DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES

A murder is only the latest of Sheriff Hank Worth’s problems.

Sheriff Hank and his deputy, Sheila Turley, are hopeful that the latest crop of trainees will fill the shoes of the staff he had to fire for refusing to comply with the county’s recent no-overtime policy. Luckily, Ray Gillespie, Austin Lorentz, and Amber Boggs show a surprising amount of poise on their first days on the job. Amber in particular seems unrattled by the rude comments directed at her by Bubba Berkins, who escaped firing but still sided with his overtime-abusing colleagues. But the newbies are soon tested, first by an investigation Hank launches at the prodding of his wife, physician Maggie McCleary, into why so many elderly tourists are being brought to the emergency room after attending shows in nearby Branson, a country-music hot spot. While he probes the mystery of the sick seniors, Hank also has to deal with the murder of a prominent businesswoman. Vivian Gillam, who made a fortune buying up properties to house the high-end stars performing in Branson, seems to have been in the midst of a spate of questionable property acquisitions when she was killed. Murder and mayhem should be enough for any law officer, but soon Hank and Sheila are hit with a lawsuit by the fired officers, who charge them with unlawful termination. Fighting battles on so many fronts takes determination, ingenuity, and a little bit of luck.

Many moving parts ultimately reward the reader’s attention.