A Fool’s Journey by Judy Penz Sheluk is the third book in the “Marketville” traditional mystery series. Publisher: Superior Shores Press, coming August 21, 2019.

In March 2000, twenty-year-old Brandon Colbeck left home to find himself on a self-proclaimed “fool’s journey.” No one—not friends or family—have seen or heard from him since, until a phone call from a man claiming to be Brandon brings the case back to the forefront. Calamity (Callie) Barnstable and her team at Past & Present Investigations have been hired to find out what happened to Brandon and where he might be. As Callie follows a trail of buried secrets and decades-old deceptions only one thing is certain: whatever the outcome, there is no such thing as closure.

Purchase Link

This is one of those books that the more you read, the more the pacing picks up and you find yourself immersed in all that was happening with the characters and the situation that lay before them. A simple request from the Colbeck matriarch leads Callie looking for clues in a 20-year-old missing case. The more people she interrogates, the more she uncovers that everyone is hiding a secret and it’s unlocking those secrets that holds the answers in this intriguing tale of past misbehavin’.

The author did a great job in introducing the premise where the past actions of those involved is revisited and thus sets the stage for this tightly woven plot with engaging dialogue and visually descriptive narrative that captured the essence of the story being told. I liked that the author trusted the reader to follow along with Callie and watch as her team used their expertise to solve this puzzling case. From Lorna to Chantelle to Misty to Jeanine to Michael to G.G. to Sam and even newcomer Ben, all had pivotal roles that enhanced the telling of this compelling whodunit. When all was said and done, this was an enjoyable read and I look forward to more exciting exploits with Callie and her friends.

**********
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a digital ARC of this book from the author.