This is my first introduction to both the author and series and I really liked the writing style. The mix of investigation with the podcast and letters kept my attention and there was never a dull moment. At first I wasn’t really sure which of the officers the main story was going to follow. It followed both Hank and Sheila a decent amount as well as Sam. I enjoyed how the reader got to know the background of more than just the main officer. I liked their personal lives just as much as their professional ones and never felt clueless as to what happened in the past. The investigation was interesting and with the three officers we got to see all aspects of it. I loved how much the setting and history was a part of the plot. It was suspenseful and kept me guessing. The length was perfect to not draw it out too long but also wrap up the mystery without feeling rushed.

Thank you @claire.booth10 @secernhouseimprint @partnersintime for the gifted copy.

Claire Booth's latest Hank Worth mystery may be my favorite in the series to date. All the books are great reads, but this storyline is one of her best. Throwing Shadows works fine as a standalone, but I highly recommend the entire series.

Set in Branson, Missouri, Hank Worth is a hardworking sheriff with a complicated home life. Navigating the icy waters in his marriage, Hank also finds himself investigating a new crime with very old roots. 

Murder Rocks is an infamous landmark out in the Ozark woods. Booth's meticulous research into the very real events of the 19th Century threads outlaw Alf Bolin and his notorious band of bushwhackers into the current story, combining historical fact with contemporary fiction.

During the Civil War, Alf Bolin and his gang terrorized decent citizens on either side of the conflict, collecting all manner of valuables, including much sought after gold. Learning of the known thief and killer, Hank Worth discovers that a recent murder could be related to the rumor of hidden treasure from those long ago outlaw days.

In Throwing Shadows, a popular podcast sends treasure hunters streaming onto the privately-owned property around Murder Rocks in the hopes of finding the treasure and striking it rich. But with two bodies and a skeleton hidden nearby, Hank can't tell if those treasure hunters are guilty of homicide or just mucking up his crime scene. Not to mention if the killer is still around, those treasure hunters could become the next victim.

With close attention to police procedure, and a twisty plot for a solid mystery and engaging personal stakes, Throwing Shadows earns every one of those five stars.

Fans of Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder and William Ken Krueger's Cork O'Connor series will love this one!

In the latest book in the Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery series, Hank investigates a murder that is seemingly related to a legend of buried gold that dates back to the Civil War.

The plot is well-conceived, while the motivations of the characters makes the mystery more complex and interesting. There are several key players and I found it was sometimes hard to keep track of them or how they were related to each other. But, in the end, this was an interesting mystery that I enjoyed.

Throwing Shadows is the seventh book in the series by Claire Booth. The author does an admirable job trying to provide some context for this most recent book. However, I did feel a little adrift at times and I’m sure if I had read more of the previous books Throwing Shadows would have been even more enjoyable. NetGalley provided an advance reader copy.

This is an entertaining and informative mystery. It explores a contemporary murder that has its roots in the unsettled situation in Civil War torn Missouri. Booth has done a good job creating two situations. The contemporary one is the hunt for hidden gold by people obsessed and driven by a popular podcast, resulting in murder. The historical situation comes through in letters describing the attempt to flee approaching raiders while traveling north with gold. The setting for the action felt authentic with rain drenched and forested hills.

The characters are drawn well. I am impressed with Sheila, a crusty sheriff detective, maimed from an event in a previous novel but aggressive here in her attempt to get at the truth. Hank is the overworked sheriff who is trying to even out his relationship with his wife. Young Sam is trying to make his way, working on the case while paying suitable attention to his girlfriend. Booth does a good job of interspersing personal events into the ongoing murder investigation plot. While the mystery is solved, some of the personal issues are not so I will be waiting for a sequel.

This novel is down the line in a series but the first I have read. There were a few references to important events in previous novels, such as Sheila's debilitating attack and the cause of the tension between Sheriff Hank and his wife. Nonetheless, I was able to enjoy this novel and felt it read pretty well on its own. It's a good one for readers who would like interesting characters and murders with motives buried in history.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, book 7 in the Sheriff Hank Worth series. It seems these can also be read as standalones, but the characters’ personalities are well developed so I suspect reading this series in order might not be a bad idea.
Sheriff Hank Worth – he’s not just dealing with the crime at hand, he’s dealing with a couple of home situations that are totally relatable. They involve his wife (Maggie), his children, and his father-in-law. There’s a deeper story there, which makes me think book 6 would be a good one to pick up for a better understanding.
Maggie, Hank’s wife – she works in the ER so every time a case comes through the ER doors, she has to admonish Hank.
Sam – Hank calls him his young pup. He’ll be a good investigator one day. And his girlfriend Brenna.
And my favorite character … Sheila. She works with Hank, she’s supposed to be his partner but it seems she outranks him, at least that was my take. There’s more to Sheila’s story as she walks around with a limp and sometimes a bad attitude, but her sense of humor … that is something I appreciated throughout this tale. She just drops these comments that are so spot on, she gave me a chuckle or two.
There is some history in the telling of this tale that involves Alf Bolin and what happened at what is called Murder Rocks. These rocks are now located on the Fackrells’ land, their family having been there for quite a long time. There’s a podcast. There are treasure hunters. There are crimes involved which is where Hank, Sheila, and Sam come in. There are innocent folks, guilty folks, and just a lot of things happening throughout the solving of the crimes. There are some backstories that include the Worth family, Sheila’s limp, and of course the podcast owner.
I liked all these tidbits of individual stories laced together, coupled with Sheila’s sense of humor, to get to the end result. I kind of figured out the whodunnit but I wasn’t sure of the why or the how. I’d be interested in reading more of Hank and Sheila’s adventures.

There's gold in them thar hills! Or is there? Whe a podcast sparks a deluge of fortune hunters to the infamous Murder Rocks in the Ozarks, more bodies turn up than gold pieces.
Sherrif Hank Worth and his overworked, understaffed department have their hands full dealing with clueless city slickers, more than one murder, cranky land owners and, to add to everything, thier own personal issues.
It's a complex web of mystery that will have you guessing and unable to put it down until you reach the surprising end.

BOOK REPORT
Received a complimentary copy of Throwing Shadows, by Claire Booth, from Severn House/NetGalley, for which I am appreciative, in exchange for a fair and honest review. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

Good heavens! What in the WORLD was Previous Kristi thinking, requesting an ARC of the No. 7 book in a police procedural mystery series?

I’d like to think that maybe “she” thought all manner of things, but I should just own up to what the real fact of the matter probably was: She was reading too fast and didn’t clock that it was part of a series, or thought it was the first.

Once I realized what was up, I had to make the decision about whether to keep going or not. I did, because I know myself well enough that when I finally make it back to this book after I start this series and read it in order, I will probably have forgotten many—if not all—salient plot points, and will enjoy it all over again. And the whole point of reading it was to see if I’d enjoy this series by Claire Booth.

Short answer: Yup.

Longer answer: Yup, because it’s an awful lot like Longmire in feel/tone.

Which now brings me to this: I also panicked because I had only nine days left to read this book. When what I really intended to do was read the newest Longmire book, which I checked out from the QuickPick shelf at the public library today. But then got sidetracked from, because Mailman: My Wild Ride Delivering the Mail in Appalachia and Finally Finding Home, by Stephen Starring Grant, was available electronically from another library (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... ).

If you’re following this pinball game of a Book Report, God bless you.

The point of all of ^that^ was to say that I started out this morning with one book plan, then shifted, repeatedly. Also, I had planned only to read for a bit, then take care of some yard chores. Nope, didn’t happen. Read a whole book instead.

And am now quite pleased to know that down the road I can come back to Sheriff Hank Worth and the Ozarks and enjoy myself immensely with a little binge. (Even if I do worry, just a little, that some of the characters are based on kinfolk…..distant, distant kinfolk……)

DESCRIPTION
Fans of Steven F. Havill’s Posadas County and Lisa Regan’s Josie Quinn series will enjoy this fascinating and complex story set in small-town Missouri. "Balances well-developed characters and dry humor with a solid police procedural" - Library Journal Starred Review of Dangerous Consequences

When a hiker stumbles from the woods raving about a dead man, Sheriff Hank Worth launches a search. Near the infamous landmark of Murder Rocks – a Civil War era hideout for ambushers who robbed and killed passing travelers – they unearth two bodies and a skeleton.

Local legend says there’s caches of stolen gold buried in the area. And – thanks to some recent nationwide publicity – the Ozark backwoods are now swarming with out-of-town treasure hunters, who have little concern for Hank’s murder investigation. With the clock ticking, Hank must identify the victims . . . and the killer. But could the new pursuit of long-lost plunder really have led to multiple deaths?

Meanwhile, secrets uncovered in Hank’s personal life are taking a toll. He and his wife are trying to bridge the painful gap that’s widening daily. As it threatens to split them apart, Hank doesn’t know what’s tougher, murder or marriage. With both taking everything he has, all he does know is that old sins throw long shadows . . .

Book #7 in the Sheriff Hank Worth series. By now, the characters and community of this series have become friends whom I welcome with every new book. The characters continue to grow and move forward in their personal and professional lives. The community has its odd quirks, but every small town in Missouri has some of the same quirks. Claire Booth has maintained the story lines so they blend one into the next without losing track of the overarching threads, such as the Sheriff's marital problems. Overall, the books are well-written, the mysteries have enough twists that you won't figure them out until the reveal, and I'm always left waiting for the next book. If you're a lover of great series, this one is for you.

Another intriguing mystery in the Ozarks

Murder, greed, and family tensions abound in this 7th book of the Sheriff Hank Worth series. The book opens with the discovery of two bodies near the legendary Murder Rocks. Hank and his deputies must dig hard to find out who the victims are. If two murders aren’t enough, a podcast floods the Ozark woods with treasure hunters.

Claire Booth has woven murder and treasure hunting into a splendid story. Besides a riveting mystery, she has created such wonderful characters that I am invested in their lives. Sheriff Worth is a complex man trying to do the best for his town and deputies. He juggles the needs of his young children and his E.R. doctor wife with his role as Sheriff. He has a cantankerous father-in-law, who is the glue that makes the family work. Chief Deputy Sheila Turley is back at work, but still recovering from her injuries. I get a kick out of her attitude and approach to policing. Her colleagues are a little intimidated by her, including Hank and Deputy Sam Karne. Sam is another favourite character who is having some personal difficulties. But he is developing into a top-notch officer.

What I like most is that a big dose of humour complements this intriguing plot. It would be better to have read the previous book in the series. The author reveals details later in the book to explain the family dynamics. Throwing Shadows will appeal to readers who enjoy the Sheriff Bree Taggert series by Melinda Leigh.

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital advance review copy on NetGalley.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am new to this series and really enjoyed it. I am definitely going to check out the first in the series and make my way through Sheriff Worth's stories! As a standalone, it worked for me.

I like a good police procedural mystery. I found this to be a fast paced mystery that had lots of subplots going on to keep it interesting and fully flesh out the characters. Definitely adding this series to my list of TBR! Highly recommend!!!

This was a good police procedural mystery. It is the first I’ve read on the series so there were a few back stories I was missing but it was still good as a stand alone.

The setting is southern Missouri near a place called Murder Rocks, which does actually exist. The book hooks you right away with a man stumbling out of the woods half delirious soon to be followed by finding two dead men and a skeleton.

Podcast listeners have turn amateur sleuth treasure hunters in the Ozark mountains in search of 1860s riches but two end dead and now Sheriff’s Hank Worth and Sheila Turley have to figure out who and why as more treasure hunters make their way into their town.

I enjoyed the subplots with marriage strife with Hank and his wife and Sheila healing from her injuries (this makes me so curious to go back and read from the start of the series). Sheriff Turley is a great character, she is so well developed. I appreciate the fact that she clearly was hurt in the last book, but she didn’t spring back fully healed in the book. You feel her pain and vulnerability as she struggles to walk, and stand and sit; but you also get to see the deep respect she has from the department that they busy themselves so they don’t watch her struggle, they don’t offer an arm when she needs to stand. They let her do it.

I’ll be putting the series in my tbr!

What an excellent book! I loved how Claire Booth wove this mystery together with great characters and settings. I read it in a day. Well done.

This murder mystery combines real historical elements about the Ozarks near Branson with the author's imagination of a series of events that happens after an overzealous podcaster brings up the potential for buried treasure in those mountains. The listeners come to the area, and two of them are murdered in search of the loot. How the mystery of their deaths unfolds is told through the eyes of several town officials and hangers-on that are colorfully drawn and interesting to read about. I am somewhat familiar with this part of the country having visited the area several times, and glad that there weren't any murders happening -- at least that I knew about. Booth's plot points and the novel's early forays into figuring out quite literally where and why the bodies have been left behind are interesting and the novel remains compelling right up until its conclusion. Highly recommended.

Among other things, a good fiction book makes me feel something and takes me on a journey of discovery. Claire Booth does both in Throwing Shadows, the seventh book in the Sheriff Hank Worth series. When a man stumbles from the woods hysterical and talking about a dead man, Hank launches a search near the infamous landmark of Murder Rocks. This is the site of an 1860’s hideout for ambushers who robbed and killed passing travelers. What the search reveals is more than one dead body.

A local legend says there’s caches of gold, silver, and other valuables buried in the area. When a podcaster reveals this, the Ozark backwoods near Forsyth, Missouri are swarming with treasure hunters who don’t care about a murder investigation or private property. Can Hank find the killer? Is there really treasure to be found?

As if this isn’t enough, secrets in Hank’s personal life are taking a toll on him, his wife Dr. Maggie McCleary, and their marriage. Can he resolve this and solve the case without everything falling to pieces?

Hank, Maggie, and Hank’s chief deputy Sheila Turley are well-developed characters. Hank is especially dynamic and grows as the story unfolds. He may be directionally challenged, but he’s also a great investigator. I especially liked that he praises and builds up his employees in private and in front of others. Maggie is an emergency room doctor and is only biased towards an accurate diagnosis. She puts patients first and can come home after a fourteen-hour shift and still have energy for their two children. However, a school supply trip of a few hours with two children can wipe her out after just a few hours. Sheila was injured in a previous book in the series and is still recovering, but she pushes herself hard to do her job. There are a lot of other characters, but they’re introduced gradually and I didn’t have any trouble distinguishing between them.

A fascinating story and good character development drew me into the book and kept my attention. The world-building is excellent as much of the activity takes place with fall rain and mud and in the woods. The interpersonal dynamics of the characters is excellent and the author is effective in showing readers how each character connect to the story and the others. Information about the legend is included throughout the novel. The story gradually builds momentum with twists and turns and a surprising conclusion. My biggest quibble is that the ending didn’t quite conclude one aspect of the personal dilemma faced by Hank and Maggie. Hopefully, this will be resolved in the next book. Themes include greed, pride, murder, relationships, and much more.

Overall, this is a solid police procedural with excellent world-building and compelling characters. The author does a great job of interspersing events in the character’s personal lives as they work to solve the case, bringing them together effortlessly. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Severn House and Claire Booth provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for August 05, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

Sheriff Hank Worth's hunt for the body a man swears he saw in the woods is complicated by treasure hunters and his life is complicated with family problems in this latest in the small town procedural series. This should be fine as a standalone but know that those who have been following along likely will get more from it. It blends in a bit of Civil War history. Thanks to Netgalleyfor the ARC. A good read for fans of the genre.

Throwing Shadows is the seventh book in the Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries.
The sheriff has to call in the canine search team after a man reports a body in the woods but can't remember where exactly.
This police procedural that dabbles in civil war history is entertaining with suspense and has me interested in other books in the series.

Thank you, Severn House, for this opportunity to read this book, Throwing Shadows, by Claire Booth, before its release date. I'm sorry I have not yet read the previous 6 books in the series, which I have added to my TBR going forward. It's a good book with lots of twists and turns. Who are they, and who did it? Make me think of a previous old TV show I used to watch in a small town in Cape Cod, Maine. I enjoy the back-and-forth banter, who did it type of mystery. I feel I need to catch up on the previous back list. I enjoyed these small-town murder mysteries. not sure if our Sheriff had family problems in the previous series; in this particular book, he seems to have some marital problems and so much more.

Throwing Shadows is part of an ongoing series involving Sherriff Hank Worth. I will say that while you technically could read this as a standalone I probably wouldn't. The story itself is stand alone and fully told within the book. But there is a lot of character backstory that you are missing out on by just jumping right in. It can be a little confusing. The overall story is good and well told. There is strong character development - with the caveat that there is more development by reading the series. I love the small town detective feel.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Claire Booth’s Sheriff Hank Worth books are some of my favorite police procedural series. A warning, though. This is a series you really should read from the beginning, starting with The Branson Beauty. The small sheriff’s team in Branson, Missouri continue to work cases and develop personally in the course of this strong series. And, Hank’s personal life grows more complicated as the series continues.

Booth throws readers right into a complex story as a man who feels threatened plunges through the woods. He’s hysterical, injured, and a couple who sees him calls the sheriff’s department. The man claims to have seen a body in the body in the woods. Sheriff Worth has a deputy who is an excellent tracker, but when they find a body, it’s not the one that was reported. So, they bring in two search-and-rescue dogs, and find two more victims. What in the heck is going on in the woods to bring outsiders to Branson?

It seems there’s a podcast called “Hidden Hoards” that directed listeners to the Ozarks to find a treasure possibly hidden by Alf Bolin, an outlaw who terrorized and killed people in the Ozarks prior to and during the Civil War years. Gold! All kinds of listeners headed to Branson County to search for Bolin’s hidden treasure. And, some of them don’t make it alive out of the woods.

While Hank and his Chief Deputy, Sheila Turley, struggle to find enough staff to work the murder investigation, they both deal with personal issues. After issues with his father-in-law, Hank’s struggling to keep his marriage intact. Sheila’s preparing for the trial of a man who attacked her. But, the investigation of deaths in the woods takes priority.

Throwing Shadows is another outstanding book in an ever-evolving series. Booth’s use of the legends of Alf Bolin, along with a podcast that stirs up trouble, combines history and current topics. At the same time, the personal lives of Worth and his team allow the characters to come to life. In the past, I’ve compared this series to Terry Shames’ Samuel Craddock mysteries and Steven F. Havill’s Posadas County ones. This book, and the series, is a skillful blend of character and mystery.

This was my first Sheriff Hank Worth book and it won't be my last. I really liked the story and the characters. There were times I was confused about parts of the storylines but the author did a great job explaining everything. While it's part of a series it could be read and enjoyed as a standalone. I am a huge fan of podcasts so the idea that a podcast could cause so much chaos to a small town with treasure hunters was intriguing. I enjoyed the character development and am eager for book 8 to (hopefully) find out how Sheila's trial ends up.