Shadows Are Deadly: An Indian Creek Texas Mystery

Reviewed by Betty Sullivan La Pierre, Mystery/Suspense Author ANNA'S SECRET by Jude Atkins, is not only a thought provoking story, but one where you feel you're part of the action. The character descriptions of Anna, Kelly, Cam, Bubba and others are wonderful, it's like watching a movie rolling in your head. You catch yourself with a tear in your eye or wanting to yell `look out'. The suspense, written by Jude's clever pen, kept me up half the night trying to figure out the villain. When I reached the end, it surprised the heck out of me. I highly recommend `ANNA'S SECRET' to all readers. This book contains elements of romance, murder, action and suspense. I can guarantee you'll enjoy every word to the last page. Betty Sullivan La Pierre Author of the renowned `Hawkman Series'

ANNA'S SECRET is the perfect book for a rainy day. It's the first of Jude Atkins' Indian Creek Mysteries and revolves around a motley group of folks trying to eke out a living as vendors and merchants at a flea market in central Texas. Kelly McWinter, who left the Ft. Worth P.D. after his wife was killed in an explosion meant for him, provides security for the flea market while he tries to heal from his wife's death. Kelly isn't the only one who's walked away from another life. Among the vendors, Anna Davis is a 50-something lady who's seen much better days and now tends to look at life through the bottom of bottle. She's as mean when she's drunk as she is loyal when she's sober. When Anna is found murdered inside her booth, suspects start popping up all around her. They're all her "friends," yet each has a reason to want her dead. In Indian Creek, no one is quite what he or she seems. Some are likeable enough that you'd enjoy sitting down with them at Cam's Hideaway Bar and tossing back a beer. Others are as irritating as a flat tire, like the posturing Frank Perkins, who'd twist the truth if it made him look like a big man. The victim's daughter, a beautiful young woman, searches for the truth about her mother's death with Kelly's help. In helping her, Kelly realizes he's starting to feel again, along with the sensuous Stella, who adds the right bit of cynicism and seduction to balance the suspense. ANNA'S SECRET kept me guessing. Just when I thought I knew "whodunit," I'd turn the page and discover someone new with the means, motive and opportunity. If you like an entertaining mystery that will confound you until the very end, ANNA'S SECRET is for you. I highly recommend it and look forward to more from this talented storyteller, Jude Atkins.