A Family for the Sheriff

Maria Lightner was on her way home in a very wet downpour when she decides to have compassion for a hitchhiker. It was the way he walked that stopped her. There was purpose in his stride, his long legs eating up the distance.The only phone was in Gold Springs, five miles away. She sighed and decided to offer him a ride. Whoa! trouble was starting when he intoduced himself as "Roberts, Joe Roberts!" She was aware of the contratemps that would soon be raised when people found out that she gave the new sheriff a lift.Maria had been married to the previous sheriff, Josh Lightner and was being persued by her brother-in-law, Tommy Lightner, a bull-headed, bullying type of guy.When she allowed her son, Sam to meet Joe, they struck up an immediate friendship. She was very uncomfortable with being friends with Joe.Not only were there hard feelings in Gold Springs for Joe being appointed to organize a sheriff's department, Tommy Lightner was determined to have that position, but the people decided to give Joe the Hannon farm, a very decrepit, falling apart house in the hopes that this would drive him away.The Lightners seemed to think that they were above the law, that they were the law in Gold Springs. Then Tommy discovered Joe's past.Joe Roberts, at 40, was not about to be driven away and decided to win the townspeople with patience and dedication. What wonderful love story developed as Maria went to work for the sheriff to pay her bills and learned to live with the fear that Joe was like her husband Josh, a hero. What if he got killed too?HIGHLY RECOMMEND - you will love the characters and the way they faced life and overcame life's obstacles.

This was a nice, good, short read. I enjoyed it very much. The small town "stuff" that happened was very believable.

I'm drawn to author's whose characters come to life and, in "A Family for the Sheriff", Elyssa Henry did a superb job! I also really enjoy tales about people who seem real rather than larger than life. If you've ever visited or lived in a small southern town, you'll agree that Ms Henry is right on target! Is this a new author? I'm trying to find other titles written by her and I haven't had any luck as yet...

The story of Joe and Maria is both charming and engaging. There are elements of the classic drama of gothic southerners, the powerplays and gossip of a small town, and the romance that blossoms despite itself. Elyssa Henry shows that love is part of the circle of life, and that everyone is subject to its law. The seeming coincidences that everyone notices when first in love are highlighted in this book, life-like in how people are drawn together by forces that could split them apart. I enjoyed the author's attention to detail, and vivid descriptions of the setting. No one could doubt that the story takes place in the South, and the tense confrontations between the traditional Old South and the "yankee-fied" New South are especially accurate. A thoroughly enjoyable read.