When the tourist showboat The Branson Beauty runs aground on an Ozark lake, new sheriff Hank Worth is responsible for getting all the passengers off safely, which he does-all save one. He finds a murder victim in the captain's dining room, a beloved local athlete who wasn't even supposed to be on the boat. Now Hank must unravel her movements and hunt down her killer while navigating the cutthroat politics and dark secrets of the small town that he now calls home. In her first Sheriff Hank Worth mystery, Claire Booth weaves together a riveting crime novel with her signature combination of empathy and wit.
"Touches of sly humor add appeal to Booth's standout debut . . . Betrayals within the sheriff's department and issues left unresolved hint at much more to come in what promises to be a most engaging regional police series." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Former crime reporter Booth imbues her fast-moving narrative, which celebrates its Ozarks setting, with humor and humanity. A promising debut." - Booklist
"Former crime reporter Booth's debut introduces an engaging cop with wonderful family appeal." - Library Journal
"Claire Booth hits the ground running in this debut novel set in the Missouri Ozarks. She writes with the assurance and clarity of a more seasoned pro." - Edgar award-winning author Margaret Maron
"This contemporary take on a locked-room puzzle is chilling, compelling and completely entertaining, and Claire Booth is a wonderful new voice in crime fiction." - Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, & Macavity winner