Susan Oleksiw launches a fascinating new series with Below the Tree Line. It’s probably the best book I’ve read so far this year, so I hope this series will continue since the book is published by Midnight Ink.
Felicity O’Brien is quite capable of running the family farm, as proven in the opening sentence. “On the third night Felicity lifted the shotgun from its place in the cabinet, and this time she loaded it.” She makes a hardscrabble living on the Massachusetts farm, selling timber and vegetables, boarding sheep. She has to pay the taxes on the property while keeping her eighty-year-old father in a retirement home. Despite her hard work during the day, she knows someone has been on her property at night. But Police Chief Kevin Algren isn’t happy that she’s shooting over her woods at night.
When Jeremy Colson, her long-time partner, shows up at the farm the next morning, he brings a present from his mother. She’s a volunteer who thinks Felicity needs a dog, although the small lab, Shadow, is afraid of his own shadow. Felicity doesn’t feel she has time to take on one more project, but the dog turns out to be a valuable asset when he tracks and finds a young woman’s body on Felicity’s property. Felicity has met Sasha just the day before, after she witnessed the car crash that killed Sasha’s cousin. Two violent deaths in several days are a little much in this “forgotten corner of rural America”.
Felicity is under additional pressure. Someone is offering way too much money to buy her farm or Jeremy’s. Although her father has had heart attacks and strokes, she mentions it to him, and she’s shocked when he tries to escape from the retirement home after talking with her. Then, soon after she finds Sasha’s body, he makes another dash for freedom, heading towards their property and that of a long-dead friend. The only thing he continues to tell her is the property will take care of her, and she’s not to sell it.
Oleksiw has introduced a intriguing setting, story and character. Readers will be as stunned as Felicity is when she learns what is really important about Tree Line Farm. But, someone is willing to kill to keep that secret.
Susan Oleksiw’s website is www.susanoleksiw.com
Below the Tree Line by Susan Oleksiw. Midnight Ink, 2018. ISBN 9780738758916 (paperback), 300p.
I think I may order this from Amazon. She sounds like a very brave woman and the mystery of her land has captured my interest! Thank you for the review!
This sounds interesting.
You're welcome. Terrific mystery and characters! I hope you enjoy it.
Thank you, Lesa. This sounds great, but although it published in September, neither of my libraries has it – ???
Looking forward to reading this one – Thanks!!
It's a small press, unfortunately, Margie.
You're welcome, Kaye!
Yes, I've already had this one on my list. And, happily, my library does have it. Yay!
Oh, good, Kay. I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks…I put it on my overflowing library list.
Lesa, thank you for this terrific review. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. The good news is that Midnight Ink is publishing the second book in the series.
You're welcome, Gram.
Susan, I wish I had received it six months ago from Library Journal. I loved this book, and would have given it a starred review. Looking forward to the next one!