It is 1984 and the sound of a low-flying airplane awakens Sherriff Winston Barnes one night. He goes to check the airfield to make sure that everything is okay. What he finds is an empty airplane sideways on the runway and a dead man. What he doesn't see is a pilot. Sherriff Winston Barnes finds himself in the middle of the most important investigation of his life. With re-elections looming, Winston knows he needs to solve this murder in order to keep his job as sheriff and the insurance for his sick wife. As he gets deeper into the investigation, he discovers his little coastal town is simmering with an undercurrent of deadly racism. Will Winston be able to solve the murder and keep his job?

When Ghosts Come Home is a compelling mystery set in a rural southern state. Winston Barnes is a noble, if not naive, man. It is 1984, the overt racism running through his town and his department should not surprise him. But it does. I loved Wayland's commitment to doing the right thing. For his wife, for his daughter, Colleen, for the victim's father, and for his community. It really made him seem like a good guy. Colleen's story was tragic in its own right. Her grief left her spinning - almost out of control - but going home is exactly what she needed to do. The book took a slow-burn approach and culminated in a heartbreaking conclusion. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS

Bottom Line - When I saw that When Ghosts Come Home made the Amazon "Best Mystery Books of 21" list I knew it was going to move to the top of my TBR. While it wasn't the fast-paced kind of thriller that I am used to reading, the shocking conclusion made it worth the read.

Details:
When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash
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Pages: 304
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: 9/21/21
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Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

So much more than a mystery set in a small North Carolina coastal town, Cash’s latest book takes on the racial prejudices and corruption. Winston Barnes, is the town’s kindly, ethical sheriff. When a plain crashes at the airport in the middle of the night, he discovers the body of a dead Black man and an empty cargo plane. A bigoted opponent in the upcoming election for sheriff spreads the word that the young man found is involved in the sale of narcotics. Winston, working with the FBI, struggles to find leads in the murder. Along with this he’s also dealing with arson fires in the development owned by Bradley Frye, his opponent in the sheriff’s election, the return of his daughter, Colleen, after the stillborn death of her baby, and his beloved wife’s cancer. The conclusion will bring a satisfying if sad ending to the story and justice prevails. JD Jackson’s narration brings a feeling of the slower pace of the south and authenticity to the storyline.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash, narrated by JD Jackson.
When Ghosts Come Home is a mystery that takes place in a racially divided community. Cash creates a variety of characters, a descriptive setting, and a plot that offers a great story. However, the book just ends. It is like Cash got bored with the story and instead of tying up the mystery through suspenseful writing, he just sums it all up in one paragraph. JD Jackson's voice doesn't really match the part of North Carolina where the book takes place, but his timing and speed make it easy to follow along.

I wasn’t familiar with Wiley Cash, but I enjoyed this book enough to read another. He is a fabulous storyteller who transported me to a small, North Carolina island community in 1984 plagued by racial tension.

Character-driven and haunting, it was as much about a disintegrating family as it was about a murder investigation. Wiley Cash delved into the hearts of richly drawn and achingly sympathetic characters dealing with heavy circumstances. When Ghosts Come Home would have been a sold four stars if it hadn’t ended so abruptly. I still can’t figure out exactly what happened! 3.5 stars. #WhenGhostsComeHome

I have never read Wiley Cash but I will be reading all of his past books now!!!

Every time I thought I knew what was going on —something different happened and took the plot in a different direction!! THE ENDING WAS INCREDIBLE!

I’ve never read Wiley Cash before but have discovered that he’s a master at Southern fiction. I happened to be in South Carolina as I was writing this review of a novel which takes place in Oak Island, North Carolina.

Winston Barnes is the sheriff of this small town. Up for reelection in a couple of weeks. There’s a lot of hatred between blacks and the whites who live almost neighbor to neighbor.

Since I’m here in South Carolina I can picture the setting so well, the ocean and the intercoastal, the airport and the runway.

Winston and his wife are awakened one morning by a rumbling noise that shakes the house, it sounds to them like a plane flying low and possibly crashing at the nearby airport. Winston immediately rushes to the scene only to find one man shot dead. There is an airplane with a broken wheel on one side sitting completely empty, not even a set of fingerprints can be found.

Everyone points the finger at a different person or group of persons but none of us really know who’s guilty or what this crime involves.

The FBI immediately becomes involved and Winston is not happy having the case taken away from him.

The man running for election against sheriff Winston Barnes still hangs onto his Confederate flags and wants this area to be for the elite white population. There are new homes being built very close to a highly Black neighborhood. There are a lot of threatening events in the neighborhood, often late at night with loud noise, rocks being thrown, etc.

BUT THE HEART OF THE STORY is Sheriff Winston‘s family; his wife who is ill and his daughter Colleen who had left years ago to attend college and then law school. She ended up marrying another law student while pregnant, before she got to sit for her LSATS. She has come home for reasons I will leave you to discover.

This is an extremely close knit family. They love and care about each other. I listened to this book on audio and maybe that made it so special, listening to the voices of all of the different characters. Winston is such a strong moral individual, always trying to do the right thing.Their love for the daughter knows no bounds.

This audiobook had me entranced from the very first words I heard and even while I was on vacation I had my earbuds in and my iPhone in my pocket because I couldn’t stop listening IT’S THAT GOOD!!!?

There are multiple mysteries to be solved and the characters are thoroughly and wonderfully described, they come to life on these pages!!!

I can recommend this to anyone who loves a good mystery and great writing!!

I received an audiobook of this novel from the publisher and Harper Audio via NetGalley. It was my pleasure to listen to and review this wonderful novel.

I really liked this audiobook. The narration was well done.
The story is about a woman whose husband is convicted of rape and it’s told from his and her points of view.
Ther’s also a mystery involved and it kept me listening to see what happens.

4.5 Stars: It's 1984 and 63-year-old Winston Barnes is the sheriff of Oak Island, North Carolina. It is a pretty quiet place although there were riots during school desegregation and there is still a lot of racial tension. When a large airplane crash-lands and there is no pilot or cargo, it is immediately assumed it is drugs. When the body of a local man is found on the ground near the crash, a black man, Winston begins a murder investigation that will change the course of his life and the fate of his community. With an election coming up and his opponent being a racist who is inciting others against the black community, there are bound to be clashes. Along with all this, his wife is ill and his daughter has come back home to deal with an enormous loss.

From the blurb, we know this book "delves deep into the hearts of these richly drawn, achingly sympathetic characters to reveal the nobility of an ordinary man struggling amidst terrifying, extraordinary circumstances." This is a perfect description of Winston. He is a very noble character and I felt for all he was dealing with. He was torn but did not give up his morals and continued to do what was right even though it could end up costing him everything. Brad Frye was everything I have come to dislike. He is arrogant (spoiled rich boy), selfish, bigoted and full of hatred. He is also Winston's opponent in the race for Sheriff. This makes for a town divided. When the FBI show up due to the possible drug connection, he is juggling even more. This is a character driven, atmospheric novel. It is about a good man and the challenges he faces. It is about a town divided. There are several POVs in this book. We have Winston's, Colleen's which shares her life and relationship with her father in flashbacks and Rodney's (the dead man) young brother-in-law who is growing up as a black man living with racism and white supremacy. A book that is emotional and had an ending that took me by surprise, but was fitting for this story. This is southern fiction at its best. JD Jackson was the perfect narrator for this book. He gave this book heart, and had me connecting with the characters easily. I loved his voice and definitely recommend this audiobook to lovers of Southern Fiction.

This was the first Wiley Cash that I have read and I definitely enjoyed his writing style -- the pain of his characters is exquisitely captured and the story kept me engaged. I used the audiobook interchangeably with the print edition and I thought the narrator was perfect. His deep, resonant tone and thoughtful pacing was well suited to the overall atmosphere and feeling of the novel.

An emotional story that centers around Sheriff Winston Barnes of Oak Island NC. Barnes finds himself in the center of a murder investigation for a man that was born and raised on the island. While trying to determine the motive for the murder Sheriff Barnes finds himself battling racism, supporting his ill wife and helping his daughter cope with the loss of her baby. He is also up for re-election and must worry about any political fall out that his actions might make.

This is a multi-faceted story with flashbacks of his daughter Colleen's childhood and the strong father -daughter relationship that they have. He is a good man that has a strong moral compass and must give the family of the victim the justice that they desperately need.

I have never read a Wiley Cash story before but I am so glad that I have. It is a great story that I will think about for awhile. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with the audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This character-driven mystery was very well-written and kept me guessing but the ending took my breath away. How could Cash do that to us?! I really enjoyed it but that outcome was just wrong!

"When Ghosts Come Home" is much more than a murder mystery. It was a wonderful reflection on the father-daughter relationship between Colleen and her father, Sheriff Winston Barnes. It also deals beautifully with grief and loss and takes a vivid look at racism in the South.

Winston Barnes is a long-time sheriff facing some difficult life events. His wife has cancer, his daughter lost her first child, and he's up for a re-election against a younger, corrupt candidate. As the novel begins, Winston and his wife are awoken by the sound of a low flying plan in the dead of the night. When he goes to investigate, he finds a large airplane with no pilot, no cargo, and the dead body of a local man. In the midst of the investigation, In the midst of the investigation Winston is confronted with the unannounced return of his daughter, the prevalent racism in his community, and an investigation that drives him to relive the mistakes of his past. It all builds to a tragic ending that will leave the reader stunned.

When Ghost Come Home by a Wiley Cash was a great story but that ending!!! Great read. You will not be disappointed.

I enjoyed this book. It moves along in an interesting fashion without being action packed. I was happy with the resolution of the mystery - until the very end - an yet am not upset with how the author ended the book. Wiley Cash has another character driven mystery that is full of people you seem to know.

The book touches on some very relevant topics such as: racism, police killings, and health care access.

J.D.Jackson does an excellent job or narrating the story. His gravely voice is perfect for Winston, the old Sherriff who does most of the narrating.

Thanks to Harper Audio for allowing me an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The sound quality of audiobooks on net galley are still incredibly poor. The sound is tinny and unfinished. It is like listening to a bootleg version of an audiobook, which is quite unpleasant. I was not able to finish listening because it gave me a headache and made the experience awful. I have submitted many tickets to have this issue looked at but it does not seem to be changing. Very unfortunate as I am an avid fan of audiobooks.

I have read all of Wiley Cash books and they never disappoint. The worst part about all his books are that they end. The narration was great. I love listening to an audio book that pulls me and sits me down right in the middle of all the characters. Wiley Cash books do just that.

I found this audiobook to be terribly slow and laborious to listen to, as I did not particularly care for the narrator's gravelly voice. It was difficult to concentrate on the plot and I felt zero connection with the characters in this novel.

I really enjoyed this mystery set in 1984 amid the racial upheaval of a small community. Sheriff Barnes is awakened by the sound of a plane flying low. Imagining it is a plane in distress, he heads to the small regional airport a mile from his home to discover an abandoned plane and a dead body on the runway. Barnes’s life is complicated and stressful. He’s running an unsuccessful reelection campaign against a rich racist, his wife has cancer, and his grieving daughter has recently returned home after the stillbirth of her son. Carefully crafted and character- driven, Wiley Cash has written a really satisfying thriller and managed to surprise me with the ending.
Highly Recommended
#NetGalley
#WhenGhostsComeHome

Winston Barnes, sheriff of a coastal county in North Carolina, has plenty on his mind already when he is awaked in the middle of the night by a low flying plane. He drives to the small local airport to find not only an empty cargo plane with disabled landing gear at the end, but the body of a murdered young black man. So on top of his concerns about an imminent election, his wife's illness, his daughter's recent loss of a still-born baby, he has a couple of mysteries to solve. That doesn't even take into consideration the racial tensions the murder arouses in his community. But this book, set in the early 1980s is more than a mystery novel, It's about family and grief, about change, about communication, and mostly about a very good man trying to do the right thing. The narration, by JD Jackson is low key and perfect to keep the listener focused on the story and not the performance. A lovely listening experience

Winston Barnes is the sheriff on Oak Island North Carolina in 1984, but he fears he will soon be out of a job. The election is just around the corner and it looks like a younger, less honest man will win. Barnes is awakened by the sound of a plane flying to low over his home and discovers an airplane has crashed at a local airport. There is no sign of pilot, crew or cargo. What Barnes does find, is the body of a local Black man, who has been shot, not far from the wreckage. The ensuing murder investigation will force Barnes to look deep into the ugly and troubled past of Oak Island, laying bare its racism and ignorance. Cash is a most extraordinary writer. once you start reading his books, you simply cannot stop, they are that good. Jackson’s no nonsense delivery of this book only serves to complement this tale of mystery and racial tension