The book started as a scene in an action-packed thriller movie. Davis, a private detective, is following his BIL on instructions from his sister, who thinks he’s having an affair. But little does Davis know he is running headfirst into a major drug racket. The stunt gets him shot in the leg by a mystery man and forces him to hide in the woods in a secluded cabin. But as destiny would have it, trouble follows Davis into the woods. His detective instincts nudge him to get to the depth of his accidental finding of a bunch of keys by the mountain trail and lead him into three more murders, where he becomes the prime suspect.

A flawed central character, some fun characters that made you laugh, especially Dale and Floppy, and a riveting plot. Although, the in-between pages from going to the woods up to finding the keys dragged quite a bit. I was pleasantly surprised when the story picked up speed later, and I was hooked like a fish.
The story involved a realistic portrayal of Davis’s constant guessing games and theories as to what might have happened leading to the mysterious circumstances. Don’t we all do that? Try to guess what might have happened, putting our detective powers to use. I loved this bit in the story.

Quite an engaging read, wouldn’t say it fits the bookish definition of a cozy mystery but, it comes very close, with the small town, intimate community setting, and the amateurish detective in tow.

I definitely recommend this book to mystery lovers. 4 stars out of five.
Thank you, Netgalley and the author, for the book.

Davis Reed is an alcoholic, pill-popping former private detective, who moves to a secluded cabin in the mountains, under the guise of writing a novel. What he finds in the small town is intrigue, friendship, and lots of danger.

I really enjoyed Graveyard Fields. This is Tingle's debut novel, yet he writes as though he is a seasoned pro. His writing is very impressive. We are thrust straight into the mystery of what happened in his life before moving, and before long, another intrigue arises.

I worried to begin with that I wouldn't like our narrator. I was concerned that he was going to be a clichéd, romantic alcoholic hero. But Tingle is better than that. I felt comfortable living Davis's life. I enjoyed reading about Davis's relationship with his friend, the local deputy Dale Johnson, who is larger than life in all ways.

Most importantly, Tingle knows how to handle a mystery. There are enough breadcrumbs for us to wonder, but the reveals are excellent.

I will happily read whatever he writes next!

Thanks to Steven Tingle, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for this copy.

I really liked this mystery thriller set in the foothills near Cold Mountain in western North Carolina. The MC, Davis Reed, is a former cop turned PI who is shot while tailing his sister's husband, and goes to a small town named Cruso to recuperate and write a book about a plane crash in 1946. He finds a set of keys while walking a trail, and a lot of action ensues.

I thought the characters were really well developed and enjoyed the "bromance" between Dale and Davis. I also liked the premise of gold hunters and drug dealers, bikers and brewmasters, and small town life.

I received an e-ARC of this book by the author and publishing via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Davis Reed is a character that slowly grows on you, wasn't sure if I would like him or not. Most people have faults but in the beginning to me he acted like a teenager. As I got into the book his character was so very different. He was actually not a bad guy. The characters in the book were interesting once I got into the book I couldn't put it down.

Davis Reed is a character that slowly grows on you. Yes he has his faults, anger issues, drinking too much, addicted to pain killers and does a lot of stupid things but deep down he is not a bad guy. The story has many twists and turns that keeps you guessing. To avoid his current problems he hides in a cabin on Cold Mountain in North Carolina “to write a book” is the story he tells the locals. Needless to say there isn’t much writing done. He gets involved with the local population with a very interesting cast of characters. Some parts of the story will have you shaking your head; others will have you laughing out loud. The story is finishing with a surprise and very satisfying ending. Hope there will be a second book about Davis Reed.

I really liked this mystery. Speckled with interesting bits of history, humorous, and very likable characters. I would recommend it to any mystery devotees.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by author Steven Tingle, looking forward to his future works!

Alcoholic, pill addicted protagonist, a good giy nonetheless. An intriguing storyline withinteresting supporting characters. The relationship between him and his landlord - priceless, guys being guys.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to enjoy and share my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A small-town mystery filled with larger than life characters. Tingle brings a certain life to the characters he’s crafted in this mystery. Living in a small town myself, I could so very easily imagine Floppy and Dale Johnson and all of the rest. The star of the show, Davis Reed, is certainly along the lines of a man who is wrestling with his inner demons. He can’t seem to really manage his anger, drinking, or prescription drug use as he adapts to his cabin near a small town after essentially fleeing Charleston. And yet, when a mysterious set of keys appears he can’t let the mystery go. As he struggles with his demons and a mystery that seems to only get more tangled rather than less, you start to genuinely like this rough-edged character and his sidekicks. The mysteries were interesting, the characters entertaining, and overall it was a good introduction to new character.

There are many things Davis Reed wants to escape when he travels to Cold Mountain in NC. His past with the Charleston police dept is high on the list. While in the mountains of NC Davis wants to write a book about a B-52 bomber that crashed but he cannot seem to get out of his habits such as drinking and dealing with his anxiety. He finds a set of keys on a trail one day that he is determined to find who the owner is. Maybe he just might find more than he bargained for. With the help of the 275 pound sheriff and his cousin they set out on a mystery that will take them somewhere that no one expected. Are you up for the challenge? I love this book and the characters that the writer has created. They are each different and have a uniqueness to them that brings the story alive. Do not guess to much though because you are never sure where they will lead you.

Thank you to netgalley as well as the author for giving me this book in exchange for my honest review.

Davis Reed escapes to a cabin on Cold Mountain in North Carolina “to write a book”, in reality he pops pills and drinks home brewed beers, to leave behind issues that involves his brother-in-law and bad apples in the Charleston police department. He befriends a local sheriff deputy, Dale, who also loves home brews and has a love for 80’s music. Davis finds keys, and that unlocks a mystery he cannot help but wants to solve no matter the trouble he gets himself in. I love Floppy (Dale’s cousin, mechanic and local conspiracy theorist), he just makes me laugh.
Looking forward to reading book 2, and find out if Davis can put some his demons to rest.
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

Definitely not your run of the mill mystery! A truly fun cast of characters that wove humor and human frailty into a solid mystery that provided some chuckles along with a solid mystery. Definitely rooted for the main character, who was certainly flawed but kept on trucking regardless. A fast read because it really keeps moving at a great pace. If you want a fun, yet serious, yet page-turning read - definitely recommended.

This was a fabulous book. I don’t think I’ve ever consciously sought out a crime book but the title sucked me in, and I stuck around for the lightening fast pace and the enjoyable narrative. Definitely a great read (helped by the fact that I read this whole thing over 2 days laying by a pool) with enough twists and turns to make the yell ‘omg no way’ on more than one occasion. I’ve pledged to look for more crime stories after this one!

Davis Reed is plagued by the three "A's": anger, alcohol, and anxiety. A former Charleston police officer, turned private detective, Davis hopes to gain some respect, self and otherwise, by writing a book. His subject: the true story of a B-25 bomber that crashed on Cold Mountain in western North Carolina just after the end of World War II.

This was a fun book! A town full of big secrets? Sign me up.
Thanks NetGalley Publishers and Author for this advanced readers copy.
This was a quick book. The writing was amazing. And the characters even better.
It felt like I was right there with Davis. Who h made it even better.
If you love small town mysteries. Action packed. Thriller? I'd recommend reading this one.