Butcher Pen Road

The discovery of a body floating in a creek propels Lackey’s subpar third mystery featuring Sgt. Bill Maytubby of Oklahoma’s Chickasaw Lighthorse Police and Johnston County Deputy Hannah Bond (after 2019’s Greasy Bend). At the crime scene, Maytubby and Bond are baffled by the fishing outfit worn by the victim, which is several sizes too big, and by gear unsuited for catching the type of fish in the creek. The victim is eventually identified as Douglas Verner, who was fatally hit with a piece of rebar well before he landed in the creek. Verner was cheating on his wife, but she’s not the only suspect in the murder case. The boy who found the corpse and his mother are threatened one night, perhaps by those involved in the killing. Maytubby and Bond must put the evidentiary puzzle pieces together while around them different crime units fight for jurisdiction. The humorous banter between the pair distracts, and the often confusing narrative can be hard to follow. Series fans will hope for a return to form next time. [em]Agent: Richard Curtis, Richard Curtis Assoc. (July) [/em]