Secret Undertaking by Mark de Castrique

First Sentence:  "I want you to put me in jail."

      

Part-time deputy sheriff Barry Clayton locks his friend Archie in fake jail as a fundraising gimmick during the Apple Festival Parade.  Things go wrong when the Grand Marshal, North Carolina's Secretary of Agriculture Graham James, is attacked by a gunman and Barry's Uncle Wayne is critically wounded and the gunman killed. When the license of the gunman is found, less than an hour later, in the pocket of a murdered convenience-store operator, Barry, Archie, and Sheriff Tommy Lee Wadkins end up working with federal agencies on a case much bigger than they first thought.

     

de Castrique truly captures the feel of a small town and picks up on the current crises being faced by farmers across the country.  Archie is well used as a comedic element in a case that turns from being fairly light to much more serious.  Tommy Lee is an excellent balance giving just the right touch of maturity and expertise.  The vernacular used by the author helps reinforce the sense of place while avoiding "ah shucks" stereotyping—"I'll pray that God will be with you and that you'll prepare like He won't be."

      

There's a nice forensic twist.  New clues are cleverly, but naturally, introduced.  It's interesting learning how the food-stamp card scams work.  Later, there is a very well-done circling back of the plot and inclusion of one of those wrinkles one should have seen coming but didn't.  de Castrique is very good at tossing in twists without making them feel contrived.

      

Balancing the case with events in Barry's personal life provides an excellent sense of realism.  He engages the full range of the reader's emotions. 

      

It is very interesting how the author does a recap of the events of the case rather as a homicide team would by using a murder board.  This technique gives the readers a chance to look at the pieces and come to one's own conclusions.  The result is an explosive conclusion followed by a final twist.

      
"Secret Undertaking" is an enjoyable, and occasionally educational, story with a good blend of the criminal case and domestic events.  And who doesn't like a happy ending?   

SECRET UNDERTAKING (Pol Proc-Barry Clayton-Gainesboro, NC-Cont) – G+

      de Castrique, Mark – 7^th in series

      Poisoned Pen Press, Sept 2018