A body has been found in the woods. There’s been a murder in Willow River. Normally, most towns are accustomed to this sort of tragedy. Willow River, however, has never had more than a misdemeanor hiccup or two. Now, as a blizzard prepares to bear down on them, the townsfolk need their serenity back. We see the bits & pieces of the entire event unfold almost as if we, the readers, are a part of their community.
Each character is indispensable to the make-up of the story. Shell-shocked veteran Charlie is the town’s version of law & order. Aspirations of being a big-time detective have always taken a backseat to hauling drunks out of the bar on weekends. Now, he has a chance to be somebody if he can close this case. Walleye is a bit of an outcast in town, usually receiving only sympathetic glances. Once he’s known for finding the corpse in the woods, he feels compelled to help someone who’s beyond it. Len escaped the fast-paced world of the city to settle in Willow River. With his background as an attorney, his services will soon be needed if he can stay sober long enough to help.
Then, we have poor Dutch. He and his wife, Jean, thought they’d put his affair behind them. But, on the morning that Willow River changes forever, Dutch knows that he’s the cause of it all. Overnight, he’s gone from being a simple butcher to a fugitive. Combined with a Mayberry-esque crew of townspeople, Willow River must face not only a death that alters their existence, but the fact that one of their own is not what he seems. Dutch is their native son. Small towns always protect their own.
Jimmy Olsen has done a marvelous job with ‘Things in Ditches’. Essentially, he’s flipped the stereotypical murder mystery inside out. By working backwards in the plot, we’re able to follow the trail with the town. I loved that both the blizzard & the town took on lives of their own to become actual characters so to speak.
Each character is so uniquely different but so completely necessary to the flow of the story. I have to say this has been one of the top 10 that I’ve read this year. With this being a 5 star novel, it won’t be long until Jimmy Olsen rises up the bestseller charts. Wonderfully done!
I received 1 eBook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. ‘Things in Ditches’ can be purchased through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Things-Ditches-Jimmy-Olsen/dp/0878391584/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379258608&sr=1-1&keywords=things+in+ditches
