Disclosure: I received this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.
My take:
If you like murder mysteries, Things In Ditches by Jimmy Olsen is a great read. Filled with a cast of very unique characters, this book keeps you guessing all the way through. The beautiful victim and the desperate killer are revealed early on in the story, but there are many twists and turns as the story unfolds. It's set in a small town in Minnesota where everyone knows each other, or at least they think they do. The killer actually comes across as a halfway decent person, not the kind of person you'd expect to be a murderer. Things In Ditches is an engaging read and I enjoyed it.
About the book:
A murder mystery novel. The story of Phillip "Dutch" Cleland, a man with a hidden past and a future about to explode in his face. A seemingly average man whose love for two women drives him to such extremes that deception, even murder and suicide are not longer unthinkable.
When a lovely corpse is discovered near Dutch's home town, the nearby ditches begin to yield a harvest of secrets, none of them comforting for Dutch. Soon he is forced to flee for his life, before his past and the police slip a noose around his neck.
Things In Ditches is peopled with small town characters that are so humorous and eccentric, their oddball antics enliven every paragraph and page. A reader can't help but be reeled in by the strange citizens of Willow River, until soon discovering they're really not so different from all of us and Dutch's story is the oldest story on earth; good and evil, betrayal and laughter. And finally, the power of love and friendship, forging one man's determination to overcome all odds, even death.
Source: Amazon
Excerpt:
Vicky Johnson's killer rolled onto his right side, drew his knees up under the warm covers and cautiously peeked through the darkness at the crisp digits of the clock-radio counting his last moments on earth, death waiting patiently for him to shower and dress. The secret he thought, is not to open your eyes and let the world in.
So begins the story of Dutch Cleland, a man with a hidden past and a future about to explode in his face. A seemingly average man whose love for two women drives him to such extremes that deception, even murder and suicide are no longer unthinkable.
About the Author:
Jimmy Olsen is a native of Hoffman, Minnesota, and has degrees from St. Cloud State University and the University of Alabama. He's worked as a newspaper reporter, editor, and photographer. For nearly forty years, he has been an active scuba diver and instructor, living five years in the Dominican Republic.