By Karen McCarraher
Ada Reed did not want to be a sheriff. Montgomery Reed, her husband, was sheriff of Yellowpine County Idaho; but he has been called to active duty in Korea. Monty and his best friend, Dee Mansfied convinced Ada to act as sheriff as a “place holder” until Monty returned. They promised her it would only be for a few weeks. It has now been over three months and Ada has a dead body on her hands.
So begins this mystery Always Something Sings by Roger Lynn Howell.
Rose Braden had drowned in the dredge pond made by the gold mining dredge owned by Dee Mansfield. Her body was brought up in the first bucket dredged that morning. Ada reported to the scene and ordered the body sent to the coroner for autopsy. Corey Braden, Rose’s husband, confessed to murdering her. Although Ada is new to the law, she knew she had to investigate this.
Ada contacts the local constable in Custer, Idaho and Corey is arrested. Now Corey Braden is a double amputee former Marine and Ada cannot conceive how he would have been able to kill his wife since he was in a wheelchair. People in town talked about Rose Braden and her infidelities and, of course, Corey heard all this. What they did not know, was that Rose had been helping local miners, encouraging them not to sell their (thought to be played out) mines to Dee Mansfield.
Rose had only one lover, Aaron, the son of the local preacher. Aaron lived in California and Rose planned to join him. Before she could leave, Corey found a letter she planned to send to Aaron as well as her “traveling money”—a stash of gold medallions. Corey gave both to his “friend,” Dee Mansfield.
Did Rose sneak onto the gold dredge? Was she able to find her letter and gold medallions? We know she did not leave town but, was her drowning an accident? Did she get off the dredge safely or was she pushed? What about the half moon marks on Rose’s hands? Too many questions for Ada. Did she ever find out the truth about Rose? Was Ada able to apprehend the true murderer? Too many questions, but it makes for a great read.
Always Something Sings is the first book in the Ada Reed mystery series. If the others are as intricately written and have as exciting plots as this one, then I can’t wait to read more.
As a child and young adult, author Roger Howell led a somewhat nomadic life. He attended Boise State University, U.C. Santa Barbara, Gonzaga University, and Clemson University. He had an international career as a geologist and environmental engineer. His stories tend to be set in small towns in the west. A father of two, he lives in Santa Fe with his wife and second hand dog.
Always Something Sings is published by Epicenter Press Inc. and available at www.amazon.com.