Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: The Eggstone Murders

The Eggstone Murders
by Herbert L. Smith

Book Details: The Eggstone Murders: A Starfire Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery 1st in Series
Published by: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Release Date: July 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 218
Synopsis: A thick-headed sheriff, a young, unsure, wannabe detective, and a savvy older criminal-turned- investigator, are only the beginning of the cast of characters included in this story of small-town life in southwestern Iowa, set in 1953. Meet them on the streets of Hillville, at the town square, or at a big-business farm nearby. They all have a story to tell, and some of them have a few things to hide. Others have quite a few. Enjoy the storms, the intrigues, and the mid-western hospitality –including the wonderful food – of Hillville, Iowa, as its down-to-earth folk work their way through the dailyness of their quiet lives. There are the murders, of course, which cause dismay, but the con-man turned detective, Guy, is able to resolve them, after a few hard bumps, and the guilty are punished – or, as is sometimes Guy’s choice, forgiven. As a whole, it’s a pleasant outing on an Iowa summer’s day.

Review: This is the second cozy mystery that I've read that is set in the 1950s. Guy is a con man who is trying to run away from his past. His running takes him tho Hillville, Iowa. He meets the taxi driver/detective, Caleb who says "shit" more than anyone you know and suddenly the two are in business.

Things start out simple with an embezzling case, but then there's a murder and the sheriff asks for their help, and then there's another murder and everything seems to be connected in one way or another.

In the course of the investigation, Guy and Caleb discover (well mostly Guy) that everyone at Eggstone Farms has secrets and so do a few of the townspeople.

I like Guy's version of justice in a few of the cases. (He forgives certain crimes...I'll let the readers guess which ones).

I think Guy's closeness to the underworld made him a good detective, but Caleb may just surprise you when things are all said and done.

I loved the little country town and all the inhabitants. This is the first book in the Starfire Mystery Series, and I look forward to seeing how things progress with the characters.

Rating: 4 flowers

About The Author Herb Smith was born and raised in ‘Hillville,’ Iowa, a town situated close to Omaha, across the mighty Missouri River and a few miles south. He lived there until he was a young adult, and gradually made his way out into the rest of the world from that unique beginning. He has lived and worked on four continents and many different countries, and has crisscrossed the Atlantic more times than he wants to remember. (The trip was fun for the first few times. After that it was more painful.) His books include: Cairo, The Mother Of The World, Crossing Borders, The Great Sphinx Of Amun-Ra, Songs Of Saints And Angels, The Names Of The Days – A Novel Of Egypt’s 2011 Revolution, and other, as-yet-unpublished, Starfire Mystery stories. He is a musician and composer, teacher, and reader. All those things add up to a lifetime of books, music, and looking into a computer screen. He and his wife, Glenda, live in Eugene, Oregon, where they retired several years ago.

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