When the call comes in, I’m at my desk with several applications for the open deputy position. I’m looking for someone with people skills and an innate sense of decency. The ability to shoot a gun is not high on my list. It’s hard to find qualified candidates who want to serve in a small rural community where the hours aren’t great, and the pay doesn’t keep up with inflation. I love my job but who knew “sheriffing” meant spending far too much time with spreadsheets and open positions?
The call is from the high school where the city of Lykkins Lake is sponsoring a summer community musical theater production of The Music Man. It’s the second day of tryouts and the city is abuzz with excitement. They are even bringing in a professional actor to play the lead.
“Sheriff, we’re at the auditions and the director is missing. Her car is here, but she left suddenly yesterday and no one has seen her.”
My chief deputy Jason and I do a welfare check at her home and discover a lonely and hungry cat but no director. We also find that twenty years ago, her sister went missing and was later found in a shallow grave. The case was never solved. My sheriff’s sense tells me there is a connection.
A song plays over and over in my head, “Oh we’ve got trouble. Right here in River City.”
ONLY THE RIVER KNOWS
Series: A Sheriff Red Mystery, Book 4
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: September 2026
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop
A murder in the wings. A cold case resurrected. And a killer ready for an encore.
The curtain rises on Lykkins Lake’s community theater production of The Music Man—but the show turns deadly before the first line is spoken. During auditions, director Amanda Brodie spots someone on stage and bolts in fear. The next morning, her body surfaces in the dark waters beneath an abandoned railroad bridge.
Sheriff Red Hammergren’s investigation quickly leads to a chilling discovery: decades ago, Amanda’s sister was murdered in an unsolved case that shook the town. Now, Red suspects the two crimes are connected—and someone in the tight-knit theater troupe knows more than they’re letting on.
As the spotlight swings from center stage to long-buried secrets, Red races to uncover the truth. But the killer is already rehearsing their next move—and this time, the final act could be Red’s.
About the author
Linda Norlander is the author of Only the River Knows the fourth book in the Sheriff Red Series. She has two other mystery series—A Cabin by the Lake Mysteries and Liza and Mrs. Wilkens Mysteries. All are set in Minnesota. Norlander received the 2026 award in fiction from The Tucson Festival of Books Literary Competition and her short story “When Pop Crossed the Border” has been selected for the 2026 Bouchercon anthology The Lines We Cross. Additionally, she has published award winning non-fiction, op-ed pieces and short humor. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in end-of-life care and hospice. Norlander resides in Seattle.
Linda can be reached at www.lindanorlander.com and on Facebook at (www.facebook.com/authorlindanorlander).