This book fills the Nebraska slot on my Literary Escapes Challenge.
Dark Signal (Kate Fox)
Women's Detective Fiction/Police Procedurals
2nd in Series
Setting - Nebraska Sandhills
Publisher : Severn River Publishing
Publication date : December 15, 2020
Print length : 260 pages
Paperback
ISBN-10 : 1648754139
ISBN-13 : 978-1648754135
Kindle ASIN : B08P3NT356
Things aren’t always as bad as they seem.
Sometimes, they’re a lot worse.
Kate Fox has just defeated her ex-husband in the race for Grand County Sheriff, but there’s no time for celebration. Instead, she’s called to the railroad tracks just outside of town.
The train engineer is dead. His conductor is in shock. And Kate’s gut is telling her this is much more than just a horrific accident.
The victim's widow is behaving oddly. The neighbor’s story doesn’t add up. The victim had recently made several enemies—and they all have motive for murder.
As Kate works to solve the case, she knows she has to trust her instincts—even if that means disagreeing with State Patrol Officer Trey Ridnour.
With the stakes high and the whole town watching, Kate uncovers a plot darker than she ever imagined. The clock is ticking, and Kate knows it’s up to her to bring the killer to justice... before tragedy strikes again.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Kate Fox is now the Grand County Sheriff, defeating her ex-husband for the job. The big question is how a woman will be accepted in the position.
Kate hits the ground running when tragedy strikes at the railroad tracks just outside of Hodgekiss. Finding the train conductor clearly in shock, she knows it is bad. Entering the train, she finds the engineer dead. This was no accident.
Parsing together the suspects, the victim had issues with people on the job, the neighbor's account doesn't ring true, and the new widow is acting strangely. State Patrol Officer Trey Ridnour has more experience, and he doesn't agree with Kate's theories, but she knows she to trust her training, ask the hard questions, follow the leads, and go with her gut. Will she be able to box in the killer? Or will they get away with murder?
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As Kate finds her way in her new job, we get to know her better. Her tight-knit family can be a bit much, but her current case and other craziness keep her from spending much time with them. She also has to deal with her jerk of an ex-husband and former Sheriff, Ted. Her officers are still keeping him apprised of cases, and that needs to stop. She faces a lot of flak, not only from her peers but townpeople, questioning if she, as a woman, can do the job. Kate has some personal issues she is dealing with, too, including getting back in the dating game. There is a bit of romantic tension, but she has a case to focus on. Being the second book in the series, the core characters are still developing.
Kate attacked the murder investigation seriously, but she did make errors that put her in danger, but she did get results. Everyone around was focusing on one suspect, but she pushed through and dug deeper. She uncovered a lot. I think being new to investigating, she has a fresh take, and a curious nature, and looks beyond the obvious. I really enjoyed this.
The cold Nebraska winter played a part in the story. Reading this book when there were frigid temps outside my door added to my shivers. The horrific murder added even more.
Dark Signal is a fast-paced and powerful mystery filled with twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. Kate Fox grows stronger as our protagonist, and I am excited to see that continue. I discovered this series last year and am so happy I did. The next book, Bitter Rain, is screaming at me. I will have to find a place on my reading calendar soon.
*This book is from my private collection. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent
About the Author
Shannon Baker is the author of the Kate Fox Mystery series. Set in rural Nebraska cattle country, according to a starred review in Library Journal, "Baker’s writing evokes the beauty of the Nebraska Sandhills, and her colorful cast of secondary characters adds a depth of charm." Now a resident of Tucson, Baker spent 20 years in the Nebraska Sandhills, where cattle outnumber people by more than 50:1. Shannon is proud to have been chosen Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ 2014 and 2017 Writer of the Year.
Her stand-alone psychological thriller, The Desert Behind Me, was the 2019 New Mexico/Arizona Book Award winner.
Baker also writes the Nora Abbott mystery series, a fast-paced mix of Hopi Indian mysticism, environmental issues, and murder. The first in the series, Height of Deception, is set in Flagstaff, AZ, where she lived for several years and worked for The Grand Canyon Trust, a hotbed of environmentalists who, usually, don’t resort to murder. It is a 2013 finalist in the New Mexico/Arizona Book Awards.
A lover of the great outdoors, she can be found backpacking in the Rockies, traipsing to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, skiing mountains and plains, kayaking lakes, hiking, cycling, and diving whenever she gets the chance. Having the desert for a backyard is a daily thrill, bringing javelinas, rattlesnakes, zillions of birds, and spectacular sunsets every day.
Arizona sunsets notwithstanding, Baker is, and always will be, a Nebraska Husker. Go Big Red.
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