ARC Review: A Lonesome Place for Dying by Nolan Chase

A Lonesome Place for Dying
Author: Nolan Chase
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (May 7, 2024)

Description: Perfect for fans of C. J. Box and William Kent Krueger, a sleepy town is rocked to its core when a dead body is found in this debut novel.

In the quiet seaside town of Blaine, Washington, the most serious police work involves dealing with stray coyotes or ticketing speeders along the I-5. But on Ethan Brand's first day as the town's chief of police, he finds a threat on his porch, along with a gruesome souvenir, a bloody animal heart.

There are plenty of people who are upset about Ethan replacing the last Chief, but when a body shows up on the railroad tracks, Ethan has to turn his focus from the threats against him to the first homicide case the town has seen in years. Blaine's population is only five thousand, but eight million vehicles pass through its railroad crossing every year. It’s the perfect site for drug smuggling, human trafficking, larceny, and murder.

Ethan begins to realize that the small town has many more secrets than its quiet surface suggests. With no one to trust, his job already on the line, and the threats getting bolder and more reckless, Ethan Brand must find the killers and bring them to justice before anyone else winds up dead.

My Thoughts: Ethan Brand is on his first day as sheriff for Blaine, Washington, and his first case is a murder. Ethan is an Afghan war vet who came home with a partial prosthetic foot which he has managed to keep quiet. He's separated from his wife who took their two boys back to Boston to live. He has recently had an affair with the wife of the local big land developer. But she's gone back to her husband to give their marriage another try. 

Ethan was the first choice for sheriff in his mentor's - the previous sheriff's - eyes but a female lead deputy with similar experience also wanted the job and was courting members of the city council to get it. Ethan also has to deal with the mayor's nephew who was one of his deputies until he deliberately lost evidence when a local committed suicide. The previous sheriff left firing him to Ethan knowing that firing him with put him on the outs with the mayor. 

Besides the turmoil in the small sheriff's department, a murder will really stretch their resources. It is only the third murder in Ethan's years as a deputy on the force. The body of the young woman was found near the train tracks. She was stabbed to death. With the possibility that she jumped or fell from the train, the investigation needs to widen to include the train and its passengers. 

But, once identified, there are local suspects to investigate too. The local crime family, well known for smuggling into and out of Canada, is somewhat diminished with the eldest son in prison and the daughter going straight as a travel agent, but the youngest son is determined to carry on the family legacy of crime. 

And while investigating Ethan has to deal with threats that indicate that someone wants him gone - or dead. A threatening note, an elk's heart left at his front door, and potshots taken at his truck keep Ethan on his toes and a little distracted from the investigation into the young woman's death.

This was an engaging and entertaining debut mystery. I liked Ethan and liked that he was coming to terms with his new life as a single man and sheriff. The setting was interesting too. 

Favorite Quote:

"What a speech, Ethan. Really dazzled the hell out of them."

"That bad?" Ethan said.

"I'll put it like this. If you spoke like that trying to get out of a ticket, you'd end up serving twenty to life in Clallam Bay."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.