Earlier this year, when Terry Shames launched her Jessie Madison series set in the Bahamas, I worried that she was leaving Samuel Craddock behind. Not to worry. She recently signed a contract to continue both series. And, with The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson, she brings Samuel Craddock back in a mystery that’s stronger and more relevant than ever. Perhaps she needed a break from the Jarrett Creek, Texas lawman.

Police Chief Samuel Craddock was surprised when he received a phone call from Eileen Currey in San Antonio, saying she was worried about her sister, Maddy Benson. Craddock hadn’t heard of Maddy, and he knew of most of the people in the area. But, Maddy and her son and daughter-in-law had only recently moved to a new development there. When Eileen talked to her sister, Maddy sounded worried and out of breath.

Unfortunately, when Craddock and his Deputy Maria Trevino went to the area where Maddy disappeared, they found her body. She had been shot, probably from a distance by a rifle. Craddock and Trevino have support from the Texas Department of Public Safety, but most of the investigation is up to them. And, they’re starting from scratch with a woman neither of them know.

The pair find an unlikely couple in Maddy’s son and daughter-in-law, two writers who don’t seem to get along well. But, as they dig deeper, they discover Maddy had secrets, and was very involved in political activism. Was it her family life or her activism that got her killed?

Samuel Craddock is a direct descendant of Bill Crider’s Sheriff Dan Rhodes, a lawman determined to solve crimes in an old fashioned way, talking to people as he gets to know them. He feels responsible for the community, but also examines his own reasons for wanting to solve The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson. Shames’ books lack Crider’s sense of humor, but the excellent storytelling and Texas atmosphere is similar.

Shames does a masterful job in handling hot subjects related to the political climate in Texas and other states. But, what impresses me the most is her ability to examine the effect of Texas’ rigorous new laws on communities and law enforcement.

Terry Shames’ website is https://www.terryshames.com/.

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson by Terry Shames. Severn House, 2024. ISBN 9781448311828 (hardcover), 256p.

FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley through NetGalley with no promise of anything in return.