Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of Booth's strong third Hank Worth mystery (after 2017's Another Man's Ground), Hank, the sheriff of Branson County, Mo., is on patrol one evening when he flags down a car going over the speed limit. Inside the car are six local teenagers. Hank decides to let them off with a stiff warning and a directive to go straight home. Some 20 minutes later, he's called to the scene of a traffic accident, where he finds "a twisted crush of metal and plastic that had rained bits and pieces all over the roadway." It's the car he stopped, and all six teens are dead. While notifying the next of kin, Hank and his deputy discover the corpse of a young man who has been stabbed. Is his death related to the accident? Hank thinks so, but he's not in charge of the case. The bureaucratic complications that arise over jurisdiction involving the sheriff's office, the Branson city police, and the Missouri Highway Patrol's Major Crash Unit add spice to the fascinating and complex plot. Readers will hope Hank has a long career ahead of him. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
When Missouri Sheriff Hank Worth lets six teenagers in a speeding car off with a warning instead of a ticket, he thinks he's helping them learn a lessonuntil a crash minutes later kills them all.Worth's guilt is hardly the only problem he'll cope with in Booth's latest installment (Another Man's Ground, 2017, etc.) set in and near Branson, Missouri. He learns that one of the passengers in the car is using a false identity. Then he learns that another local teen has suffered a near-fatal fall the same night as the crash. When a murder is also committed, Worth and his team will have to work withor despitethe presence of other law enforcement agencies. While Worth's chief deputy, Sheila, is more than capable, young deputy Sam is still unsure of himself following an earlier incident. The plot unfolds too slowly, especially at first, when all the victims' families are visited and multiple names are introduced. When another plot tangent involving an aged country music star is included, the reader can only agree with a deputy, who says "OK, I'm not really sure what's going on." But if the author's plotting is confusing, her ability to sketch believable characters is strong, making us understand people, especially superstrong and cool Sheila. One does wish that Hank would move on a little quicker from his guilt and teary eyes, but it's an affectionate portrayal nonetheless.A little too much inner thought and not enough outer action keep this Missouri mystery on a slow ride. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
In the third Hank Worth mystery, Booth explores a new side of the Branson, Missouri, sheriff. Less than an hour after Hank lets some joyriding kids off with a stern warning, their car goes off the road in a horrifying accident. All six kids are dead, and Hank blames himself. Even after he learns that at least one the six teenagers is not who he claimed to be, Hank can't keep himself from shouldering the blame for the kids' deaths. A murder that may be related to the teens complicates matter further. The most introspective of the Worth novels may also be its slowest-paced, although that's not a bad thing. Some readers may welcome the opportunity for a good, long look inside Hank's psyche, although others might prefer a little less reflection and a little more action. All in all, this is a thoughtful entry in an increasingly solid series, particularly for the added dimension it brings to the protagonist.--David Pitt Copyright 2010 Booklist
