W. F. Ranew

Catawba Falls by W.F. Ranew
Red Farlow Mysteries #6

Nearing 70 but not slowing down, Red Farlow begins this pro bono murder investigation while in town for a summer camp’s administrative board meeting. Two male college students, counsellors for the summer, are missing when Red arrives. Having been a counsellor decades ago, he is soon on trails with the search team following paths he once tramped long ago. His memories of those long-gone days intertwine with the current case as it moves from missing to murdered young men and increases to multiple murders with a sinister serial killer on the loose.

What I liked:
* Red: retired Bureau of Georgia Bureau of Investigation, husband, private investigator, attended summer camp where some of the murders took place, puzzle solver, follows clues, has a network of friends in the area, tenacious, team player, motivated, loving husband, teen in the sixties
* Being able to relate to the summer camp counsellor reminiscences having been a camp counsellor in the sixties myself
* The myth of Boojum and how it tied into the story
* The close friendships that lasted decades – at least for red – and wondering why my time as a counsellor did not provide the same
* The police procedural aspects of the story
* Finding out the motivation for the multiple murders and the eventual solution of the cases
* The surprises, twists, and turns – and finding out new information as it came along
* The teamwork and effort exerted to bring down more than one evil person
* Catching up with Red and hearing a bit about his earlier years

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Knowing that there are people in the world as evil and amoral as the ones in this story

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (más)

Cracker Town by W.F. Ranew
Red Farlow Mysteries #5

Red Farlow is on a cold case this time. He has been tasked with finding out the truth about the murder of a family that took place decades previously. The case may be cold but Red is hot on the trail finding threads to follow, pull, sort through, untangle, and watch as they weave together to create an intriguing story for the reader.

What I liked:
* Red Farlow: older, private detective, married, capable, knowledgeable, has many contacts from years on the job, good people skills, interesting.
* The four-part layout of the story with timeline moving from the case being undertaken then moving to the past then moving further into the past before returning to the present and the eventual conclusion of the story.
* The setting in the South
* Getting to know the various characters and thinking about their parts in the story
* The overlapping of Red’s past with this case
* The sleuthing done and how it unfolds
* Thinking about human behavior and motivation – there were some doozies in this story
* The twists…and there were a few
* That all the threads were tied up in a neat bow by the end of the book
* Knowing that there will be a new book in the series coming out at some point in the future

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like
* Having to wait for the next book in the series

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review

4-5 Stars… (más)

Blood Mug by W.F. Ranew
Red Farlow Mysteries #4

Red Farlow Mysteries are thought provoking, twisted, complex, evocative, paint pictures and intense. They are a delight and I look forward to reading each and every one of them! This time people affiliated with the Wickham Art Center seem to be dropping like flies but…why? Red is called in to find out what is what and as a PI he might have better luck than the local police force since he is not constrained in quite the same way as they are. Will Red or the police be first to find the killer? They say murder has to do with means, motive and opportunity so…who will it be this time?

What I liked:
* Red: mature, grounded, steady, wise, has many contacts, knowledgeable from past work with Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a good friend, married to a good woman…like him.
* The first-person narrative and the feeling of looking over Red’s shoulder as the story unfolds
* The slow unfolding of the story as clues are revealed
* That all of my senses were engaged
* That Red was not invincible
* The supporting characters and the parts they played
* The way it all came together
* The tidbits that made it “more” … so much information gleaned through the story that might not seem important but definitely played a part.
* The pottery tie-in since I took a class in elementary school and college and enjoyed them both
* Being reminded of previous cases/books in the series as Red mentioned bits of them
* Reading through my reviews for the first three books and remembering why this series is one to revisit and reread in the future.
* Finding out the “who, what, when, where and why” journalists are to note and also the “means, motive, and opportunity” that police look for – and that the person(s) involved in crime and murder were unearthed

What I didn’t like:
* The people I was meant not to like and the crimes they were involved in

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Definitely.

Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars… (más)

East Beach by W.F. Ranew
Red Farlow Mysteries #3

Red Farlow is working for free in this case. Why? His friend leaves a quick rather abrupt message that has Red worried so off her heads to Tram’s house only to find him near death. After listening to Tram’s dying words Red knows that he must find the person who killed his friend. With that goal in mind he calls in a group of people that he feels will be helpful in finding the killer and the story unfolds. The story includes an ex-wife, multiple lovers, a motorcycle gang, drug dealers, a seedy dishonest businessman, a few crazy people, and a whole lot more. The book is filled with twists and turns, sleuthing, relationships and an interesting cast of characters.

What I liked:
* Red: a good man, loyal husband, dedicated private investigator and loyal friend. He is more than capable of staying on the scent to get the baddie.
* The newshounds helping Red: interesting people with leads and sources that help locate information while also locating leads for stories they will publish
* Red’s wife: didn’t see much of her but she seems to balance Red well
* The twists and turns in the story and not knowing who the killer was till nearly the end
* That those that might be considered good or bad were never 100% one or the other
* The location, writing and story
* That the story was complete without a cliffhanger
* Looking forward to another book in the series soon

What I didn’t like:
* The ease with which some take the lives of others
* Being reminded of how seedy and difficult the lives of some people are
* Knowing it might be awhile before another book in this series is ready for me to read

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (más)