly. But the kids love him. And I guess he does have some good qualities . . . give me a few minutes and I’m sure I’ll come up with some.

What town do you live in?
Maggie grew up in Branson, and when her mom died, Duncan was just devastated and not doing well at all. We decided that it would be best for everybody if we moved there. Between my job with the Kansas City police and Maggie’s job at the city hospital, we were never home. That made it impossible to find child care. So now we’re a—what’s the term?—“multi-generational household.” We bought a house, and Dunc moved in. He takes care of the kids while we’re at work. They adore him, and he won’t admit it, but they’ve given him a new lease on life. There is a cost, though. Dunc’s a bit . . . well, he can be opinionated. He’s not shy about telling us what he thinks, as soon as it pops into his head. Even when we’re not home. I really wish I hadn’t taught him how to text.

What is your favorite spot in your house?
Hmm. I never really thought about it, but I do seem to always end up in the living room when I need to think, or just relax. It’s why we bought that particular house, actually. It has a huge river rock fireplace along the back wall that’s framed by two long, tall windows. You can see the sun set and it turns the rocks all golden and pink. It’s the perfect room.

Favorite meal? Favorite dessert?
My mamá’s Christmas tamales. You’ve never tasted anything so good. As for dessert, well, I’ll eat pretty much anything.

Favorite hobby?
I love to grill. Does that count? Maggie got me a big, new barbecue for Christmas. I haven’t had much time to grill lately, though. I have banned Dunc from using it—the last time he tried, he caught the corner of the deck on fire.

Favorite author?
I love Victor Villaseñor. Have you read Rain of Gold? You should—it’s great. It’s about a family that emigrates from Mexico to California. That’s what my mamá did with my abuela when she was young, so it’s a book that really hit home for me. Lately, though, when I even have time to read, I need some escapist stuff. Terry Pratchett is really good for that.

Favorite vacation spot?
The Sierra Nevada. It’s such a short drive from my parents’ house in the California Central Valley. And there’s no more beautiful spot on Earth. Although the Ozarks come pretty close.

Favorite sports team?
I love baseball. I grew up a fan of the Oakland A’s, and when I came to Missouri for college, right away I became a fan of both Missouri teams—the St. Louis Cardinals and the Kansas City Royals. When we lived in Kansas City, Maggie and I would go to a lot of Royals games. It was a cheap, easy, fun thing to do. Tickets are a lot harder to get now that they’re actually good.

Movies or Broadway?
With my life the way it is, the only realistic thing is a Redbox movie on a Saturday night. Maybe someday I can swing taking Maggie to a Broadway show. She’d love that.

Are you a morning or a night person?
You know, I don’t even know anymore. It seems that I’m up at all hours lately, either with the cases I’m investigating or with the kids.

Whom do you work with when sleuthing?
Nothing in the sheriff’s department would get done without Sheila Turley. She’s the chief deputy, and I would be completely lost as an administrator if I didn’t have her. She also is one hell of an investigator. She’s smart, she’s intuitive, and she’s saved my life on multiple occasions. She also isn’t afraid to set me straight when I need it, which I’ve figured out is a really important thing for a boss to have. The other deputy who helps out with major cases is Sam Karnes. My kind, decent Sammy. He’s a great kid, only twenty-five years old, but he’s really coming along as an investigator. He was born and raised in Branson, so he knows everything about this place, which comes in really handy.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
My day usually starts with the kids jumping on the bed to wake me up. Maggie might already be gone for her shift at the hospital. I get up and fix breakfast if Dunc hasn’t already. Then I go into the office, which is about twenty minutes away in the county seat of Forsyth. If I’m lucky, I’m working on a case. If I’m unlucky, then it’s just paperwork and budget balancing and other forms of torture. Back to my favorite thing, though. Not that I like murder, you understand, but I do love investigations. I love the interviewing, interpreting the evidence, trying to figure out what makes people tick. I love the puzzle. Those days just fly by.

You can read about Hank in A Deadly Turn, the third book in the “Hank Worth” mystery series, released March 1, 2019.

Branson county sheriff Hank Worth struggles to uncover the truth behind a fatal car crash in this absorbing mystery.

Hank Worth thinks he’s performed a good deed when he pulls over the car of six teens caught speeding on a Saturday night and lets them off with a warning and instructions to go home. When he responds to an urgent call minutes later, he realises he made a fatal error of judgement – every teen is dead.

Struggling to come to terms with his role in the crash, Hank begins to suspect foul play. While notifying the parents of the children involved, his suspicions grow when an unidentified body is discovered in one of their homes and a teenage girl is found after apparently attempting to commit suicide. Hank believes the incidents are connected, but those around him disagree.

Is Hank right, or is his guilt making him search for answers where there are none?

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About the author
Claire Booth spent more than a decade as a journalist, much of it covering crimes so strange and convoluted they seemed more like fiction than reality. Her first book, The False Prophet: Conspiracy, Extortion, and Murder in the Name of God, is the true story of a multiple murder case in California. After that, she took a step back from the real world and decided to write novels instead. Her Sheriff Hank Worth mysteries take place in Branson, Missouri, where small-town politics and big-city country music tourism clash in—yes—strange and convoluted ways. The latest in the series, A Deadly Turn, was released March 1. She loves to hear from readers. Contact her through her website at www.clairebooth.com.

All comments are welcomed.