Red Hatchett Falls: A Winston Radhauser Mystery #7

In the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon, a severed hand with a diamond ring is found at a local park. Detective Radhauser is forced to ask his daughter’s new crush, Coach Cooper, to take his place coaching his daughter’s baseball game to investigate. The victim is a young mother immersing herself in a new-to-her culture and converting to Islam. Tensions with her husband were on the rise regarding her newfound faith, and he becomes the prime suspect. It has been less than a year since 9/11 and tensions are high among the residents of this community regarding Muslims. Is this murder related to hatred, marital discord or is it something else? When another hand is found, everything Radhauser thought he knew gets called into question. Trying to ease community tensions, investigate two murders, and take young Cooper under his wing comes to a breaking point in a twist no one saw coming. 

Ms. Clayton-Goldner has spun a twisted tale intertwined with thought-provoking lessons on religious and cultural tolerance. The plotline of this installment will keep readers speculating and second-guessing themselves at every twist and turn. Being a part of a series should not deter readers from reading this as there is enough backstory to fill in the gaps. Readers will easily get caught up without being overwhelmed. The author digs into cultural issues post 9/11 and how its impact was and is still felt among all ethnicities. While the mystery itself is strong, readers will gain a new perspective on open-mindedness which, is the bigger take-away from this book!

Alison Ellis