Betty Sullivan La Pierre - Mystery Author

"MOONSHINE MURDER"

REVIEWS
Moonshine Murder (Hawkman Mystery # 14)

Betty Sullivan La Pierre

Print ISBN-13: 978-1467990288

Review by Margaret Marr

About 450 Words

The private investigation business is a little slow for Tom “Hawkman” Casey—not to mention a bit boring—so when he’s confronted with a mysterious family living in the hills of California just over the Oregon border, he’s driven to uncover their secrets. With the help of his wife, mystery novelist Jennifer Casey, they set out to make sure nothing nefarious is going on too close to home.

When young Randy Hutchinson turns up with an accidental gunshot wound to the leg, Jennifer and Tom are flung into the family’s many problems—one of which is being so poor they don’t even own a vehicle, just a couple of horses and a buckboard for getting around. Tom also finds out the father, Jeb, might be brewing and running moonshine.

Jennifer befriends the mother, Beth, and grows attached to the family and becomes concerned with what Tom’s investigation might cost them. Then someone turns up dead, and the entire family comes under suspicion. Tom has no choice but to get to the bottom of it no matter how dangerous the situation has grown.

I loved how the author, Betty Sullivan La Pierre, turned something as ordinary as horses and a buckboard into something a little bit creepy as it traveled around during the late hours of night. Though it’s not unheard of for people to travel by horse and buggy in this century (the Amish come to mind), the author’s skill at creating an eerie atmosphere made it feel as if this horse and buckboard team was something out of time and not here for anything good.

Jennifer Casey’s compassionate nature comes out in Moonshine Murder, which is a nice complement to Hawkman’s natural suspicion of people and situations. They keep each other from going to extremes with their individual feelings so Jennifer doesn’t become too vulnerable and Hawkman too cynical.

Though I felt as if the title, Moonshine Murder, gave away some of the mystery in the beginning, once the murder came onboard the plot thickened and provided plenty of suspects with a plethora of motives and perfect opportunities to commit the act. There’s no way you’ll figure out who the guilty party is until the end.

Moonshine Murder flows along at a fast clip, causing you to hang on every word anxious to find out just how it’ll all come together. With the unique premise of murder, combined with moonshine-running in a modern setting, you can’t help but be intrigued by the plot. This is a nice addition to the Hawkman Series, and I look forward to finding out what kind of unique plot Ms La Pierre comes up with in the next Hawkman mystery.

REVIEW: MOONSHINE MURDER

By Betty Sullivan La Pierre

The unexpected arrival of a young boy riding a bicycle to the door of Tom Casey (Hawkman) Private Investigator and his wife, Jennifer, is the start of a number of extraordinary events.

Randy, the boy, has heard of Hawkman’s pet falcon, and is eager to see it. Although he’s bright and friendly, both Tom and Jennifer are curious about him, and on learning that he and his family recently moved into a cabin in the remote and near inaccessible hills, they decide to investigate the family.

Finally arriving at the cabin they are greeted by Randy’s father, a belligerent, gun totting man who makes it clear they are unwelcome. In an accident, Randy is shot in the leg and Hawkman ensures he is rushed to hospital. Jennifer, along with the boy’s mother, Beth, follow and so begins an uneasy friendship between the two women.

Mystified by the family’s behaviour Hawkman begins investigating and discovers that they are involved in an illegal operation. When a woman, Tami, a go-between in selling the family’s products, is found murdered on their property, the family leave the cabin and disappear into the hills.

It is up to Hawkman and Jennifer to investigate and solve the murder; along with resolving the illegal activities that encircle the family.

Betty Sullivan La Pierre has now completed fourteen books in her Hawkman series and the latest, Moonshine Murder is an outstanding example of her writing skills. Not only does Betty convey the solid and loving relationship between Hawkman and Jennifer, the constants in the series, but with the new characters she now introduces, she applies the same skills so they become alive, living breathing individuals, with human faults and virtues. With the complex structure of the mysterious family, their background and ambitions form a mosaic against which the drama unfolds.

Adventurous and tensely written, Moonshine Madness make for an enjoyable and suspenseful read. Highly Recommended.

***** Five Stars.

Brian Kavanagh

Author of the Belinda Lawrence mystery series.

http://beekayvic.tripod.com

MOONSHINE MURDER

Betty Sullivan LaPierre

Mystery

Young Randy Hutchison loves to ride his bike. That’s how Tom (Hawkman) and Jennifer Casey meet him. He tells them he’s moved into a cabin close by but won’t be specific. Actually, there may be two new boys in the area. And some things have turned up missing from several nearby yards. When Pretty Girl has a visitor deep in the night, the Caseys decide it’s time to meet their new neighbors. To their surprise, they are met by a young man with a gun.

Once they get by the roadblock, they find Jeb Hutchison, his wife Beth and their three children living in very rustic conditions. Because of the young ones, Jennifer finds herself befriending the wife and trying to help make their lives better. But the Hutchisons have some dark secrets. And they guard them closely. Sometimes with guns.

A shed beside the Hutchisons’ cabin becomes a curiosity, for Randy and Hawkman. It remains locked at all hours, and some interesting gurgling sounds emanate from it. Randy may not understand what those sounds mean, but Hawkman has a pretty good idea. And he knows that running illegal booze can be very profitable. But that means it can also be very deadly, as one person finds out in MOONSHINE MURDER.

While trying to figure out who the killer is, Hawkman discovers some other disturbing situations and ends up trying to put things right. He and Jennifer prove what good hearts they have.

MOONSHINE MURDER is instantly engaging. For those who have been with Hawkman since his early days, there’s a treat in some reminiscing…back to times with Sam, their son, and back to cases Hawkman has worked on and solved. But for Hawkman fans and soon-go-be fans, this is a refreshing and exciting case to join Tom Casey on.

--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers

Title: Moonshine Murder

Author: Betty Sullivan La Pierre

ISBN: 1467990280

Pub: SynergEbooks

Genre: Mystery

Attention, mystery fans. Ready for an intriguing tale with interesting characters? Then be sure to buy a copy of Moonshine Murder by talented author Betty Sullivan La Pierre, another fun tale from the Hawkman series. Guaranteed to keep you reading.

A new family shows up in the neighborhood where the Hawkman and his wife live, bringing with them mystery and menace. Their strange isolation and primitive living conditions draw the curiosity of Hawkman and his wife as she attempts to help the family during a series of emergencies. Hawkman and his wife are greeted with threatening rifles each time they visit, making the reader want to read on to find out why.

I'm pleased to recommend this book to any mystery fan who enjoys a really good read. Danger seems to hang in the air as Hawkman and his wife attempt to satisfy their curiosity and suspicions the family's reactions to outsiders have raised.

Ms La Pierre has crafted a tale of mystery and intrigue that will have you looking for other books in this series, all guaranteed to be a satisfying read. Enjoy. I sure did.

Anne K. Edwards

“MOONSHINE MURDER” by Betty Sullivan La Pierre

When Randy Hutchinson first showed up in the Casey driveway, asking about

"Hawkman," neither Tom nor Jennifer had any idea of what kind of mystery

they would soon be involved in.

The next time Randy showed up and the Casey's offered to drive him to the

cabin on the Hutchinson property, Randy's older brother accidentally

discharged a bullet that sent Randy to the Emergency Room, together with

Jennifer and Randy's Mom.

What was in the outbuildings of the cabin that Randy's dad didn't want

anyone to see? What about their relative in town who was both a recluse and

who also obviously had something to hide?

The deeper Hawkman and Jennifer dig the more mysterious and sinister the

plot becomes.

Then, when a long-time friend of the hutchinsons turns up dead in a car on

the mountainous Hutchinson property, things begin to look bad for Randy's

parents. Did one of them kill her? What did she know that had to remain

hidden?

This is a fast-paced and engrossing book in the Hawkman series. You'll love

the characters, the fast-moving narrative and the description of an area we

might all like to live in.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read and can hardly wait to see what Tom Casey,

Jennifer and even their ever-present kitty, Miss Marple, will get into next.

Reviewed by

Sharon Booker

Review of Moonshine Murder by Betty Sullivan LaPierre

Moonshine Murder begins with Jennifer Casey, wife of Hawkman, meeting young Randy Hutchinson and finding out he lives somewhere up in the hills with his family. She decides to visit the family and nearly gets shot for her trouble. Hawkman becomes worried about Jennifer's obsession with the Hutchinson family and decides to find out why there is so much secrecy surrounding them. Hawkman is a former Agency man who is now a private detective. He finds a moonshine still in one of the Hutchinson's outbuildings and tells Jennifer she should stay away, but she has a bond with Randy and baby Marcy and refuses. A murdered woman is soon found on the property and the family disappears with a horse and wagon their only means of transportation. Hawkman vows to find them, but the mountainous terrain is filled with more dangers than moonshine.

This book is well-plotted and the characterizations are so real the reader can visualize them on the page. The suspense builds until the very end. Moonshine Murder is a book the reader does not want to put down until the very end.

Reviewed by Brenda Stewart

EXCERPT

Randy hunkered down behind a bush, peeked around the edge and there stood his brother, Earl, with his rifle pointed at Mrs. Casey’s head. Randy’s heart pounded against his ribs so hard it made his chest hurt. “No!” he screamed, as he sprang from his hiding place and dived into his brother head first.

The weapon flew from Earl’s hands, crashed to the ground and went off. Randy let out a cry as he crumbled to the ground.

Jennifer stood paralyzed in shock for a few seconds before she realized what had happened. “Oh, my God,” she said, as she raced to the boy’s side. “Hawkman, help,” she cried.