Murder Ballad Blues: A Mystery Novel

Lynda McDaniel

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"Readers will relish this story's superior tension ... A riveting mystery designed to keep readers on their toes." Midwest Book Review

Laurel Falls, N.C. 2005: Our small town is in an uproar-there's a serial killer on the loose in the mountains of North Carolina. At first we thought it was just one tragedy, but by the third murder, the FBI finally got involved. Trouble is, I know they're looking in all the wrong places.

I have a keen sense of what's really going on, but of course the FBI won't take me serious. I'll keep at it-too much is at stake not to. I'm working with Wallis Harding, a well-known musicologist, and we've got a theory we'll keep at till they can't ignore us. Bluegrass music may sound like something to practice and perform, but we know it's the key to finding the killer. And keeping our families safe.

Usually Della Kincaid, my longtime friend, helps me out when I get into something like this. But she's too busy with troubles of her own. A former crime reporter in Washington, D.C., she's investigating some kinda fraud case that a whistleblower laid in her lap. She can't let a good story pass, but the deeper she goes, the darker it gets.

Turns out we both have information that could help the FBI, if they'll just listen to us ... before the culprits strike again. Abit Bradshaw

You'll enjoy this suspenseful standalone mystery because who doesn't long to find justice in this crazy world?

If you love Elly Griffiths, Sue Grafton, and William Kent Krueger, you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series.

Get it now-for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations.

Murder Ballad Blues is the fourth book-and a standalone novel-in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel.

Interview with the Author
Q: Where does this fourth book pick up in the lives of Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid?
A: It's a year after the last scenes in Welcome the Little Children, but eight years after they solved the family secrets and lies surrounding Astrid Holt's mother. Life has been reasonably quiet for the two. Abit, Fiona, and their 8-year-old son, Conor, perform regularly with the Ramblin' Rollers, and Della has settled into a natural rhythm at Coburn's General Store. Then everything goes crazy with murder and money-laundering crimes.

Q: What's new in the series?
A: New crimes, of course--especially the murders across Western North Carolina. Abit and Della get involved, working with new characters like Wallis Harding, a self-taught expert on mountain music, and Ezra Stoltz, an FBI agent. I am especially smitten with Wallis Harding. I named him after Phil Harding, archaeologist with the British television show "Time Team." Phil is such a live wire, and his namesake doesn't let him down. Wallis' physical appearance is modeled after Mick Aston, fellow archaeologist on "Time Team."

Book Details

Publisher: Lynda McDaniel Books
Publish Date: Aug 4th, 2020
Pages: 354
Language: English
Edition: undefined - undefined
Dimensions: 8.00in - 5.25in - 0.79in - 0.81lb
EAN: 9781734637120
Categories: • Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths• Thrillers - Suspense• Crime

About the Author

McDaniel, Lynda: - I love writing page-turners-both fiction and non-fiction. And I love helping others to do the same, living into their dreams of writing books. I believe my success comes down to a respect for my readers and clients. I know I'm easily bored, so I work hard to engage and inspire both audiences. I got my start as a writer in the most unlikely place-a town of 200 people in the mountains of North Carolina. But living there changed my life in so many positive ways. Decades later, I realized that everything I value today, I was introduced to there. My Appalachian Mountain Mysteries--"A Life for a Life," "The Roads to Damascus," "Welcome the Little Children," and "Murder Ballad Blues"--pay homage to the people of Appalachia who taught me so much. Over the years, I've written more than 1,200 articles for major magazines, hundreds of newsletters and blogs. I'm proudest of the 18 books I've written. My nonfiction books include "Words at Work," which I wrote straight from my heart, a much-needed response to all the questions and concerns people have about writing today. (It won top honors from the National Best Books Awards.) I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, but I've lived all over this country-from the Midwest to the Deep South to Appalachia to the Mid-Atlantic to the Pacific Northwest. Whew! I finally settled in Santa Rosa, California, a place that reflects the values I learned while living in the N.C. mountains all those years ago.

Praise for this book

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

The emotional components of each character are thoroughly explored as they fight anger, loneliness, loss, and helplessfeelings in the course of their choices. The characters come alive not because of the mystery's overlay, but because McDaniel takes the time to explore thewellsprings of their pasts and their reactions to adversity. What lends faith and encouragement in the face of devastation; and what influences create the type of 'justice' that ties into a killer's logical process and mindset? These and other questions place these events above and beyond a simple 'whodunnit' mystery.

Readers looking for a murder mystery strongly centered in regional culture, the different lives and focus of two equally powerful investigators, and a puzzle that draws them into far more than a singular investigation will relish this story's superior tension. Its sense of place and people in a cat-and-mouse game that unfolds over the course of a riveting mystery is designed to keep readers on their toes and guessing about the outcome to the end. --Diane Donovan

FIVE STARS: This author develops the characters in such a way that they feel like friends, and I miss them after finishing the book. I loved that Abit didn't give up on solving the mystery and enjoyed getting to know Wallis Harding. Thank you Lynda McDaniel for another well-written book. I can't wait for the next one! -- Diane Tuttle

FIVE STARS: Worth every star! This book is written unlike any that I have ever read; it goes from character to character talking from that characters point of view. I read straight thru it, so I know I enjoyed the book. It's a little bit thriller, mystery, love story. I hope you get this book; you will not be disappointed. --Martha Greer

FIVE STARS: Characters you can believe. Characters come alive quickly and get you into their lives with suspense and a great storyline. I can't wait for more books with Abit and the others. Lynda has the ability to make you feel a part of the story and anxious to turn every page. --Loretta Jubb

"FIVE STARS! As usual, I couldn't put your book down until I had finished it. It was a delight, all the way through, but I must say, of all the fascinating characters, my two favorites were Mollie and Rascal. They were so real they practically jumped off the page and onto my lap. A big thank-you for a delicious read." -- Dr. Irene Willis, poet and author of "Reminder" and "What They Bring"