The 1960's in fictional Burr, Oklahoma: small-town boredom and small-town minds, nowhere to go and nothing to do, rednecks and racism, and lots of alcohol. And the murdered body of a young black girl found tossed near the train tracks.

Police Chief Emmett Hardy, one of a handful of liberals in a town no bigger than a handful itself, is determined to find the killer. While others would have just shrugged off the murder of a "colored" girl, he can't do that. Ill-equipped to do much more than write speeding tickets in his tiny burg, Emmett sets out to investigate and bring to justice the murderer.

Narrated by the folksy police chief, the story is a true-to-life depiction of small town life in mid-sixties Oklahoma. Threaded through with both humor and pathos, this engrossing tale highlights the racists and church-goers that make up this community (often one and the same in this town) and where their loyalties lie.

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I couldn't put down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for a copy of this book, and a huge apology for the delay in reviewing this wonderful book.

I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma that was 100% white in the 60's so the backstory is very real to me. The story line is realistic and it's easy to see the author wants the reader to understand the characters. Chris Kelsey has taken a snapshot in time and mixed in an atmosphere of fear and indifference to produce a quality mystery that any reader will enjoy. Don't skip any pages or you'll find yourself backtracking to figure out who done it.

A memorable and engrossing read. Kelsey's protagonist is on the right side of flawed white-hat, very likeable, and the narration was compelling. The author did a great job of bringing Burr and its residents to life, and while I kind of guessed who the murder was early on, the journey getting to the unveiling was fun.

I don't normally sign up for crime series, but in this instance I'd certainly pick up a sequel should the author ever choose to write another.

This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With kind thanks to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing.