Cracker Town: Red Farlow Mysteries #5

Red Farlow is a private investigator who has been hired by the surviving son of the Goings family, who was murdered in 1973, to reopen the case and find out who killed his family. At the time of the murders, Red Farlow was a police officer involved in the original investigation that led to no arrests. As he reinvestigates the case and reinterviews witnesses, Red discovers that a man who murdered a woman in 1955 and was sent to the George State Mental Hospital could be an eyewitness to the Goings murders,  or even be the murderer himself, but Cleet Wrightman was released in 1973, and he’s disappeared.

“Cracker Town” is book 5 in the Red Farlow Mysteries and is remarkably interesting and intriguing murder mystery! As one follows Red’s investigation that leads to the discovery of who killed the Goings family and why, one learns how several murders could be connected to same person or persons, and that an innocent person may have been accused of a murder he didn’t commit. W.F. Ranew did an excellent job in researching the history, the procedures that are followed by police and private investigators, and even how the characters acted and dressed during that time. The characters and story are very believable and realistic. “Cracker Town” can be read as a stand-alone and one will not have any problems following the story. If one wishes to know more about Red Farlow, the entire series should be read. “Cracker Town” is a must read for fans of excellent whodunits!

Victoria Zumbrum