A Welcome Murder

Starred review from February 13, 2017
Memorable oddball characters, whose ambitions collide with results ranging from comic to fatal, populate Yocum’s exceptionally clever novel set in Steubenville, Ohio, a once-thriving town near the West Virginia border. Johnny Earl, an ex-con who was once destined for a great pro baseball career, returns home from Pittsburgh hoping to retrieve his hidden nest egg. Sheriff Francis Roberson has dreamed since childhood of becoming president of the United States, and he has a plan. Roberson’s wife, Allison, has one driving goal—to get out of Steubenville. Dena Marie Conchek Androski Xenakis, former homecoming queen, she of multiple marriages and affairs, is still in love with Johnny. Dena’s insecure husband, Smoochie Xenakis, has put up with insults and abuse all his life. The murder of unsavory Rayce Daubner, who’s intimately connected with all the others,
initiates the chaos, which one seemingly minor character quietly manages. Yocum (A Brilliant Death) has produced a rollick-
ing tale sure to appeal to Donald Westlake and Elmore Leonard fans. Agent: Colleen Mohyde, Doe Coover Agency.

The listener is a fly on the wall as five inhabitants of a run-down Ohio town recount their parts in this intriguing story of politics and murder. The unfolding plot involves the murder of a truly unpleasant character and its subsequent investigation. Adam Verner's narration is well paced and perfectly matched to the story. He allows the subtleties of key characters to shine. The shifting of point of view is strange at the start, and it's easy to miss a switch, which can lead to momentary confusion. However, this weakness doesn't detract from the enjoyment of an engaging story, and the listener eventually adjusts. K.J.P. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine