I love a small town setting, and gravitate towards books with a serial killer plot, but unfortunately WHEN THE CORN IS WAIST HIGH ended up being just an OK read for me. I enjoyed the funny parts of the story, and there were a few twisty parts, but overall it just wasn’t for me. I listened to the audiobook, and as an avid reader and audiobook listener, I’ve found I even prefer audiobooks to physical books if it’s the right narration.

Many thanks to Dreamscape Media/Netgalley for the gifted audiobook for review.

Father Solomon Lancaster, the town's Catholic priest, and the sheriff must start digging up the truth and stay one step ahead of the FBI, which doesn't think the small-town cops can handle the work. When the Corn is Waist is a murder mystery in a 1980s small town in rural Indiana where a series of murders occur. The story had some fascinating parts for me along the road, but overall it wasn't that compelling. The characters and timing of events didn't feel believable to me, and the major twist wasn't all that stunning because it felt like it was revealed in the first chapter. Many people will undoubtedly appreciate this book, but I was hoping for more from what seemed like a good premise. Thom Rivera did a fantastic job narrating this book. He kept me interested in a book that, had I been reading standard text, I might have put down. In exchange for an unbiased review, NetGalley sent me a free copy of this book. This has no bearing on how I feel about the book or the information in my review.

This book was ok. I did not see the twist coming at the end, which I love so. However, this book just really wasn't my jam. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The writing was fine and the narration was ok. I don't have a problem with the irreverence towards the priesthood or catholic religion nor the swearing. The swearing did seem to be a bit gratuitous at times, and that's coming from someone who loves to swear!

#WhentheCornIsWaistHigh
#NetGalley

This book was nuts. I had no idea if I was liking it or not until I reached the end and loudly exhaled. There were parts I loved, parts I hated, and parts that were just okay. The ending is literally what got me though. Like DANG it's like that now? This is a great mystery/thriller with a unreliable narrator and lots of insanity.


Goodreads review directly after reading - "That was mind fucky"

Definitely did not expect the perspective of this book. I won't give any spoilers but it shocked me completely! I love when a book does that.

This might be the cosiest Serial Killer thriller ever written. I normally prefer my fiction more dark and disturbing, yet something about this one drew me in enough to request a copy for review. 

This book has an engaging first narrative, written from the perspective of a priest who also serves as the sheriff for this small US small town. In many ways, this book was incredibly quaint with descriptions of small town life. 

At first, I would this book was a little too cute, with it's jokey narrative and descriptions of homemade cooking. Yet I kept reading and soon enough was rewarded for my patience. It's important not to spoil a book like this, but it became quite… interesting. Some of the plot points were wonderfully unexpected and I became completely hooked in the later half of the book.

I would highly recommend this novel to readers looking for a unique twist on the classic cozy mystery novel. I wish I could say more, but I encourage people to read this for themselves before they accidentally get spoiled on the internet. 

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.

4.5/5
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an advanced audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When the corn is waist high is about Solomon Lancaster, the local sheriff and also the priest at the local Catholic church. His small Indiana town is shaken to the core when someone is murdered in a particularly gruesome way... and then more and more bodies continue to show up. Father Lancaster finds himself in a weird place as he is trying to shepherd the town through this crisis, but also trying to help solve the mystery of this serial killer.

I was completely taken by surprise by this story more than once. I enjoyed being in Father Lancaster's head as he's trying to navigate this weird juxtaposition of his two vastly different roles. The mystery was incredibly intriguing-- as the bodies continued to show up, I found myself coming up with all kinds of scenarios of how these people could be linked to one another and what on earth could be motivating this killer.

Once we get to the big mid-twist of the book, I enjoyed how the tone shifts from this sort of light-hearted investigation into a supremely gritty look into a killer's motivations and methods. The drastic change in tone was SO compelling and I was just completely and incredibly impressed with the author's talent in making these two very different halves of the book feel cohesive and yet completely different from one another. And that ending????? I genuinely haven't stopped thinking about it for a week.

The narrator was amazing. He did a great job of following the author's lead-- the narration was different between the two halves of the book. I appreciated his talent in moving from the small town crime investigation into the twisted thoughts and minds of a killer. Highly recommend for anyone who loves a true crime type story!

I found this audiobook hard to review. This book is a thriller with comedic undertones, which at times
I appreciated because it helped relieve some of the darker subject matter but also fell flat in other circumstances. The combination of a sheriff/catholic priest main character was not very believable but did allow for some comedic relief. I don't really appreciate negligence, so a haphazard murder investigation where characters lack the basic skills to properly investigate was somewhat off-putting. However, the narration I found to be excellent.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

When the Corn is Waist High is my first read by Jeremy Scott. After reading it I want to go back and read all his books.
This tale has a cursing priest, Father Solomon Lancaster, who is also the town Sheriff. The cursing totally fits his character, He also sleeps with women. He’s a vigilante too. His dry humor goes into the disquieting human darkness.
It’s set in the cute small town of Crooked Creek, Indiana, and it takes me home to everyone knows everyone.
It's very entertaining, one minute you read about a person getting killed, and then next you are eating comfort food. There are so many twists.
Thanks NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the read.

I loved this book. The small town, everyone knows everyone, feel is perfect. I'm from a small town so I get it. The twist and the another twist - I enjoyed everything about this book. Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest read.

When the Corn is Waist High has a cursing priest,
Father Solomon Lancaster, who is also the town Sheriff. The cursing totally fits his character, but a lot of the reviews have readers DNFing the book because of the cussing. He also sleeps with women. He’s a vigilante too. His dry humor goes into the disquieting human darkness. It’s quite the juxtaposition with the cute small town atmosphere of Crooked Creek, Indiana. You read about a person getting killed then about comfort food. The twist in the middle and end got me.

I wasn’t a fan from the start. I think if I had read this instead of listening, I might feel differently. The narrator sounded like he was reading the words from the page, rather than telling a story.

This book was horrible and that is the nicest thing I can say about it. This author goes on my never again list. The narrator was fine.

When the Corn is Waist High AUDIO by Jeremy Scott is a compelling serial killer mystery told first person by the Chief of Police. The story takes place in Jerusalem County, Indiana, which when translated means out in the middle of nowhere. This town is so small that the police chief is also the local priest. There are only two churches and one is his independent Catholic church, which means the pope and that hierarchy is not part of their concern.

His name is Solomon Lancaster and most of the time he has no problem fulfilling the responsibilities of both positions. The there is a killing. A sweet old lady who had recently donated several thousand dollars to his church. He is called to the scene of the crime where amongst other things, there are lilies sewn into her arm. Very odd. The mayor immediately gets into a panic and swears there's a serial killer on the loose, despite there being only one death. That doesn't last for long, though, as other bodies, appear, all with flowers as part of the staged death scene. Finally the mayor gives up and calls the FBI. Solomon and his staff are pretty much taken off the case, relegated to patrolling the streets.

Solomon visits his mentor, the retired priest who had been his best friend since he retired and gave up the position to Solomon. Solomon regularly hears his friend's confession and his friend offers him the same in return. The old man is slowly fading and probably doesn't have much longer. One of the things Solomon confesses is his attraction to a female officer on loan from a nearby town for this case. He is absolved. Then he starts an affair. He hasn't yet confessed that. Bodies keep dropping. The FBI is making no headway. It is an exciting investigation when things start happening.

Thom Rivers is the narrator and I don't know if he is a talented actor or simply the perfect man to read this book. He sounds kind of slow and plodding, just as people see country folk sometimes. He is perfect. He keeps an even keep no matter what is happening, and plenty happens. Kudos to Mr. Rivers.

I was invited to listen to a pre-publication version of the audio book by Dreamscape Media, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #dreamscapemedia #whenthecorniswaisthigh #jeremyscott

In the book When the Corn Is Waist High, author Jeremy Scott writes about Father Solomon Lancaster, the local priest who is also the county sheriff. He finds himself trying to find a serial killer in his small county. The FBI soon descends on Crooked Creek, Indiana, to take over the investigation. But who is really killing these people? And what are the secrets that Father Solomon is hiding?
This was an interesting story line and I was looking forward to listening to it. But the language was terrible, and the priest was the worst one. Also the priest has an affair with a married woman. And the ending was just bizarre. This is definitely not Father Dowling. The audio-book narration was very well done. I would not recommend this book. I received a copy of this audio-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this book for my honest review.

I really enjoyed listening to this book, especially about 60% of the way in and there was a huge plot twist that I didn't see coming (I usually see plot twists from a mile away)! I enjoyed the build up to the twist and what followed after. Seeing how I live in the state next door to Indiana, I found the description of the area accurate, but maybe discussed too much. We get it. The town is in the middle of nowhere with very few people living there. Other than that, the mystery and suspense behind who was doing all the killings and why was written well and interesting. I would recommend this book!

I can guarantee you will not guess the ending.
About two thirds through you will realize that not everything is what it should be with our loving, caring Father/Sheriff Solomon but the ending is still a surprise. Our Catholic priest is an accomplished manipulator of his parishioners and his mentor a retired priest whose job he took over after arriving in this small town.
The story is witty with lots of humor that will make you laugh.
Not your typical serial killer murder mystery.
Thom Rivera the Narrator was perfect for the reading of this story.

I enjoyed this one. I have to say… the ending, I did not see coming. I loved that I did not suspect what was going on. At least not until three quarters of the way through. The ending though, that was a shocker! A catholic priest from a small town in the middle of nowhere Indiana is also the police chief. When would this actually happen? Deaths start occurring in this small town and he begins on an investigation of a serial killer. The entire book was written in the first person of Solomon Lancaster, the priest and police chief of this small town. Overall, this was a fun read, with witty humor, deception, and some murder. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a fantastic job!

Ok so…I don’t think I’ve ever laughed out loud at all while listening to an audiobook but I definitely haven’t as much as I did while listening to this one. Don’t get me wrong, this is definitely a thriller and a danged good one, but the sarcasm and dry humor of Father Lancaster had me delightfully giggling throughout the entire 9 hour listen.
Father Solomon Lancaster is the priest AND sheriff in the small town of Crooked Creek, Indiana. He is put to the test in both of his professions when it looks as though a serial killer is on the loose in his usually quiet slice of the Midwest. The FBI takes over the case leaving the sheriff in an awkward position. He feels as though he must justify his policing credentials to be involved in the investigation while also ensuring his own secrets don’t surface as they continue their search. He will do whatever it takes to ensure the killer is caught so Crooked Creek can go back to the quiet farm town he knows and loves.
This is the first audiobook I’ve listened to with a male narrator and #thomrivera was definitely the man for the job! He brilliantly brought Father Sheriff Lancaster to life. #jeremyscott created this character with such personality and charm, it’s hard to believe he’s fictional. This book was a different take on your typical serial killer thriller and I’ve already recommended it to so many people, even before I finished it!
Now that today is release day, definitely drop what you’re doing and head to your nearest book store to pick it up or download the audio and enjoy it like I did!

When the Corn Is Waist High
Jeremy Scott
Crooked Creek, Indiana is a small farming community where the priest at the community Catholic Church is also the Sheriff. Father Solomon Lancaster seems to have no problem balancing the two jobs but does so with a foul mouth. Lancaster openly admits his training for sheriff mostly comes from watching Perry Mason and Murder She Wrote. He reminds us his is an elected official. The former mayor is a thorn in the side of the Sheriff and will do anything he can think of to aggravate him. The unthinkable happens, there is a murder in the town, but it doesn’t stop with a victim, there are more. The bodies start to pile up in Crooked Creek, Indiana and fresh flowers are attached in some manner to each of the victims. The FBI take over the investigation. The citizens are terrified with good reason.
Father Solomon is a strange character. He has a close friendship with the retired former priest; the are almost like father and son. He visits the priest for gives confession.
This is an unusual murder mystery. The identity of the murderer surprised me as did the motives. The language was vulgar. The murders were violent.