Farraday Road

After years of producing a number of excellent non-fiction works, Ace Collins has entered the world of fiction with style. His debut novel, Farraday Road, introduces us to Lije Evans and a cast of characters that are hard to forget. The story begins with Lije, a small town attorney, found shot on a dead-end road and his wife dead not far from him. Lije is offered little chance to grieve as his junior law partner is accused of the crime and the Arkansas Bureau of Investigation shows up intent on proving her guilt. Farraday Road is a classic southern mystery. Lije lives in the biggest house in town and is wealthy from inherited "old money." His murdered wife is loved by all and remembered as a great benefactor of charity. Each chapter of the book finds Lije drawn deeper and deeper into something that is far bigger than anything little Salem, Arkansas has ever experienced. But don't be fooled; this is not a little story. The more Lije seeks to answer why someone would kill his wife the bigger the story gets. Everything from old Indian legends to the James Gang to German SS espionage blend together to make for a story with plenty of plot twists and surprises. This is a story with rich characters and a mystery with incredible implications. I know it's overused, but this is the kind of book that really is hard to put down. The story flows so seamlessly it is easy to get lost in its magic. The prose and plot are powerful reminding me of Athol Dickson's first novels (Gar Reed Mysteries). The spiritual themes of the book are presented in the natural conversations of the characters and the setting of the Deep South. Nothing is forced or preachy but at the same time this is not just a clean story. There is a solid spiritual dimension to it. A word of warning though; Farraday Road ends with the words, "to be continued." The mystery is not resolved until Collin's sequel, Swope's Ridge, is released in October 2009. The good news is I have already read Swope's Ridge and can guarantee you the story gets even bigger and the mystery is solved with final resolution. I could review Swope's Ridge for you but I think I'll let you guess for now. After all, this is a mystery.

A late-night ride on Farraday Road changed Lige Evans' life. His wife was killed and he was left for dead. When the ABI begins investigating, at the governor's request, it appears to be a pretty tight case. Lige's female partner is arrested, but the bullets keep flying even though she's in jail. Lots of twists and turns in this mystery that still isn't solved at the end of the story.

This book was one of the best reads for me in a long time. I can't wait for the movie release. This murder mystery is so so captivating you won't be able to put it down. I promise this book will take you down the back roads of Arkansas and into the lives of the great characters (especially Ivy Beals) Ha Ha. Good job to Ace Collins, hurry up and get the next one out there! R. Beals

I really enjoyed this book. It is very suspenseful and I was able to clearly vision what the author was saying throughout the book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good mystery story.

This story starts as a small-town mystery, but the twists and turns quickly build this into a big-time suspense. Lije Evans, in shock over his wife's murder, begins a dangerous journey to find the truth. Still a murderer's target, the pressure is on to find answers. This story will keep you turning pages all night long.