Melanie spotted Kevin on the other side of the cafeteria, his head down and his face glued to the book he was studying. She worked her way through the line, grabbing a salad and an iced tea as she went, paid her bill and raced over to the table. Her excitement was almost too much to control. She pushed her tray onto the table, bumping the book Kevin was reading and knocking it onto the floor. Kevin looked up and glared until he realized who it was. “I’ve been looking all over campus for you. Where have you been?” she said. Kevin slid the book back onto the table. “Right here studying. I have a philosophy exam this afternoon. I told you about it yesterday.” Melanie smiled, reached out and put her hand on top of his. She leaned into the table and whispered, “We got it.” Kevin just looked confused. “What did we get?” She leaned in closer so no one could hear. “The gallows.” Kevin looked around the room, then back at her, and then it came to him. “For real? I thought that was reserved for special parties. How did we get it?” Melanie pulled her hand away from his, sat back 1in the chair and looked at him. She shook her head as if she couldn’t believe he was asking such a stupid question. “Carly was able to work it out with Josh. We’ve been dating for four months, and I wanted to do something special for us. The club must have agreed, because we can use the space tonight after nine p.m. Carly will have it all set up.” Kevin sat back in his seat and looked at her. He had heard about the gallows since he first came to this school several years back, but he didn’t know anyone who had been allowed to use it. Supposedly, the gallows were used by special members of the club and by invitation only. It was called the ultimate prize by the club members he knew. The reality of the situation finally dawned on him, and he felt a rush of nausea. He hoped the chicken salad he’d had for lunch wouldn’t end up all over the table. They both enjoyed performing the rituals, but this was the pinnacle. He hoped he had what it took to last and make Melanie happy. “That’s awesome, Mel, but what about Josh? Won’t he be jealous?” “Josh only wants me because he can’t have me.” Her blue eyes absorbed all the light around them as she batted them and flipped her long blond hair back over her shoulder. Kevin stared into her eyes, and he felt himself getting larger. He picked the book up off the table, placed it in his lap so no one could see the bulge and squirmed in his seat. Melanie was gorgeous, a little ditzy at times, but she loved to experiment. That was how they’d Crime Unknown 2gotten together and ended up in the club, and yes, it had been awkward at first since Josh ran the club on campus, but he didn’t own her. They had been together during sophomore and junior years, but that was a couple of years back, and she assumed Josh had gotten over her once she connected with Kevin. Now that they were all in their first year of grad school, she hoped he would have forgotten all about her. “You don’t look very excited,” she said. “Sorry. My head is still in the philosophy exam. Look, meet me back at the apartment, and we’ll grab some dinner in town before we need to be there.” He leaned across the table and kissed her passionately. “I am going to rock your world, but I need to finish studying.” He opened his book back to the page he’d been on before she sat down and started reading. Melanie finished her lunch, kissed him on the forehead and headed off to her next class. Tonight was going to be special, and she wanted to be ready. As she left the cafeteria, she didn’t see Josh sitting in the corner amongst a group of his friends, but he saw her. He tried to hide the scowl on his face by stuffing his mouth full of pizza. There was no doubt he would win Melanie back, but first . . . He looked across the room at Kevin, with his head buried in a book. He had formulated the plan in his head and had all the details worked out when one of his friends slapped him on the back and told him it was time to head for class. The group waited until 3 Chuck MorganJosh stood up before they headed out. Everyone on campus knew their place, and that place was always behind Josh DiNardo. Josh was the “big man” about campus. He knew everyone and everything that happened on campus, since most everything that happened revolved around him. When Carly had come to him with the request to let Melanie use the gallows, he knew that the perfect opportunity had just landed in his lap, and he intended to take full advantage of it. Josh wasn’t worried because he always got his way, and that included getting Melanie back. He looked once more at Kevin as he left the room and smiled.
Enjoying this book? Help it get discovered by casting your vote!
Loved it! 😍
Lots more to like than dislike. Despite a couple of minor niggles, I really enjoyed it.
A young black college student is found hanged in a campus basement. The local police declare the death a suicide, but is it? His parents, not getting any answers from the college or the local authorities, have come to Colorado seeking the truth.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Buck Taylor and his team are sent to the mountain town of Copper Creek, Colorado, to determine the truth. Did the young man commit suicide, was it a terrible accident, or was it murder? The governor of Colorado wants answers before word gets out, and civil unrest ensues.
For Buck and his team, time is not on their side, but worse yet is the lack of cooperation they receive from the local authorities. Digging deeper, they discover things about the mountain town that make it clear that things are not what they seem. The beauty and tranquility on the surface hides an ugly underbelly, and their investigation could destroy things that have been in place for over a hundred years. Things that were supposed to remain hidden from prying eyes. The town is sitting on a powder keg, and Buck’s investigation is the spark that could set the whole thing off.
Second time around for me with author Chuck Morgan and his main series character, Buck Taylor. Crime Unknown is the 7th in the Taylor series. Crime Exposed, the 4th was enjoyed last year.
Taylor is sent into the small town of Copper Creek to investigate the supposed suicide of a black student who was found hanging. As a reader we already know the death wasn't suicide, but murder. Taylor quickly encounters resistance and obstruction in his efforts to take a look. He receives a warning from the local police chief who wants him gone in 24 hours and his every move is surveilled. Spidey senses alerted, Taylor thinks something is seriously wrong with the town of Copper Creek.
I quite enjoyed the set-up and Taylor and his team's efforts to unpick the truth about the supposed suicide and the town's secrets in general. The plot is a slight stretch insofar as serious corruption and wrong doing could conceivably be kept under wraps for so long, with so many people party to it. My other minor gripe was Buck Taylor himself. He presents as just a little bit too much of a Peter Perfect character ... no flaws, no vices, no failings, no weak spots. He's a bit too good to be true.
Those little niggles aside I really enjoyed this. I liked the investigation, the conflicts throughout, the uncovering of current and historical crimes and the eventual solution with answers and outcomes to all the questions posed. There's a lot more going on that the covering up of a stuent's death.
I do like a small town tale of corruption. Interesting characters, a fast moving story and lots more to like than dislike.
4 from 5
Read - June, 2021
Published - 2021
Page count - 350
Source - review copy from Reedsy
Format - PDF read on laptop
http://col2910.blogspot.com/2021/06/chuck-morgan-crime-unknown-2021.html
Reviewed by
A young black college student is found hanged in a campus basement. The local police declare the death a suicide, but is it? His parents, not getting any answers from the college or the local authorities, have come to Colorado seeking the truth.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Buck Taylor and his team are sent to the mountain town of Copper Creek, Colorado, to determine the truth. Did the young man commit suicide, was it a terrible accident, or was it murder? The governor of Colorado wants answers before word gets out, and civil unrest ensues.
For Buck and his team, time is not on their side, but worse yet is the lack of cooperation they receive from the local authorities. Digging deeper, they discover things about the mountain town that make it clear that things are not what they seem. The beauty and tranquility on the surface hides an ugly underbelly, and their investigation could destroy things that have been in place for over a hundred years. Things that were supposed to remain hidden from prying eyes. The town is sitting on a powder keg, and Buck’s investigation is the spark that could set the whole thing off.
About the author
Chuck Morgan spent thirty-five years as a construction project manager. He is an avid outdoorsman, an Eagle Scout, and a licensed private pilot. He enjoys camping, mountain biking, and fly-fishing. He is the author of the Crime series, featuring Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Buck Taylor. view profile
Published on February 25, 2021
80000 words
Contains graphic explicit content ⚠️
Genre: Mystery & Crime
Reviewed by
Discover more books like Crime Unknown, A Buck Taylo...
Create your free account to help this book get discovered and decide on the bestselling stories of tomorrow.
or
Or sign up with an
Or sign up with your social account