The Eggstone Murders by Herb Smith Review and Guest Post

Cozy Mystery

Date Published: 7/2013

A thick-headed sheriff, a young, unsure, wannabe detective, and a savvy older criminal-turned-investigator, are only the beginning of the cast of characters included in this story of small-town life in southwestern Iowa, set in 1952.

Enjoy the storms, the intrigues and the mid-western hospitality – including the wonderful food –

of Hillville, Iowa as its down-to-earth folks work their way through the dailyness of their quiet lives.  There are the murders, of course, which cause dismay, but the con-man turned detective, Guy, is able to resolve them after a few bumps, and the guilty are punished – or, as is sometimes Guy’s choice, forgiven.

As a whole, it’s a pleasant outing on an Iowa summer’s day.

 

My Review:

This was a book that once I started it, I could not put it down.  This book was very well written.  I like to read about the early part of the 20th century and this story took place in 1952.  It was a more simple time, but, as the book shows, it really wasn't all that different than now.  Guy and Caleb are asked by Gordon Eggstone to go over his books because he thinks someone is "cooking" them.  After they leave, one of the workers of the farm is found murdered.  Guy and Caleb then help the Sheriff to look into the murder.  Guy, who is an embezzler himself, uncovers a lot of lies and deceit at the Eggstone Farm.  This was a very fast read, I finished it in a few hours.  I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.

 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

 

Herb Smith

Website: herbertlsmith.com

Facebook: Herbert L Smith

BUY LINKS

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/The-Eggstone-Murders-Starfire-Mystery/dp/1484843185/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376198122&sr=8-1&keywords=the+eggstone+murders

Guest Post

 

 

Some of My Recent Reads and Why I Like Them

Herbert L. Smith, author of The Eggstone Murders

 

Thanks for hosting my book on the tour!  It’s good to find people who are interested in reading and are willing to pass information about new books – and new authors – along!

 

I’ve modified the topic just a little because I like most of the books I choose, and I find that I can write about the latest things I’ve read with perhaps a little more vigor.

 

My list includes:  Paris,  Edward Rutherford,  In An Antique Land,  Amitav Ghosh,  A Walk Across France, Miles Morland,  World Without End, Ken Follett,  The Arab-Israeli Wars,  Chaim Herzog, and A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Betty Smith. (I read this last one about sixty years ago, and thought it was time for  a re-visit.)

 

I’ve read all of these since the beginning of June.  I read a lot these days, as well as spend about three hours writing every day.  The tiles cover a variety, and the style of each writer is very different.  I like that.  It gives me a better perspective on the world.  I will continue to read in the coming years, as well as write, because it is stimulating!

 

If I had to choose a favorite among the titles I’ve listed it would have to be the Herzog book.  I can hardly believe that myself, but it was entirely, completely, absolutely different from anything I had ever read!  And it carried me along. 

The book was loaned to me by a friend whose husband died about two years ago.  We’ve (my wife and I) know them for over fifty years – we often joke that we are their oldest friends – and now he’s gone.  Heart attack.  She told me that the Herzog book was what he was reading just before he died, and I decided to have a look at it.  It’s a military-with-a-human-face account of the wars Israel has fought over the past sixty-plus years.  In truth, they are in a constant state of war.   I was fascinated by the way Herzog reported the events and the intricacies of battles as well as his humanity- based reaction to all of them, and what seems to be  respect for the enemies that surround his people yet, as well as a pride in the military capability of his own nation.  He doesn’t degrade his enemies, but makes the whole thing rather like a puzzle that he’s still attempting to solve.

 

Another interesting book is Morland’s travel memoir about the walk across France he and his wife took some years ago.  They walked from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic, a distance of 553 Km.  That’s 343 miles!  It took them a month.  The story is filled with personal references and observations about the things they experienced as well as insights into their  ‘other’ life.   It’s fun, and fast to read.