Incidents at Spitchley's Crossong - Alberta C. Nelson

Set in 1940s Mississippi, in a small unassuming town of Spitchley's Crossing; a town where 'the colored folk' live on one side of the rail tracks and the white on the other. Despite the barrier, they live harmoniously with little fuss. That harmony is harshly broken by three brutal murders which shakes the towns people to their core. Who could have carried out such heinous crimes? The once friendly town which left their doors unlocked and waved hello to one another, now keep themselves to themselves and rarely stop to pass the time of day with their neighbors.

The local police eventually call in the FBI and the hunt for the killer of three prominent women, including the wife of the Chief of Police escalates to a dramatic ending.

The author immediately introduces the killer; one Justin Cosoloski, Special Assistant at the Attorney General's Office. And from there you meet a man that struggles with an urge to kill, although Nelson doesn't delve deeply in to why he has these urges.

Whilst you're introduced to a lot of characters, the only one that you're connecting to is Cosoloski - and that's not really pleasant! Nelson skillfully portrays him as a suave, good looking man with a hidden personality that is sick. You're constantly 'hearing' him say how clever his is at getting away with murder, he's left no evidence, there's no way that they would cotton on to who has carried out these killings.

Generally, the plot of this book is very good. It came across as if race would play a major role in this book and it doesn't, not really. The overall way it was written is disjointed and doesn't flow as I would expect it to and I was trying to work out from which prospective it's being written and that's a little off putting. It would be nice to have been introduced to the main witness halfway through the story rather than towards the end.

Overall, I enjoyed the book despite some major flaws (lack of character development for law enforcement officers, which point of view it's being written from) as it was a good, compelling story.

I received a complimentary copy of Incidents at Spitchley's Crossing as a member of the Dorrance Book Review team - the opinions expressed are my own. Visit dorrancebookstore.com to learn how you can become a member of the Book Review Team.