Root of All Evil by Liz Milliron is the first book in the NEW “Laurel Highlands” mystery series. Publisher: Level Best Books, coming August 14, 2018.
Rumors of a meth operation in rustic Fayette County catch the attention of Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan. When he learns that Aaron Trafford, a man who recently dodged a drug conviction, has returned to the county, the conclusion seems obvious. Trafford has set up a new operation.
Meanwhile, assistant public defender Sally Castle’s colleague, Colin Rafferty, has become uncharacteristically nervous and secretive. Her suspicion that he’s hiding something serious is confirmed when she learns of a threatening visitor and discovers a note on his desk stating, “You’d better fix this.”
Colin’s subsequent murder is the first frayed thread in a complex web of deceit. Jim fears Sally’s stubborn determination to get justice for her friend will put her in a killer’s crosshairs, but Sally won’t rest until she finds answers–even if it costs her everything.
This is one of those books that are slow and deliberate that you savor every minute you spend with this intriguing tale of two play-by-play scenarios that builds until that moment the connection is made and then you enjoy the fruit of the writer’s plan as this story takes shape. Jim Duncan is working his drug case and Sally is investigating her co-worker’s demise and it’s the culmination of events that takes this story to a different playing level that kept me glued to the pages as I had to know how this will end. It’s the author’s credit in telling a story that kept me in suspense with great interactions among the various characters that cross each other and dialogue that enhanced what was happening on the pages. I like the tone and the writing style making it easy to follow along with the narrative the author was illustrating. The author did a great job in setting the stage, giving me enough to figure things out with plenty of suspects and the many discoveries that would eventually lead to the person responsible. This is a good beginning to a series that I hope is here to stay for a little while.
**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the author.