Very likable characters and a great story that will keep you guessing.

A very well written mystery set in Wyoming. The plot was quite convoluted but there was enough twists and turns to keep me interested. Very detailed characterisation and I loved Morgan, the lead character. The book starts off quite slow with the exhumation of a body but the pace soon picks up as we encounter drug dealers and even a mention of Butch Cassidy! A good psychological thriller set in small town America. Thank you Net galley for my copy. I reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads.

I enjoyed the mysterious aspects of this book - the "who dunnit" was very intricately weaved! So many of the twists and turns were unexpected or perhaps alluded to but then a new angle was taken.
My reading usually involves more psychological dramatics versus criminal and action drama. I can think of several friends who would greatly enjoy this title. Personally, I found it a bit outside of my normal comfort zone but still very much worth the read!

The first thing I need to tell you is that netgalley provided a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review. The second thing is that I was bound to like it unless it was poorly written, since I'm in the process of moving to Wyoming and am enthralled by any book that provides a good sense of the setting.

Franscell's "The Obitutary," did just that, and it was what I liked best about the book. Jefferson Morgan, the main character, is a newspaperman in the small town of Winchester, Wyoming. A little research on my part indicates that Winchester is actually a ghost town, but the active little town I'm moving to could have served as a template for Morgan's Winchester. As the book opens, a forensic archeaologist is on hand for the disenternment of Butch Cassidy's purported lover's body, and a shocking discovery is made when the grave is opened.

The book moves quickly from scene to scene, and there is a lot of violence. Until the end, it's not quite clear how the separate plots connect, but Franscell doesn't give the reader a lot of time to worry about those ties.

Franscell's writing about Wyoming and its people occasionally verges on the stereotypical, but it is mostly on-point and engaging. The plot weaves the history of the west with the drug problems faced by small, rural towns throughout the U.S. at the moment.