I recently read BY STRANGERS
MOURNED by JOHN LINDERMUTH (writing as J.R. LINDERMUTH.) I liked it very
much and my four star review, on Amazon.co.uk and Goodreads, is below.
I’d forgotten how many other blogs I’ve done about John’s other fine
novels. He has written across genres, from thrillers to
period mysteries to westerns. So after my BY
STRANGERS MOURNED review, I include links to those other blogs, and
some reviews of the novels featured.
Here’s the blurb for BY STRANGERS MOURNED:
'Spring is usually heralded as a time of renewal, not
murder.
Preparations are underway in the spring of 1899 for the wedding of
Deputy Cyrus Gutshall. Sheriff Tilghman is hopeful this will put his sweetheart
Lydia Longlow in the marital mood.
But then a woman is found drowned in a local creek.
Doc Mariner's autopsy reveals the woman is a victim of foul play. The
sheriff’s investigation soon puts him on the trail of a mysterious man named
Bauer and a gang preying on young immigrant women.
One of the women escapes her captors and comes to their small town in
search of help. A coal miner she encounters, a fellow Pole, brings her to
Tilghman and helps translate the story of her ordeal. The girl is befriended
and sheltered by a coworker of Lydia's, an act of kindness that puts both young
women in danger.
Sylvester
Tilghman will need all his detecting skills and the help of his friends to
unravel the many skeins of the case before he can dream again of marriage.'
Here’s some Pennsylvania policemen c. late 1890s:
And here’s my review:
‘Warm, engaging and convincing period crime novel.
I’ve read some of J. R.
Lindermuth’s fine westerns but this is the first time I’ve read one of his
police/crime novels, the third of a series featuring Syl (short for Sylvester)
Tilghman. It’s 1899. Syl is sheriff in a Pennsylvania town. A woman is found
drowned in a nearby creek, and foul play is suspected (even the possibility of
witchcraft.) Syl’s investigations put him on the trail of a ruthless gang of
human traffickers who are bringing in women from Eastern Europe and selling
them into prostitution. This isn’t an action-centric novel; instead Lindermuth
focuses on character and atmosphere, painting a believable picture of police
work in that time and place, replete with red herrings and false trails etc.
His writing is conversational and very readable. It’s a book full of gentle
humanity, of people who aren’t overtly heroic but still strive quietly to do
the right thing, told with warmth and humour (Syl is particularly irked by the
new-fangled telephone.) To paraphrase one of the characters: ‘Sometimes a
little compassion goes a long way.’ Highly recommended.’
A Pennsylvania police badge from 1900
OTHER J.R. LINDERMUTH NOVELS:
As
mentioned, BY STRANGERS MOURNED is third in a
series featuring Syl Tilghman, sheriff of a Pennsylvania town in the late 1890s.
First in the series was FALLEN FROM GRACE.
Here’s some reviews of it:
‘Intriguing.’
‘The novel achieves a
texture and richness that sets it apart.… Lindermuth's writing style is
practiced and assured and always a pleasure to read.’
‘I enjoyed this
entertaining historical mystery.’
‘Truly a treasure!’
Second in the series was SOONER THAN GOLD, of which reviewers said:
‘This is a sneaky, twisty, fun ride of a mystery.’
‘Characters are fun. The writing is superb with colorful descriptions and snappy dialogue.’
Find my blog about SOONER THAN GOLD here: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/10/author-favourites-sooner-than-gold-by-j.html
WATCH THE HOUR is a stand-alone novel set in Pennsylvania in the 1870s.
Snippets of some reviews:
‘An intriguing cast of characters and richly detailed settings bring this work of historical fiction to life.’
Here’s my blog about WATCH THE HOUR: https://andrewmcbrideauthor.blogspot.com/2018/08/author-favourites-watch-hour-by-jr.html
SHARES THE DARKNESS is
part of the ‘STICKS’ HETRICK series, a thriller set in a small town in modern-day
Pennsylvania.
From reviews of SHARES THE DARKNESS:
‘Colorful characters, some surprises and twists,
nice touches of wry humor, all served up with crisp dialogue and the clear,
straightforward narrative of a talented writer.’
‘J.R. Lindermuth uses great foreshadowing and
strong dialogue to promote a strong story line.…’
‘The excitement of the hunt has a kind of hushed
tension.’
And John has also written some excellent stand-alone westerns, such as BLAKE’S RULE, THE TITHING HERD and GERONIMO MUST DIE.
Here’s a bit of my review of BLAKE’S RULE: ‘One reason J. R. Lindermuth’s westerns are worth reading is that he always provides unusual twists to what is a very familiar form. … Out-of-the-blue twists – the intervention of a swarm of bees, a train wreck – keep things surprising in a brisk, entertaining novel.’
OTHER REVIEWERS of BLAKE’S RULE:
‘A good western, a romance, and a mystery.’
‘This
latest work from John Lindermuth is a fine Western in the traditional mold, but
with some intriguing twists and distinctions that make it a high cut above
average… Lindermuth's effortlessly smooth prose moves along at a perfect pace,
rich with historically accurate details yet never at the cost of interfering
with a riveting tale.’
A snippet of my review of THE TITHING HERD: ‘Unusual, satisfying western… Lindermuth handles the action expertly, but he’s just as good at creating tension, mood and atmosphere. A satisfying, enjoyable read.’
And of GERONIMO MUST DIE: ‘Thoughtful, intelligent, a western that’s also a mystery and a mood piece. An enjoyable, intriguing ride.’
