Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart

In Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart, the town is named Hidden Springs. It's in Kentucky. No one wants to believe that liars and murderers could live in this lovely place. Michael, a policeman and other officials like the judge in the town search for the person or persons who left a dead man on the courthouse steps.Mrs. Willadean discovers the body and reports it. However, she gets lost in the middle story. I wanted her to stay in the story. She seemed like the typical talkative, good neighbor who would live in a small town and not do any person harm. I liked her.

The murdered man's name is Jay. He is shot in the back of the head. The plot caught my attention because I just couldn't imagine a murder happening on the steps of a courthouse. I wondered what  type of person would have the boldness to shoot someone in a place where justice is served everyday?

While working out the solution to the crime, there is the fun of finding out the secrets of individuals in the town. There are also people who have gone through terrible situations in their lives. For example, Michael, the policeman, lost both his parents on the same day in a car wreck. Then, there is Anthony, a young man, who feels he is blamed for every stinking thing that happens in the town.  However, Anthony must deal with the mysterious disappearance of his mother. Throughout his childhood, he hoped each day for his mother to come back home to him. It must feel terrible to wait for the return of someone you love not knowing why they left and where they have gone. What an awful feeling! I began to understand Anthony's attitude problems. He had good reason for acting out.
 

Throughout the novel, more than one skeleton is pulled from the closet. I suppose it's important to never take our safety for granted. Also, the hardest thing to do is to see wrong in the most helpful person in a community. I never would have guessed who did this and did that all in the name of keeping their reputation safe.

There was one incident that scared the daylights out of me. Really, it wasn't that creepy. I just had gotten all caught up in the plot. Anyway, I quickly went back to Hidden Springs. I had to know the rest of the story. It's a mystery that kept me guessing. I will have to ponder the outcome in the days ahead. I am super glad to see more novels listed at the back of the book by A.H. Gabhart.bakerpublishinggroup.com/revell

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