I look out over my eighty acres from the kitchen window, grateful for all I had two years ago. A loving relationship with my beloved wife June, two grown children, a beautiful granddaughter, and a busy farm. Until the night June was shot on our fortieth anniversary during a botched robbery in a restaurant.
Since then, I’ve tried to come to peace with things. For the most part, I’m doing okay. Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hope, does it?
Being a widower isn’t easy. While some dark nights I still grapple with the loss, I’ve thrown myself into work. Self-pity is not something I have time to feel right now. There are pastures to tend, rocks to pick, and chickens to feed. Keeping my days busy ensures I don’t have to stop and think.
The sun is rising, the sky streaked in red and yellows and pinks. As I bang through the back door, the phone rings and I return to pick it up.
“Raymond Meadows?”
“Yes.” Who else would it be?
“Detective Matt Spade, Mitchell police. Got a minute?”
“I guess.” Do I have a choice?
There is a pause, a throat cleared. “I’m calling to let you know the man who murdered June has been granted a new trial…”
I squeeze the receiver. The room swirls around me. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. Gobsmacked, I kindly ask the detective to repeat what he said.
As Spade invites me to come in to discuss the details, I grip the kitchen counter to steady myself. This cannot be happening. I cannot fathom how my family will get through the pain and heartache of a second trial after June’s killer was handed a life sentence.
I disconnect, grab my keys and bolt straight out to the truck. Slumped over the wheel, I disregard the speed limit the entire drive into Mitchell. There is a parking spot on the main street between the detachment and Sparkys, where the morning coffee crowd gathers outside.
I cut the engine and hop out. Eyes turn, but I ignore the judgment. Who cares if I’m in overalls and muddy boots? Bush people, the townies call us. Their attitude grates on my nerves because without farmers, they’d be hungry, sober and naked.
Voices carry as I pump the meter with spare change. Gossip has spread like wildfire. It’s no surprise when June’s killer is a local man. No one wants to believe they’ve grown up with a neighbour capable of murder.
As I deposit the last coin, I catch low rumblings about my wife. Hushed, clipped tones. I lean to the left, cock my head. Take it all in.
My June Meadows? No way.
My cheeks burn from the lies. The slander.
I turn on my heel, ignoring the crowd, and hustle into the detachment to clear this up with Spade. Sweat drips down my back. I have no clue what’s going on, except this damn town knows nothing about my wife.
All June Left Behind
Genre: Traditional Mystery
Release: May 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link
Ray had it all-a loving relationship with his wife June, a busy farm, and two beautiful grown children. Until the night June was shot on their fortieth anniversary during a botched robbery at a restaurant. Two years after June’s death, the man convicted of her murder is granted a new trial.
Horrified that his wife’s killer might walk free, Ray vows to take justice into his own hands. But when rumours surface about his wife, Ray teams up with young crack reporter Fan Mohamed to dig into June’s past. They discover a long-buried police case, a shocking murder-mystery with connections to June’s family, that has never been resolved.
Caught in a web of secrets and a race against time, Ray, his children, and Fan must band together to discover who killed June…before the killer finds them.
About the author
Karen Grose is from Toronto, Canada. Her debut novel, The Dime Box, was selected by Amnesty International for its 2021 Book Club. The Chinese language version, retitled as The Lost Daughters, was published by Sharp Point Press, Taiwan, in 2023. Karen’s second novel is Flat Out Lies and All June Left Behind is her third. Karen has flash, poems and short stories in journals and anthologies, both in print and online. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters-in-Crime-Toronto and National, and the #thrillsandchills writing group. Track her down on X: @kgrose2, IG: karengrosewrites, FB or at karengrose.ca.