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In this young adult mystery set in 1970, a family tragedy prompts Christi, a shy and studious teenager, and her mother to travel to rural Roselyn, Mississippi. Christi’s Uncle Bill, the county jailer and a deputy sheriff, is critically wounded while investigating a moonshine still that a local farmer found on his property. As the deputies approach the scene, they are ambushed by four assailants, resulting in the death of the farmer, then vanish without a trace.

Convinced the history of local mistrust of ATF federal agents will hinder the investigation, Lily, the jailer’s daredevil teenage daughter, is determined to find the culprits who shot her daddy. She just needs to persuade Christi, her scaredy-cat cousin, and her best friend Troy, the son of the investigating detective, to join the hunt. Living in a house connected to the jail, Lily thrives on excitement and pushing boundaries. Rule abiding Christi and Troy have been entangled in Lily’s misadventures before and suffered the consequences of lying, spying, and sneaking into forbidden place. With Uncle Bill’s life on the line, Lily manages to convince them this time will be different. What harm can a few questions and a little information gathering do?

Lily’s first assignment brings them face to face with a bootlegger brandishing a shotgun. Christi and Troy quickly realize Lily has once again left out critical details of her plan. When the trio meet Jake, the undaunted teenage son of the murdered farmer, he offers to take them to the location of the ambush. The horrifying scene they stumble upon has them running for their lives. The deeper the foursome digs to uncover the truth, the more the danger escalates, and the threats become personal. Will they back off and let the authorities handle it? Or will their stubborn doggedness result in another disaster?

This fast-paced southern mystery also has a coming-of-age theme. In their efforts to find justice, the four teens discovered the importance of loyalty, being their genuine selves, trust, and taking responsibility for their actions. There is also a sweet romantic first love theme to the story. Adult mystery lovers will enjoy the many twists, turns, and surprises that will keep them guessing. The historical elements of the 1970 setting will also give a nostalgic feel of a time past for some adult readers.

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

5.0 out of 5 stars Teenage mystery and crime novel

Reviewed in the United States on August 14, 2025

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This book is a teenage murder, mystery, crime, moonshine novel set back in the day when many counties were dry. I remember some counties being dry as a young child, but never saw a still or moonshine being made. No one is the same at the end of the book as all lives are changed in many ways, some to death. Murdered actually, and the story weaves around a smallish town, and the countryside. Tack in some people from Chicago, bad men, dangerous men, and mix that with four teenagers and you have a plot in which the teenagers are in more danger than they realized.