Starred review from February 28, 2022
Solomon Lancaster, the highly original narrator of this mystery set in 1980s Indiana from Scott (the Ables series), is not only the sheriff of Crooked Creek, Ind., but also the town’s Catholic priest. Lancaster has long feared that those two roles might conflict, and that soon happens. When 84-year-old Tina Hillary is found on her kitchen floor during a wellness check, there are no usual signs of violence, though her left hand cradles a lily whose stem has been sewn into her arm. Lancaster opposes outside assistance, but he’s overruled following the discovery of the body of 17-year-old Katie McGuire in the town creek, her hands severed and replaced with daffodils. McGuire, who was distraught over an unplanned pregnancy, recently took confession with Lancaster. The lawman must navigate a tense working relationship with the FBI as he tries to catch the murderer. Ample dry humor leavens a plotline that thoughtfully explores the heart of human darkness. Scott demonstrates that an imaginative author can make such tired tropes as a serial killer hunt fresh. Michael Koryta admirers will be enthralled.