Grave Secrets

MWSA Review

Set in small town Willoughby, Ohio, in 1870, Grave Secrets by Linda Swink is a mystery that proves you don’t need 21^st century ballistics and CSI-type forensics to solve a murder and bring the perpetrator to justice. Using his wits, his courage, and his observations, Police Chief Hank Blankenship is able to unravel a convoluted and puzzling mystery that begins with the death of the cemetery caretaker and escalates to include several townspeople before the villain’s diabolical plan is brought to light.

Swink based her plot for this historical crime novel on a little known event from the 1840s when Willoughby’s medical school moved to Columbus, Ohio, following rumors of the school’s involvement in grave-robbing for medical cadavers. While the book has an air of quaint historical authenticity, complete with a feeling that it was well researched, Swink assures us that her characters and plot are the handiwork of her own imagination.

The red herrings, plot twists, portrayal of the mindset of the townspeople, and the police practices of the 19^th century make this an interesting read for mystery buffs. It will keep you guessing right up to the final page.  

Reviewed by: Betsy Beard (2015)

Author's Summary

Someone is killing the citizens in the small town of Willoughby, Ohio. As the police chief, a veteran of the Civil War, attempts to solve the murders, he must deal with a matchmaking busy body, an inept fuzz-for-a-beard deputy, a mayor who wants him fired, and a town hell bent on spreading rumors.