In book three of his Roy Martin Mysteries, bestselling author John Rose Putnam takes on a very troubling problem and comes out smelling like a rose. Summer doldrums and a severe heat wave combine to cause a slump in business for the Laurel County Sheriff, leaving Roy Martin free to investigate the complaint of a terrible odor along the remote and once idyllic Raccoon Creek. What Roy finds there … Raccoon Creek. What Roy finds there is a sinister conspiracy to force Ernestine Walden, a charming elderly woman, to leave her lifelong home so that they can develop the land along the stream for a handsome profit. The plotters have already shown a ruthless determination to get what they want, including at least one cold-blooded murder.
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Roy Martin, Sheriff, is bored–but then his Deputy tells him about a complaint coming from an old women who lives in an out of the way place. With nothing better to do–they go and investigate. There was a stench all right–and it was coming from Racoon Creek which ran quite near the woman’s home. It smelled like raw sewage—but there was not supposed to be any raw sewage dumped into the creek—Roy starts to investigate starting with the sewage plant—
What he uncovers is more then just sewage–deaths that were deemed either natural or accidental were probably murder–but how in the world is he going to figure out who is doing all this–he suspects there are a lot of high ranking officials involved–can he devise a plan to catch them? Can he save that lovely old woman from being forced from her home?
This is a fast reading book with lots of twists and turns-as are the other books in this series. I really think you will enjoy them as much as I do!
‘The Stink on Raccoon Creek’ is the third book in the Sheriff Roy Martin series by John Rose Putnam and so far, in my opinion, the best of this great series set in rural North America in the fifties. Like the two preceding novels, it jumps straight into the story. The Sheriff is bored, so Deputy Lily suggests he check on a complaint about a terrible smell coming from a creek running behind some isolated houses. Not a very intriguing start, you might think, but I can assure you, author Putnam has hooked you already. I was going to read a chapter or so before bed… and found myself devouring 70% of the novel (according to my Kindle) in the next two hours! The other 30% also fell in one sitting. The pace of the tale is superb and as the story evolves, the Sheriff finds himself immersed in a case in which he might not make it out alive. His enemy this time is big, organized and powerful.
Author Putnam’s use of mundane events cleverly conjures up the sense of the fifties era without the need of lengthy explanations that might interfere with the plot, and he does this with the finesse of a Master Magician. The cars, the food, the simpler view of life in general, even the firearms used create the atmosphere against which this tale of deceit, danger, and death plays out. In summary, it matters little when the reader was born, Putnam transports you to the post-war United States and lets you experience life there with the ease of the wizard of words that I’ve come to respect from this author.
It’s a tale that will be enjoyed by lovers of solid crime fiction and highly recommended.
I keep reading John Rose Putnam’s books because it is simply great story-telling. The author does a fine job of keeping your interest, moving the story along, and solving the issues one step at a time. I thoroughly enjoyed the third book in the Roy Martin Mystery series. Although this book is an entirely new case to solve, all the characters are familiar and I enjoy following their stories as well.