Dark Places by Reavis Z. Wortham

Published by Poisoned Pen Press on September 1, 2015

In an introduction to Dark Places, Reavis Wortham mentions that the first two novels (the best in the series) were darker than their successors, and that Dark Places is intended as a return to the darkness. I don’t think Dark Places achieves that goal -- it isn’t dark in the sense of chilling or spooky, as are the first two -- but it is still a good entry in the series.

For some time in these novels, Pepper has been expressing her dissatisfaction with small town life and yearning for the excitement of San Francisco, where (at least according to the radio) all the interesting people live. Pepper hits the road in this novel (much to Top’s displeasure), leading to the first of the novel’s plotlines. The plot branches off, sometimes following Pepper and other times following Ned and Pepper’s dad as they become involved in drama of their own after hooking up with a fellow named Crow, who joins them in their search for Pepper.

Another plot thread involves two young men who (accompanied by a third as an unwilling bystander) commit a murder. That crime occupies Sheriff Ned and his new deputy, Anna, who gives most of the local residents their first exposure to feminism (in the limited sense of a woman doing “a man’s job”).

In addition to larger issues like the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War, Reavis Wortham evokes a sense of time by reference to television shows and songs that were popular during the early 1960s. That creates a sense of nostalgia for those of us who are old enough to be nostalgic about that era. Given that his characters range in age from older guys like Ned to kids like Top and Pepper, Wortham’s novels have appeal for readers of every age.

The story moves quickly, the characters are believable, and the intersecting plots hold a fair amount of excitement. None of the Red River Mysteries have met the standard of the first one, but Dark Places provides an entertaining opportunity for series fans to spend time with familiar characters.

RECOMMENDED