Western Justice
by Dean L. Hovey
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GENRE: Mystery
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BLURB:
When human remains are found at the Vore Buffalo Jump, the short-staffed local sheriff’s department requests assistance from Park Service Investigators Doug and Jill Fletcher.
ATV tracks lead the investigators to the victim’s boots and a hunting blind constructed on the edge of the Black Hills National Forest. With more questions than answers the Fletchers find themselves pulled into the community dynamics of tiny Aladdin (population 15) where the café and general store are the hub of information for the county.
The surprising identification of the victim only opens more questions about him, and his connection to the location of his murder. When the Fletchers follow up on the few leads provided by John Doe’s identification, they unwittingly open a can of worms.
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EXCERPT
Jill’s voice was soft and even. “Have you noticed anyone sitting in the timber behind the store?”
Tanya opened her mouth, but hesitated. “I don’t often look up the hill. I mean, it’s just trees and stuff. I’m usually focused on doing something for the store when I’m in the back.”
Jill nodded toward Tanya’s pistol. “I used to carry a 9mm when I was younger. I could never handle the recoil of a .45.”
Tanya relaxed a bit. “I’m not concerned about the recoil because I only plan on shooting once. When you shoot something with a .45, it stays shot.”
Randy leaned forward to look at Jill. “Unlike the well driller you shot thirteen times with your 9mm before he stopped running.”
Zane’s eyes went wide, and he turned toward Jill. “That was you in the Hulett shootout?”
I gestured for Randy to zip his lips. He saw Jill look away, then made a circle on the bar top with his beer bottle. “I might’ve spoken out of school. Sorry, Jill.”
Seeing Jill’s remorse, Zane turned toward her. “I’m sorry. I get it. I really do. I take no joy in shooting an animal. I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I shot another person.”
Jill nodded. “Thank you. Can we talk about something else?”
A Word With the Author
1.Did you always want to be an author? I’ve always written, for the high school and college newspapers, and a few magazine articles. I never dreamt of being a full-time fiction author until my first book (Where Evil Hides) was published in 2000.
2.Tell us about the publication of your first book. I thought the hard part of getting a book into print would be the writing. Little did I know how hard it was to find a publisher (I received a hundred rejections before my first publisher offered me a contract). Following the contract was the pain of multiple edits and rewrites. Finally, I had no clue how much effort I’d have to put into book promotion.
3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? I have several that I enjoy equally. William Kent Krueger is probably at the top of my list. Right behind him are Tony Hillerman, David Housewright, and John Sandford.
4.What's the best part of being an author? The best is talking to readers at library and bookstore events. The people there are polite, well read, and interested. It’s a joy to meet them and to speak with them.
The worst? The worst are the months of writing in virtual isolation. I plod along writing what the characters are saying to me (yes, I listen to my imaginary friends who take the story places I’d never intended), and hoping that what I’m writing is as engaging to readers as it seems to me.
5.What are you working on now? I’m always working on a new book! I have a draft of “Conflict of Interest”, the next Pine County mystery at the editor. I’m drafting “Strung Out to Die” the 15th Doug Fletcher mystery, and I have an outline for “Whistling Wedding” the next Whistling Pines cozy. I’m also collecting plots and doing research for 2025 titles.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Dean Hovey is a Minnesota-based author with three mystery series. He lives with his wife south of Duluth.
Dean’s award-winning* Pine County series follows sheriff’s deputies Floyd Swenson and Pam Ryan through this police procedural series.
Dean’s Whistling Pines books are humorous cozy mysteries centered on the residents of the Whistling Pines senior residence. The protagonist is Peter Rogers, the Whistling Pines recreation director.
In Dean’s latest series his protagonist, a retired Minnesota policeman, is drafted into service as a National Park Service Investigator after a murder at a National Monument.
* “Family Trees: A Pine County Mystery” won the 2018 NEMBA award for best fiction.
https://bookswelove.net/hovey-dean/
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B00J78JMLY/about
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Dean L. Hovey will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you so much for featuring this book and author today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving me the chance to answer your questions about my writing journey. I'd be happy to reply to questions or comments that your readers may have.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a interesting book.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good mystery.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds very good
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