Book Review: Murder in the Blood

Reviewed By: Ruth Jordan - RAM

Murder in the Blood     Amazon US PB Amazon US HC Amazon UK PB Amazon Canada PB Amazon Canada HC
Gene DeWeese
Class/Genre:   Mystery
October 2002 Five Star

When an author who is held in the esteem of Mr. DeWeese writes a mystery it isn’t an event to be missed. Happily his book MURDER IN THE BLOOD delivers in spades.

As the book opens the town of Whitford is holding a Centennial Celebration of the first visit by its English sister city. In the midst of contending with the sudden tourist influx and a local vandal who’s destroying gardens at random Sheriff Frank Decker is called to the home of Nathaniel Wetherston , Town Patriarch. Nathaniel has an interesting story. He accuses local history teacher and part time insurance man Lou Cameron of embezzlement. Frank has a bad feeling. He knows in his gut the story is rubbish but it’s a fact that Lou is missing. Why would Whetherston make up this story and where is Lou Cameron? And we’re off...

This is a story filled with terrific characters including our sheriff , his newly appointed jail matron Mother, the Whetherstons, and a swarm of townspeople that Mr. Deweese manages to develop with a few quick strokes of the pen. My own favorite is perhaps Derrick Wetherston , Nathaniel’s overworked and under appreciated elder son. With a tight plot and swiftly escalating action MURDER IN THE BLOOD packs a punch for its reader. One can hope this isn’t the last we see of the town of Whitford and I hope that Mr. DeWeese will allow myself and other mystery readers the chance to read more of his work within our own genre.

Ruth Jordan - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Ruth Jordan - RAM