The Seafarer’s Secret by Carol Ann Collins is a very well-written, straightforward, small-town whodunit with a twinge of romance in the background. I enjoyed reading this book as much for its setting as the carefully constructed plot – not too many clues, timed and released well. William Templeton is a widower and the police chief in Eden, North Carolina. A dead woman’s body is found with an old gold coin in her pocket – identical to a coin that was discovered on his ex-wife’s body more than a year ago. Her death then was treated as an accidental drowning but now, similar as it is to the recent death, her case is reopened. An historian, Eva, is brought into the investigation team to identify the coins which are assumed to be part of Blackbeard’s pirate treasure. Eva had visited Eden as a young child and is gradually reunited with the friends she made back then, one of whom is not as he seems and that’s where I should stop. A highly-recommended summer time read.

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In the Shadow of the Kingmakers by Vihad Imani tells some of the story of the post-WW1 countries’ geo-political maneuvering for control of Persia’s/Iran’s oil resources. Set in 1924 Tehran, the story revolves around the relationships between local Iranians such as young Ali who works at a restaurant and overhears spies manipulating each other, the British Embassy nurse who teaches him English in between his stints as a gardener and occasional waiter. A British spy/military officer is overheard manipulating an American into photographing a sensitive religious site in order to generate unrest with the locals. Locals also manipulate locals under the guise of being suitably religious or loyal to the government or the Cossacks who played a role in the newly-appointed prime minister…

At its core, this is the story of Ali, a young lad who had to leave school early despite his thirst for knowledge and the better life an education could bring him. His father’s early death means Ali must work menial jobs to support his mother and siblings. Ali is loyal to his father’s honour as a Cossack soldier and to Islam. He avoids being manipulated into protests but is accused anyway and locked away. The Embassy nurse takes on ambassadors and military generals, imploring them to fight to save Ali. But their careers, money and oil are more important to them.

This was a multi-layered story with many threads. I enjoyed its complexity and sense of reality.

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Drowning in the Desert by Bernard Schopen is a lively, modern-day western thriller, set sometimes in Las Vegas and sometimes in rural Nevada.

Fats Rangle, an ex-deputy sheriff, finds the two-year-old remains of a plane crash in the mountains and reports it to the authorities. On returning to his home/horse stables, he finds that his ‘cousin’ and employee has not returned from a short trip to Las Vegas. The initial investigation suggests that the cousin may have found the plane wreck before Fats and just may have found the briefcase that was said to have been in the plane, the reason so many big political and business names are keen to speak with Fats.  

Fat’s investigation takes him into the underbelly of Las Vegas where it becomes apparent his cousin had told people he had a lot of money. And that’s why everybody wants a piece of Fats.

This is a very well-crafted plot with some decidedly charming characters that are easy to like and dislike, as per the author’s whim. I enjoyed the setting, which played a significant role in the story. And I found the ending most satisfying.

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Kinfolk by Sean Dietrich is the thoroughly enjoyable story of Nub Taylor who hasn’t had the easiest of lives and hasn’t been easy on those in his life.

Nub had musical talent and he had opportunities, but drink got in the way of that and perhaps his time in the War was the reason for the drinking problems. He was a disappointing husband to Loretta and an embarrassment of a father to Emily and not much of an employee either.

Set in small-town Alabama, Kinfolk is a detailed and interesting exploration of southern people, their relationships and mid-70s rural-Alabama culture.

Nub turns his life around after an especially problematic drinking session and a chance encounter when he sees a local teenage boy harassing Minnie, a girl who works in a local Waffle House. AA meetings help, a blossoming relationship with the bar maid who also attends AA, and Minnie who turns out to be 15, pregnant to that boy who was harassing her and newly-orphaned. Minnie proves to be a talented singer and Nub encourages her to achieve the dreams he once had.

Nub is a likeable drunk and the reader quickly sides with him in the neighbourly and family disputes as well as his brushes with the law.

There’s a parallel plot that involves a newly-released prisoner, the mafia from which he stole and hid a serious load of cash and their intention to get that cash back by threatening Minnie, but I think I shouldn’t write much more about that, other than to say it adds some excitement and tension to the story.

I really enjoyed reading this well-constructed story. The characters are well-developed as are the ebbs and flows of their relationships.  

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