{Review} Peach Creek: A Briarcliff Lane Novel by Adler Duncan

ISBN #: 978-1477417324

Page Count: 246

Copyright: October 15, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Book Summary:

(Taken from back cover)

The Eagle Ford Shale is proving to be as productive as a Middle East oil field, and Willy Mraznik is hell-bent on getting his share. An independent wildcatter, Willy punches holes in the ground up and down the Peach Creek valley using second-rate machinery won in a poker game.

When a drilling hand goes missing, detective Buddy McCoy stumbles onto evidence of a crime, and Willy becomes the prime suspect. As the investigation develops, Buddy's allegiance is challenged and the detective becomes the target of suspicion from police and criminals alike.

Set against the backdrop of modern-day Texas oil exploration, Peach Creek is a story about a man who fights for his share of the treasure and those who become entangled in his quest for wealth. From the author of Briarcliff Lane, Peach Creek explores the sinister side of the fictional residents of small town Gonzales.

Mandy's Review:

Buddy was in an accident and now has amnesia ... or so he wants people to think. It's true he did have it right after the accident, but it's been a month now and he's starting to remember things. He realizes how much easier it is to have less responsibility and more freedom to do and say what he wants. Whenever someone questions him, he feigns amnesia and goes off to do whatever he wishes.

It's during this time of more freedom that Buddy stumbles upon the evidence needed to solve the mystery surrounding Nick's death. As a matter of fact, it's so outside his usual bumbling self that people begin to wonder if maybe he's "finding" the evidence because he's actually somehow involved with Nick's demise. Yes, Buddy is a bumbler. So much so that he reminds me a little of Barney Fife from The Andy Griffith Show. His attempt to hide his lack of amnesia is, to me, apparent to any observer, so how the people in the book found it believable was beyond me.

Aside from my issue with Buddy's attempt to hide his lack of amnesia, Peach Creek was a quick trip into a nice little town (okay, aside from the death, too) that took me out my own world for a few hours. I don't know that this will become a national bestseller, but it is a nice read for those who enjoy the mystery genre.


*A paperback copy of this novel was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.