Buried in the Backwater

A Sheriff Elven Hallie Mystery, Book 1

By: Drew Strickland

Narrated by: Madison Niederhauser

A lifeless girl slips into the river, cold and crumpled.

Her body washes away with the rain. Her killer remains a mystery.

Sheriff Elven Hallie has been longing for a new case that would add some excitement to his small-town life.

But a dead girl wasn’t what he expected.

On the last murder case he worked, he was just a deputy with an experienced Sheriff to guide him and they were looking for an outsider.

This time, he’s in charge, and the killer is part of their community.

Short-staffed, and newly elected, Elven has an entire West Virginia county to police. With the help of his new deputy, Maddison Cook, Elven must navigate between Dupray’s rich and poor.

It’s an uphill battle the entire way.

With pressures mounting from the townspeople, county officials, and his own sense of duty, will he be able to catch the killer? Or will another body surface, pulling Elven in over his head?

If you’re a fan of C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett, Craig Johnson’s Longmire, and Jeff Carson’s David Wolf, then you will be sucked into this thrilling mystery with an ending that you’ll never see coming!

©2021 Drew Strickland (P)2023 Drew Strickland

Good story

Can’t wait to read the second book hope it is as good. Very interesting ending and surprising

Great story, but…

Loved the story! Suspense and true mystery! However, the narrator’s heavily nasal voice nearly made me quit the book.

Great way to start the series

This is book one in a series and I cannot wait to dive into the next book. The performance was amazing!

Predictable for the most part

Not as deep a story line as I would have liked. The characters were interesting and the story unfolded well. Nice twist at the end which makes me want to know what happens next . . .

Storyline

Some narration lame and incorrect but twist draws you to book 2! Guess that’s what I’ll do next. Characters basic but sort of interesting not deep. Easy to follow and pick up where you left off

Love the descriptions. Love the narrator.

Nothing negative to say. Loved the story and the narrator, I listen to the entire Elven Hallie series

Good Story- Weird Narration & Relationships

First of all, on a positive note, I really did like the story line itself. I felt like it was intriguing and the ending was a total surprise. I’m not sure if the ending was just a convenient surprise, but it definitely was a surprise.
Now, for the part that I did not like. First of all the narration had some really awkward spots, where it seemed like it was two different voices not sure if that was from editing or what was happening there. secondly, the relationship in between the main character Sheriff Elvan and the new Deputy Mads was so awkward and unrealistic. A sheriff is not going to take their new deputy out for tequila shots their second day on the job, and the new deputy is not going to speak their mind to the sheriff and tell them what to do. The sheriff kept acting like Mads was doing a great job when she was a total Putz for the most part. Another thing was the character descriptions Mads was described as someone who is very small and petite. Yet she would take down big men. Every main or supporting character does not always have to be drop dead gorgeous or 100 pounds. I think the author would’ve done better to spend more time, developing the plot and giving details for the story, rather than have the unrealistic banter in between the sheriff, and the new deputy.

Ending

Good read,character s were very beilivable,story was not bad, all in all enjoyable. Good ending

Juvenile..

If you're out of 8th grade, I don't recommend this book. Story could have been decent but the writing is juvenile.

Gripping page turner is misleading. Errors throughout with predictable plot and characters.

Story had potential but defeated by events, era and area errors, stereotype evil with weak/insufficient character build and predictable plot.
WV moonshiners? mid 30’s secretive & chauvinist, Sheriff Elvin, if served in Vietnam, investigating elementary grade child’s murder with smart phone selfies and social media?
Convenient new deputy placed in investigation.
Tried to like it but Not good Audible value for bus station paperback quality.