Mary's Place by Charlotte Hinger

 

First Line: His heart leaped as the clock struck the first of the twelve strokes of midnight.

 

The lives of Mary and Franklin "Iron" Barrett and their extended family are about to implode. Their roots are deep in the land of western Kansas, and they are well-known for their crops and livestock. But the farming crisis of the 1980s means that disaster comes knocking at their door. Overproduction, debt, falling prices, rural bank restructuring, and even internal family disputes test each one of them to the limits of their endurance.

 

~

 

I am well-acquainted with Charlotte Hinger through her Lottie Albright mysteries which are also set in western Kansas. This author has a talent for giving readers a strong sense of place, a compelling story, and fully fleshed characters. When I saw Mary's Place, I knew I had to read it, and I'm certainly glad I did.  

Although this book is listed as historical fiction, it reads like a thriller. I immediately found myself in farm country and felt as though I'd known Mary and Iron Barrett my whole life. When the bank they'd always done business with is restructured, their lives are turned upside down, and the two soon learn that the government doesn't seem to care what happens to them as long as the bureaucrats get their pound of flesh.

I worried about Mary and Iron when I wasn't reading the book. Members of their own family couldn't be trusted. Some of the bureaucrats were secretly trying to feather their own nests. Every step Mary and Iron took was treacherous, and I needed to know-- I had to know-- if, and how, they were going to survive. 

If you like being fully invested in a book to the point where you worry about the fate of its characters, Mary's Place is the book for you. It's a perfect slice of history that reads like a first-class thriller. I loved it.

Mary's Place by Charlotte Hinger

eISBN: 9781496239884

University of Nebraska Press © 2024

eBook, 306 pages

 

Historical Fiction, Standalone

Rating: A+

Source: Net Galley

Fractured Families by Charlotte Hinger

First Line: I blinked my icy lashes but it didn't ease the brittleness of my contacts.

When her husband's Aunt Dorothy comes for a visit and wants to do some research, Lottie discovers that you just don't deny a bestselling author such a request. Freezing western Kansas weather isn't the worst that the two women will encounter on this particular trip. Neither is finding the dead body of a young man inside the mausoleum of a Civil War veteran. No, the worst thing they encounter is discovering the tiny frozen body of an infant in the arms of a statue in the park.

Lottie quickly has to transition from being a local historian to the lead investigator as head of the yet-to-be-built regional crime center. The team consists of so many members of Lottie's family that the man in charge at the Kansas Bureau of Investigation insists forensic psychologist Dr. Evan Ferguson join the group. Tension becomes almost unbearable as more bodies are found and as Ferguson seems to fight every decision the group makes. In order to take a tiny break from the mounting frustration, Lottie begins reading a commonplace book that was left with the historical society. Written by a desperate, shunned child, this handwritten book is going to have a profound bearing on Lottie's investigation.

It's been too long since Charlotte Hinger's last Lottie Albright mystery. She is so adept at combining fascinating Kansas history with her mysteries that I never want to miss reading a single one. Only one thing prevented Fractured Families from being one of my best reads of the year: the killer was so obvious and over-the-top to me. Fortunately, there is much more to the book than whodunit-- and I loved the rest.

Carleton County-- dubbed by one character as "the Bermuda Triangle for crime"-- can be counted as a character in Hinger's books. The weather usually makes its presence felt, this time as a ground blizzard that will have you reaching for extra blankets and thinking about the thermostat as you turn the pages. 

Two characters (besides Kansas) were stand-outs for me: Franklin Slocum, the young boy who wrote the commonplace book, and Aunt Dorothy "That's why I'm on the bestseller list" Mercer. The life that Franklin had to endure broke my heart, and Dorothy's skills and personality made me laugh while I admired her.

If you're like me and enjoy crime fiction with a strong dose of history, you simply cannot go wrong with Charlotte Hinger's Lottie Albright mysteries. I hope to be reading them for a good long time.
    

Fractured Families by Charlotte Hinger

ASIN: B01MY5158C

Poisoned Pen Press © 2017

eBook, 261 pages

Police Procedural, #4 Lottie Albright mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

 

Hidden Heritage by Charlotte Hinger

First Line: The call came at two.

The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is calling for a regional crime center for the western part of the state. Although their resources are stretched to the breaking point, Sheriff Sam Abbott, Undersheriff Lottie Albright, and her ranching husband deputy want no part of it. Neither do any of the other small towns in the area. When there's a gruesome murder at a livestock feedyard in Carleton County, the KBI agents think it may not be just a local affair. Lottie disagrees and calls upon her own skills as an historian to prove them wrong. If Sheriff Sam Abbott and his team can solve this murder, they can tell the bureaucrats to build their regional crime center elsewhere.  But can Lottie deliver the goods?

Once again, Kansas history is what brings this book to life. Lottie learns that the murder victim is the great-grandson of Dona Francisca Diaz, the elderly head of one of the first groups to colonize the state. Dona Francisca insists that she knows why Victor was killed, and that the key to the murder can be found in ancient documents. A famed curandera with horribly crippled hands, Dona Francisca invites Lottie to their lush property and insists that she wants to train Lottie as the heir to her legendary cures. Although Lottie is extremely reluctant to do so, she sees this as a once-in-a-lifetime chance for incredible knowledge... and for the chance to solve a murder.

Solving crimes through old documents, ephemera, and stories has always fascinated me, and that's why Charlotte Hinger's Lottie Albright books have become one of my favorite series. Sure enough, the history and legends surrounding the Diaz family and their property grabbed hold of my interest and didn't turn it loose, but two other components were a bit lacking in this third book. The mystery was very slow-paced, almost plodding in places, and Lottie's family dynamics which have set off so many sparks in the first two books are a bit lackluster here.

Despite that, I still found the book to be very enjoyable. I have a button here at my desk that proclaims HISTORY MATTERS-- and it does. Seeds that were sown long ago can germinate and take hold down through generations. Families can have prejudices and yet have no clue that those prejudices had their beginnings eight generations in the past. Hinger understands this and shows us how to tease the answers out into the light of day. It's a process of which I never tire. I look forward to the next book in this series and hope that Lottie regains the spark she was lacking in this book.

Hidden Heritage by Charlotte Hinger

ISBN: 9781464200762

Poisoned Pen Press © 2013

Paperback, 250 pages

Amateur Sleuth, #3 Lottie Albright mystery

Rating: B

Source: NetGalley 

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

First Line: Abby Reynolds braked her truck on the icy highway, startled by what she imagined she saw off to the side of the road.

Out in a blizzard that swept through Kansas in late January 1987, young Rex Shellenberger is helping his father search for newborn calves when he stumbles upon the naked, frozen body of a beautiful teenage girl. That discovery will change his life and the lives of all those around him.

In the two decades following the never-identified girl's death, locals begin to refer to her as "the Virgin of Small Plains," and stories of miracles are told by those who faithfully tend her grave. Gradually, her legend spreads beyond the confines of the little town.

Seventeen years after her death, Mitch Newquist returns to Small Plains, and all the tensions and secrets that have been buried for so long begin to bubble to the surface. Three families and three friends will be forced to face the consequences of actions taken during that long-ago snowstorm.

The Virgin of Small Plains is the age-old story of the loss of innocence, the loss of trust, the loss of faith. Young Rex Shellenberger found the dead girl, and his friend Mitch Newquist disappeared the very next day-- stirring rumors that Mitch was the killer. Rex never believed those rumors, and neither did his friend (and Mitch's girlfriend) Abby Reynolds. None of the three friends ever recovered from that event, and as Nancy Pickard's tale unfolds, it soon becomes abundantly clear that their fathers-- as sheriff, judge and doctor three of the most powerful men in Small Plains-- know a lot more about that night than they've ever told anyone. Abby Reynolds becomes the catalyst. For seventeen years, she's felt "like a triangle with one side missing," and she's tired of it. She wants answers, she wants closure, and she wants a name and justice for the Virgin of Small Plains. Little does she know that she's about to take a stick to a very large hornet's nest.

What makes this book so good is Pickard's lyrical writing style and her eye for the telling detail. She's created a bit of a romance and a bit of a gothic tale, but it works. Her use of weather to create atmosphere and suspense is top notch, and her characters made themselves at home in my head. I grew up in a small farm town, and I could easily see the events of this book happening there. The only thing that prevents me from giving Pickard's book an all-out rave review is the fact that I put the pieces together very early. But the poetic writing, the setting, and the characters-- including a grey conure named J.D.-- packed such a punch that I really didn't mind the lack of surprise. I have another book by Pickard, The Scent of Rain and Lightning, sitting on my shelf, and I look forward to reading it.

The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

ISBN: 9780345471000

Ballantine Books © 2007

Paperback, 368 pages

Suspense

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap 

Lethal Lineage by Charlotte Hinger

First Line: Happiness happens.

The Episcopalians in Lottie Albright's corner of western Kansas have worked hard to build a small church on a parcel of land that sits on the corners of four counties. The first day they gather together for a sermon, communion, and the confirmation of Lottie's niece.

The bishop gives an inappropriate sermon filled with hellfire and brimstone, and everyone is thunderstruck when beloved Reverend Mary Farnsworth drops the chalice during communion and locks herself in the anteroom. Lottie's sister Josie, a psychologist, stays after the service to comfort Mary, but Lottie orders her sister to leave when the locked door is opened and Mary's body is found on the floor. Frightened  by the bishop's strange rituals for disposing of the spilled wine, Lottie would like nothing better than to leave, but as undersheriff, she must stay to attend to the death.

An elderly lady who attended the service insists that a man kneeling next to her scared Reverend Mary into a heart attack which gives credence to Lottie's belief that this was not a natural death. Calling in other law enforcement agencies, Lottie discovers many more questions than answers as the investigation moves forward.

The first book in this series, Deadly Descent, relied a great deal on Lottie's skill as an historian digging through old records, documents, and genealogical charts. In Lethal Lineage, Lottie finds herself focusing more on the oral histories of several county residents. She also realizes that she's bitten off more than she can chew in her work for the county historical society and as undersheriff. It is something on which both she and her husband must come to some sort of agreement while Lottie tries to find a killer and deal with a sheriff whose family has ridden roughshod over a neighboring county for decades.

Hinger brings sparsely populated western Kansas to life by seamlessly including details of how poor counties constantly battle budget constraints as well as how feuds, secrets and lies never seem to die out no matter how many decades pass. (Have you ever stopped to wonder how many fewer books would be written if people everywhere would simply tell the truth?)

Her three main characters-- Lottie, her sister Josie, and her husband Keith-- are strong, vivid people who care for one another deeply although they don't always see eye-to-eye. I feel as if I've known them my whole life.

In just two books I've fallen in love with the setting, the characters, and the way Charlotte Hinger can tell a story. Lethal Lineage stands alone quite well, but I think it would be best to start at the beginning so you can fully appreciate the fascinating work Charlotte does at the historical society, as well as the dynamics between the characters. This is a highly recommended book in a highly recommended series. I can't wait for book number three!

Lethal Lineage by Charlotte Hinger

ISBN: 9781590588390

Poisoned Pen Press © 2011

Paperback, 310 pages

Cozy, #2 Lottie Albright mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased as a Nook Book from Barnes and Noble

Deadly Descent by Charlotte Hinger

Title: Deadly Descent
Author: Charlotte Hinger
ISBN: 9781590588406
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2011
Paperback, 290 pages
Genre: Cozy, Amateur Sleuth, #1 Lottie Albright mystery
Rating: A-
Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen

First Line: She was coming for me.

Lottie Albright, director of the Carleton County Historical Society in western Kansas, is busy editing the family stories of the county residents. She's also the campaign manager for Brian Hadley, who is trying to win a seat in the senate.

Although some of the residents have beliefs that Lottie does not agree with, their stories are historical documents, and she treats them accordingly. When Brian Hadley's mother, Fiona, comes to Lottie and insists that she suppress Fiona's sister's racist slant of their family history, Lottie disagrees-- even though the story could damage her candidate's chances in the coming election.  Soon thereafter, Fiona's sister is murdered, valuable documents are stolen, and anonymous letters begin arriving.

Believing that her work in historical investigation will help in finding clues to the identity of the killer, Lottie talks the local sheriff into letting her become a part-time deputy. The sheriff thinks it's a joke and gives her an old cold case to look at, and Lottie's husband thinks she's lost her mind, but both men soon learn that Lottie can tease the truth out of dusty old documents-- and the murderer doesn't like it one bit.

I keep forgetting how historically rich the state of Kansas is, but I think Charlotte Hinger has given my memory the jolt it needed to remember this fact. She deftly weaves bits of history into her narrative in a way that adds detail and texture in addition to bringing her cast of characters into sharper focus.

I was immediately drawn to the character of Lottie and to her family dynamics: a strong, cultured older husband who's a farmer and a veterinarian; a sophisticated twin sister who believes Lottie is wasted out in the hinterland; a step-daughter who loathes her. Having swiftly learned to care for Lottie as much as she cares for those around her, I actually enjoyed following all the emotional undercurrents that this family had swirling around it.

Another element that I thoroughly enjoyed was how Lottie was capable of reading old historical documents-- bills of sale, inventories and the like-- and find solid leads into her investigations into both the cold case and the present-day murder. Having read many of those same types of documents in connection with my own family history, I can attest to the fact that there is a lot to be learned from reading them-- although they do bore most people to tears.

The old cold case involving Herman Swenson was heartbreaking but rather easy to solve; however, the present-day case was not. I think it was due to the intricacies of the family trees and the fact that the generations and ages of various characters kept getting blurred in my mind.

Hinger's skill in characterization and in bringing historical investigation to life have me excited to read the next book in this series. I spent a lot of time as a teenager reading old newspapers, going through endless reels of microfilm, and taking census in old, forgotten cemeteries. Charlotte Hinger has reminded me of how much fun-- and how fascinating-- history can be... and how much influence it has on the present. I want more!

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Mad Dog and Englishman by J.M. Hayes

Title: Mad Dog and Englishman
Author: J.M. Hayes
ISBN: 9781890208745
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2001
Paperback, 190 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #1 Mad Dog and Englishman mystery
Rating: B
Source: Purchased at Bookman's

First Line: Summer in Benteen County, Kansas, is a season possessed of all the gentle subtlety of an act of war.

When Sheriff English's part-Cheyenne brother, Mad Dog, arrives in the park to meditate, he finds the mutilated body of Reverend Peter Sims, and the entire county is set on its ear. Benteen County is sparsely populated. Everyone knows everyone else's business. Sheriff English has never had to investigate a homicide, even the coroner (who's been on the job for over seventeen years) has never had to deal with a murder victim. So it's important that they do everything right.

Since Mad Dog is the natural prime suspect, Sheriff English has to not only look for suspicious characters, he has to delve into the history of the Simms family, which is very dark indeed. More murders seem almost inevitable-- just like that tornado that's on the horizon.

Hayes brings small town Kansas to life and doesn't put a foot wrong with his cast of characters. Sheriff English's ex-wife is a teacher, and they have a mouthy teenage daughter. Although they're divorced, they can't seem to keep their hands off each other-- which is something the entire town knows.

There's also the incompetent police officer who got his job through nepotism. He can't use his handcuffs because his kid lost the key and he hasn't got the replacement yet. The dispatcher is good at her job, but she's also Gossip Central. The guy who lives behind the police station keeps planting roses in the parking lot and then has fits when the police run over them. Anyone who's ever lived in a small town recognizes these folks.

The identity of the killer and the reason behind the murders were a bit obvious to me, but that didn't matter so much because I truly enjoyed getting to know this corner of Kansas and the entire cast of characters. This first book has set me up perfectly, and I can't wait to continue with the series.

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The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan

Title: The Storm in the Barn
Author/Illustrator: Matt Phelan
ISBN: 9780763636180
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2009
Hardcover, 208 pages
Genre: KidLit, Graphic Novel
Rating: B+
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: The dust can have it.

I have been fascinated with the Dust Bowl era in America since reading Timothy Egan's marvelous book, The Worst Hard Time. As a result, I find myself keeping an eye peeled for likely fiction and non-fiction written about the period.  When The Storm in the Barn appeared on one of my daily emails from Paperback Swap, I snapped it up without checking into it very much. I'm glad I didn't check the facts; otherwise, I wouldn't have requested this graphic novel.

The time is 1937 in a Kansas that's slowly being blown away in the unceasing winds. Jack Clark is eleven. Now that he's big enough to do chores around the farm, there isn't any farm left. His father thought of packing up and leaving, but their old vehicle won't start. Mr. Clark has a worthless farm, a worthless vehicle, a wife who's worn down from work and worry, a daughter who has dust pneumonia and likes to read the Wizard of Oz books-- and Jack, a scrawny, dreamy boy whom the town bullies love.

Jack is so dreamy that the doctor tells his parents that he has dust dementia, so when Jack sees a frightening, shadowy figure in a barn, he doesn't tell anyone about it. What's the use? No one's going to believe him anyway. But when push comes to shove, he's a little boy who wants desperately to help his family, and he decides to confront that big, scary shadow in the barn. You see... he's figured out what it is.

There is so little text in The Storm in the Barn that some readers may yearn for more. My own yearning lasted only the first few pages because I was completely drawn into Phelan's atmospheric drawings. The dust is ever-present, blurring the lines of the familiar and turning everyday things into hidden bogey men and coating the world in a thick layer of hopelessness. Through the dust, young Jack's burning desire to make a difference to his family shines like a beacon.

Phelan paints a worthy visual companion to other Dust Bowl literature, and I'm glad that his book is the first graphic novel I've read.

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The Winter Widow by Charlene Weir

Title: The Winter Widow
Author: Charlene Weir
ISBN: 0373261284, Worldwide Mystery, 1993
Genre: Police Procedural, #1 Susan Wren mystery
Rating: D
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Definite disadvantages to being chief of police, Dan Wren thought as he headed the pickup along the graveled, hilly road past tree-dotted fields with barbed wire fences.

Thirtysomething San Francisco police officer Susan Donovan meets the man of her dreams at a conference. Within six weeks, she's married, she's moved to northeastern Kansas with her police chief husband, Dan Wren... and she's a widow. Susan gets herself appointed temporary chief of police and vows to find her husband's killer. When another person dies, the mayor wants her gone, but Susan manages to get a five-day reprieve. Will she find the killer before time runs out?

Mysteries set in Kansas are not common, and Weir skillfully guides us through a Great Plains winter, the vagaries of the multi-million-dollar bull sperm business, and a search for a toxic waste dump. All that was interesting and the pace moved right along. What didn't work for me was the main character. It wasn't until the end of the book that I ever felt that Susan had been a police officer on the San Francisco police force. She didn't use her brain; she let her rage and grief take command and lead her into numerous dangerous situations. I tried to take it easy on her, allowing her time to grieve, but sooner or later when a character keeps behaving like the blonde bimbo in a slasher movie, I'm going to hold the basement door open for her the next time there's a weird noise down there.

To sum it up: fine setting, good pace, and the murderer was not easy to spot; however, the main character got on my last nerve. Toto, I took the first plane out of Kansas.