In the seventh installment in the Sheriff Hank Worth series a man stumbles out of the woods saying there’s a dead body. Unfortunately he has no idea where in the woods the body was, leading Hank to call in search dog teams. In addition to dealing with the search and the normal everyday crime, treasure hunters are descending on the area drawn by a podcast that claims the contents of a bank were buried there during the Civil War and never found.

The book is an interesting mix of present day police procedural and snippets of Civil War history. It was a hard story to put down.

I had the pleasure of reading Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth, it's the seventh adventure in the Ozarks with sheriff Hank Worth. This time we also get a little civil war history in the mystery, someone is searching for gold in the woods and people wind up dead. We also have some ongoing problems both with Hanks family and his second in command. I really like this series and have a soft spot for small town mysteries and this one falls deep into that category. If you still haven't started enjoying this sereis it's about time you do. This book hits the shelves August 5. I have to thank Severn House and Netgalley for supplying me with this advance copy.

Are you a thriller lover?? Don’t skip Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth. This was a great one! It’s available soon!

I’m glad Claire Booth is continuing the Hank Worth series. This one has Hank and his wife, Maggie at odds with each other over Maggie’s dad, Duncan being accused of murder by Hank. They are struggling to find their way without Duncan being around to help out with the kids. In the midst of all the upheaval, a lost hiker is found at by Murder Rocks which has a history of having gold hidden. Murder Rocks is made even more popular due to a podcast that speculates on if the treasure is still there. Two dead bodies are found and the hunt is on to find out who the murderer is.

Great storyline and while there were some hints as to who the murderer is, the ending was rather sad.

Throwing Shadows: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth is the latest read in a great series that began with The Branson Beauty. This is a series that must be read in order as events happen, create consequential ripple effects just like in real life, and people change. That is especially true in this case as this read is set just a few weeks after the events of Home Fires. Not only is the community dealing with the aftermath, Sheriff Hank Worth and his family are dealing with the scorched earth aftermath of a devastating family secret that burned through them all.

In the here and now, Sheriff Hank Worth is dealing with a surge in catalytic converter thefts across Branson County, Missouri. The devices are getting stolen in large numbers off the cars in the local car lots. It is happening in places that have poor or nonexistent security. Nobody has an idea they have been hit until a car is started for a potential customer and the loud racket makes it clear the theft has happened.

At the same time, Chief Deputy Sheila Turley is coping with her slowly healing injuries as best as she can as she faces the upcoming trail of her attacker. The same grit and determination that got her through the attack is getting her through each day, a painful minute at a time, now. The odds of getting a fair trial are considerably stacked against her, but Malcolm Oberholz assures her they can win the case.

Then a man in very bad shape stumbles out of the thick woods and everything else, personal, and professional, takes a back seat. He claims to have been lost in the woods the last two or three days. Not only was he not prepared to be wandering around in the woods, he was not prepared to find a body. He did. Now the good Sheriff and others on his team have to figure out where the lost man has been and if there really is a body in those woods so lovely, dark, and deep.

After some effort a body is found. It isn’t the first time blood has been shed in those same woods. Those woods have a bloody, and often violent, history that goes back decades and rumors of stolen treasure. There is a reason why the area is known to the natives as the “Murder Rocks.” That history inspired a podcast. That, in turn, brought out a bunch of people with zero wilderness skills to hunt loot from long ago. It also seems to have also brought out at least one killer who is not through yet.

Throwing Shadows: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery by Claire Booth is another very good read. Complicated as these books always are, it also features a lot of interesting local history for us armchair travelers. The result is another really good read that ends all too soon and leaves the reader wanting more.


I picked this up through NetGalley by way of the publisher, Severn House, which has me on their preapproved reviewer list. A fact I am very grateful for as the ability to instantly download is a wonderful thing. There was no expectation of a review.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Secrets of the Ozarks, past and present - greed and pride pushing the buttons. Two murders intertwined in a complex mystery with a solid and human team not letting up until it all unravels. Great series with real characters - will definitely keep you hooked.

Throwing Shadows by Claire Booth. This is Book 7 of A Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries, The mystery portion of the book was a solid police procedural with great suspense, twists and turns, and a light touch of dry Missouri humor. Since this was the first book that I read in the series, I confused as to the backstories and histories of the main characters. However, the characters were presented in a manner that has made me curious about them and wanting to search out Sheriff Worth series' backlist. An entertaining read.
Thank you to the author, Severn House and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

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?! Good book! This book had great suspense, murder, mystery, intrigue, and a few shocking moments! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!