Murder returns to the quaint town of Hidden Springs in A.H. Gabhart’s “Murder Comes by Mail.”
While driving the town’s senior ladies to see a play, Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane stumbles across a man who is threatening to jump off the town bridge. Keane’s quick actions save the man, who gives his name as Jack Smith (as well as Jack Jackson), and who promises Michael will regret saving him.
What follows is an intense thriller, as photos of murdered women start arriving — at Michael’s office, with the newspaper editor’s daughter, and with Michael’s special friend, the lovely Alex Sheridan.
As Michael and the neighboring city’s police department try to find Jackson and stop the murders, the case gets more and more personal — targeting those close to Michael — and more and more bizarre — where clues start to point to Michael as the perpetrator.
Even though this is mostly a murder mystery, even almost a psychological thriller, it has some chuckle-inducing moments and some slight spiritual themes — such as learning when to hand situations over to the Lord, and that God uses us to overcome evil.
Gabhart does a great job of capturing the essence of small town living — her book almost reads as if murder came to Mayberry. And she does a great job of building up the murder mystery, offering just enough misdirection and twists to keep the reader guessing.
Five stars out of five.
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, provided this complimentary copy for my honest, unbiased review.
“Murder Comes by Mail” (Hidden Springs Mysteries series, #2) by A.H. Gabhart