The writing in Sherry Rankin’s debut mystery, The Killing Plains, shows why she won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) Debut Dagger Award. Set in Crescent Bluff, West Texas, it’s a gritty, atmospheric story.
Colly Newland retired from the Houston police department after her husband and daughter were killed. For the last couple years, she’s been raising her grandson, Satchel, a troubled young boy still struggling with the trauma of finding the family bodies. Colly’s reluctant to return to Crescent Bluff, her late husband’s family home, but his brother, Russ, the chief of police, asks for her help. Twenty years ago, a young boy’s body was found by a pond. Willis Newland was arrested and went to prison for the crime. Now, another boy is dead, and the town suspects Willis. But, Willis died before the Texas Rangers could prove their case. Now, Willis’ mother, Colly’s mother-in-law, pulls strings to have the case reopened. And, Russ wants Colly to investigate.
But, someone in town doesn’t want Colly around. She starts to get threats soon after she arrives. And, she’s torn. Should she work to find the killer, or protect Satchel from all the family and local drama and take him home to Houston? Colly doesn’t even feel up to looking after herself in a community that thrives on rumor, rattlesnake rodeos, and drunkenness. How can she investigate and look after her seven-year-old grandson?
Rankin’s years in West Texas enable her to capture the heat, the dust, the atmosphere of the setting. It’s a gritty, at times, ugly, story. But, her true strength lies in the character of Colly, a woman struggling with her past, her attempt to raise her grandson, and her attempt to find the truth.
The Killing Plains by Sherry Rankin. Thomas & Mercer, 2025. ISBN 9781662521157 (paperback), 368p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley to review for a journal.
