- Format: Kindle Edition
- File Size: 781 KB
- Print Length: 323 pages
- Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
- Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (Oct. 4 2016)
- Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
- Language: English
- ASIN: B01LBVWF40
Book Description
The small, rural Northeast Texas community of Center Springs has seen its share of troubles during the 1960s, everything from kidnapping, murder, and bank robbery. By 1968, the residents think life has finally quieted down, but they find their peaceful way of life is quickly spinning out of control as a decades-long family feud between the Clays and Mayfields once again flares to life.
Fourteen-year-old Top Parker who lives with his grandparents Constable Ned Parker and Miss Becky in a little farmhouse near the Red River finds himself caught up in another adult situation sparked by a mysterious fatal single car accident involving the white mayor of Chisum and his black female assistant. Questions and accusations arise about their relationship as the families wreak vengeance on each other.
But what is the significance of a man calling himself the Wraith, who moves through region at will, invading homes and watching the Parkers? What is Maggie Clay’s secret? That she’s half white and married to a black man with a long criminal past? And was Mayor Frank Clay, the only bright spot in a dark and cruel family, really what everything thinks he is?
It’s a busy time for Sheriff Cody Parker, who finds himself a possible suspect in the murder of several residents. He takes the advice from his Deputy John Washington and removes himself from the investigation, giving free reign to both John and Deputy Anna Sloan as they try and unravel the answers by following different paths.
The ending will leave you staggering as the families clash on a small battlefield and the killer is finally revealed in a most unexpected way. These aren’t the 1960s that most Baby Boomers remember.
About the Author
As a boy, award-winning writer, Reavis Z. Wortham hunted and fished the river bottoms near Chicota, Texas, the inspiration for the fictional setting for THE ROCK HOLE. He was born in Paris, Texas, but lived in Dallas. “We grew up in the city and went to school there, but every Friday evening my parents put us in the car and made the 120-mile drive to Chicota, where we truly lived at my grandparents’ place in the country until Sunday evening, when we came back to the city. Our true home was that little scratch farm in Lamar County.”
Author Reavis Z. Wortham’s first novel, THE ROCK HOLE, is described by Kirkus Reviews as “an unpretentious gem written to the hilt and harrowing in its unpredictability.” Kirkus also listed it as one of the “Top 12 Mysteries of 2011.”
BURROWS, the second Red River Mystery, received a Starred Review from Publishers Weekly, “Wortham's outstanding sequel to The Rock Hole (2011)... combines the gonzo sensibility of Joe R. Lansdale and the elegiac mood of To Kill a Mockingbird to strike just the right balance between childhood innocence and adult horror.”
In a recent Starred Review by Kirkus Reviews says of BURROWS, “As in Ned’s debut (The Rock Hole, 2011), his grandchildren, Top and Pepper, are on hand to provide welcome humor and lend perspective to the acutely and unobtrusively observed small-town landscape. The result is that rare bird, a mystery with something for everyone.
Reavis also penned DOREEN'S 24 HR EAT GAS NOW CAFE. More than 1,500 newspaper and magazine articles bear the byline of this award-winning Texas writer. THE ROCK HOLE was a finalist in the prestigious Benjamin Franklin Award presented by the Independent Book Publishers Association.
THE RIGHT SIDE OF WRONG, book three in this gripping series, will be released in July, 2013.
Reavis is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Writers’ League of Texas, and the International Crime Writers Association.
He lives with his wife, Shana, in Frisco, Texas.
My Review
Unraveled is the sixth Red River Mystery by Reavis Z. Wortham. I love this series. I have read all six books in the series and found them all to be fabulous reads.
I love going back to the 1960s in Reavis Wortham's Center Springs each. I look forward to it every time. Wortham is an amazing writer who combines wisdom with action and history. He realistically brings 1960s rural Texas to life. Unraveled is an excellent addition to the Red River Mystery series. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
Two deaths equals two families reviving a feud that had been smoldering. And someone seems to be trying to frame Sheriff Cody Parker. Constable Ned, Miss Becky, Top and Pepper are back once again to help readers navigate this tale. I am always suspicious of traveling carnivals and one plays a prominent role in Unraveled.
I cannot recommend this series enough. It is perfect for fans of recent history as well as mystery lovers. I highly recommend Unraveled.
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