A small town, a murder, a fraternity, and a tangled web of people, politics, and lies.
When Senator Marcus Thornton is killed at an engagement party in his hometown, amateur sleuth Sheridan Hendley is drawn into the investigation alongside her detective husband. With a reputation for flip-flopping on political issues, Thornton's death sparks suspicion. Broken promises and hidden agendas lead to dangerous undercurrents.
As Sheridan delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a network of social connections and a history of infidelity that may have played a role in Thorntonâs murder. But with so many suspects and conflicting motives, can she piece together the truth? Is the killerâs motive political or personal? Or both?
A small town, a murder, a fraternity, and a tangled web of people, politics, and lies.
When Senator Marcus Thornton is killed at an engagement party in his hometown, amateur sleuth Sheridan Hendley is drawn into the investigation alongside her detective husband. With a reputation for flip-flopping on political issues, Thornton's death sparks suspicion. Broken promises and hidden agendas lead to dangerous undercurrents.
As Sheridan delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a network of social connections and a history of infidelity that may have played a role in Thorntonâs murder. But with so many suspects and conflicting motives, can she piece together the truth? Is the killerâs motive political or personal? Or both?
The spring and summer had flown by too fast. No sooner had we survived Maddieâs senior prom and graduation, than we were shopping for what sheâd need for college and now we were moving her into her dorm, Watson Hall.
Chaotic and exciting, Maddie had no trouble with the move. Brett, the protective father, still hadnât gotten used to the idea of her living on campus, even though she was only an hour and half away.
âBrett, you know Maddie is capable and resourceful. Sheâll call if thereâs even a hint of a problem. Besides, Nedra will call Melina if thereâs a problem and Melina will call me.â
Nedra was Maddieâs best friend and, thankfully, theyâd both been accepted to the same college and were in the same dorm, though not roommates. Iâd met Melina, her mother, when I married Brett, became a stepmom, and moved to Clover Hill, Virginia. Melina and I both volunteered at Pets & Paws, the local dog shelter. Weâd become close friends, as had our daughters.
We were on our way home when the hands-free system alerted Brett to a call from his boss. He grunted and accepted the call.
âMcMann. We need you to respond to a situation in Birchwood. ASAP.â
âGot it!â
The call disconnected. We exchanged glances and Brett opened his mouth to speak. Before he got a word out, his partner, James Fabry, called.
âHey! You get the call? You finished up at the college?â
âYes, and yes. He said ASAP â whatâs the story?â
Fabry groaned. âAll I know is that the victim is a political figure and the locals are freaking out. No one wants to even name the person. Thatâs odd.â
âOkay. I can be in Birchwood in about ten minutes if I drive there directly from where we are now. Sheridan is with me. If I take her back to Clover Hill first, it will take about thirty. What do you think?â
Fabry chuckled. âI think ASAP means just that. Sheridan isnât a stranger to this stuff. Maybe she can help calm down the locals so we can figure out what the heck happened.â
Aside from being Maddieâs step-mother, and my involvement in dog rescue, I also teach psychology at a small college part-time. Years past, I practiced as a psychologist. Iâm also an amateur sleuth.
âIâll see what I can do and stay out of your way.â I shrugged, though only Brett could see me.
âIâm almost there. Did you get the full address? I only got Birchwood Country Club and Pavilion on his text.â
âYou got more than I did, Fabry. Hold on, Sheridanâs checking on Waze.â
Almost immediately, my screen shifted. âNot very original. Birchwood Pavilion Road. Says we will arrive in seven minutes.â
âSix minutes, here. Iâll meet you both there.â
Fabry disconnected and I continued to search for events at the Pavilion. We passed the âWelcome to Birchwoodâ sign and continued to follow the appâs directions. My impression was that it was a small town, and from the size of the homes and grandeur of the landscaping, a well-off community. Like Clover Hill, there might be a less affluent section as well, but the area we passed was impressive.
âThere. A sign for the country club.â
As I said it, the app directed us to take the next right, and sure enough that was Birchwood Pavilion Road. Up ahead, I spotted flashing lights. As we got closer, Brett pulled over, parked, and popped the trunk to get his State Police vest and gun.
The pavilion and club house made an impressive picture. White with black trim, it was two stories and shaped like a horseshoe. The green grass and the circular drive, with a golf course in the distance, painted a beautiful picture. Peaceful and classic, aside from the emergency vehicles.
âYeah. I parked and weâre heading toward the flashing lights.â He shook his head. Not on speaker, I only heard his side of the conversation.
âIâll meet you there.â
He turned to me. âFabry will meet us at the main door. Weâll make nice with the locals and find out why they needed us here so fast.â
We walked toward the main door. As we waited for Fabry, I took in the setting. People dressed for a fancy event of some kind milled around in small groups. A cotillion came to mind, though it was late afternoon. I noticed a few of the men wore large rings that didnât quite go with their formal attire.
I tapped Brettâs arm and tilted my head when I spotted Fabry. We met up with him and made our way through the crowd. Moving, I couldnât catch any whole conversations. Still, I heard mention of someone named Marcus more than once. We headed toward what I guessed was a small ballroom with one glass wall. Before we reached the door, a policeman stopped us. He fidgeted and his chin trembled.
âSorry. You canât go any further, sirs, maâam.â
Brett flashed his ID as did Fabry. âDetective McMann, State Police. Someone requested our presence here. Whatâs the status?â
âI⌠I⌠donât know. Let me âŚâ He turned, face white, and talked into his mic. âState Police here at my spot.â He nodded. âOkay.â
He turned to us and hesitated, his chin trembling.
âWhat did you find out?â
âChief Brayson is on his way, along with Mayor Greenlief.â
Fabry coughed. âWhy are all these people here?â
âRobin Greenlief and Doug Shandler. Their engagement party.â
I gasped. Two men approached us, one in a formal police uniform and one in a tuxedo. The chief and the father of the bride-to-be. Both with furrowed brows and pinched lips.
As they approached, I took a step back, not too sure how theyâd react to an outsider. Brett and Fabry stood even straighter as the men exchanged names. Chief Brayson nodded his head in my direction. âAnd she is?â
âSheridan Hendley. Sheâs a psychologist who frequently works with the police. Sheâs also my wife.â
Brayson didnât quite roll his eyes, but his expression came close.
Fabry interrupted. âWeâre here at your request. We understand there was an event here and thereâs a victim. What happened and why the State Police?â
Mr. Greenlief, the mayor, exhaled. âMy daughterâs engagement party. Lots of high-profile community members and family. Twenty-five years ago, my best friend in collegeâŚâ He choked and recovered quickly. âHe⌠he and his wife became Robinâs godparents. Today, someone killed him.â
Brayson squeezed Greenliefâs arm. âSomeone killed Marcus â Senator Thornton. His wife, Molly, is in shock, as is Mary Greenlief and everyone else. Given my involvement with the Thorntons, and the Greenliefs, I recused myself immediately and requested the State Police take over the investigation.â
Brett glanced toward me and back to the Brayson. âWhere are the women you just mentioned? Molly and Mary. The ones in shock? Sheridan may be able to help while we get up to speed on Thorntonâs death.â
âFollow us. Weâve been with them since it happened.â
We followed the chief and the mayor. I caught the curious expressions on many faces as we entered the pavilion itself. We werenât exactly dressed for a formal or even semi-formal affair, not even business casual. Police and what appeared to be security obstructed our view of the body at one end of the bar area. Two small groups huddled at the other end.
At the engagement party of his daughter, Senator Marcus Thornton suddenly falls to the ground, and the guests quickly realize he has been murdered. First on the scene is amateur sleuth Dr. Sheridan Hendley and her detective husband, Brett, who are determined to get to the bottom of this cozy mystery shrouded in deception, politics, and broken promises.
Promises & Politics follows Sheridan as she works to untangle the web of this small townâs most elite society. In the process, she identifies a record number of suspects with an array of motives that would have even the most accomplished detectiveâs head spinning. As a reader, attempting to keep track of the characters and their place in the story made it difficult at times to focus on the right details and keep the story straight. At one point, it is mentioned that Sheridan arrives at the home of Mrs. Thornton, and several aunts, cousins, and other family members are in attendance. They all introduce themselves, and in a flash, they leave, never to be mentioned again, leaving the reader wondering why they were mentioned in the first place.
Another challenge is the repetitiveness of scenes and conversations that did not advance the plot. It is mentioned so many times what the characters are eating and Sheridanâs efforts to cook and serve dinner to her husband and his partner, yet other key plot points are glossed over. This gives the impression that the story is unpolished and perhaps the author wasnât sure how to have the characters interact.
The lack of emotional buildup at key turning points in the story that do advance the plot robs the reader of emotional connection to the characters. There is more time dedicated to detailing minutiae than showcasing the monumental importance of the threats she faces while solving this case. This is a missed opportunity and is such a shame, as this plot is so interesting! In the same vein, barely any time is spent at the end to explain the connection of the murderer to the rest of the story, leaving the reader (and me) feeling that the ending is a bit too convenient. When the grand reveal is made, it falls flat instead of creating the sense of accomplishment that I was hoping for.
All in all, for fans of cozy mysteries, this fits the bill - with just enough suspense and intrigue to keep the story progressing but without unnecessary violence, Promises & Politics delivers on that front. Despite the noted flaws, Sheridan is a lovable character, and the plot is unique and interesting, making for an appealing story to dive into for a quick, easy read. Although this novel is the 11th installment in the Sheridan Hendley mystery series, this book is easily understandable as a standalone story.