A Dredging in Swann

A Seb Creek Mystery

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Pub Date 28 Jan 2020 | Archive Date 28 Jan 2020

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Description

The compelling debut mystery, introducing Detective Seb Creek, a former Marine MP, who must solve two deadly cases while coming to grips with his own PTSD.

Two investigations start at the same time in Swann County, North Carolina, one by the FBI, the other by the sheriff. The feds want to know who stole three Stinger missiles during a helicopter crash. The sheriff wants to know who hanged a black ex-con in a well.

Seb Creek, a sheriff’s detective, gets involved in both investigations and fights through lies, secrets, and murder to find the killer. The trail involves a long-ago ax murder, the ravages of combat, an outdoor gas chamber, a mystery at the bottom of a well, and finally a last killing and an ancient testament.

A Dredging in Swann is a tale that deals powerfully with themes of war, race, justice, and, in the end, with healing.

Sometimes justice has to wait.

Sometimes it won’t.

The compelling debut mystery, introducing Detective Seb Creek, a former Marine MP, who must solve two deadly cases while coming to grips with his own PTSD.

Two investigations start at the same time in...


A Note From the Publisher

Tim Garvin has an MFA in fiction from the University of Arkansas and has published four short stories and numerous poems in literary journals (Delta, New South Quarterly, Intro). He has also optioned two screenplays, "Dead Money" with Magic Hour Entertainment and "Anvil City" with Twentieth Century Fox. He has worked as a technical writer, newspaper reporter and editor, copywriter, and as an instructor in the writing center of the University of Arkansas. He says, "As can be guessed, I did not pursue a career in fiction until later in life, when the voice I had wanted and waited for suddenly appeared."

Tim Garvin has an MFA in fiction from the University of Arkansas and has published four short stories and numerous poems in literary journals (Delta, New South Quarterly, Intro). He has also optioned...


Advance Praise

“When a man who’s recently been released from prison is found hanged in a well, North Carolina detective Seb Creek must figure out if it was an accident or murder—and what about those missing Stinger missiles?…Investigating the two mysteries will take Seb all over the county, giving debut author Garvin a chance to display a true ear for dialogue and a talent for character portrayal…This polished, beautifully written novel makes one hope Garvin keeps exploring Swann County for a long time.”

-Kirkus Reviews (Starred review)


“Two knotty cases preoccupy fair-minded, conscientious sheriff’s detective Sebastian Creek, a former Marine MP recovering from PTSD, in this intriguing series launch from Garvin…The action builds to a suitably thrilling conclusion. Garvin skillfully draws together the many plot threads while also shining a compassionate light on PTSD sufferers bearing the scars of war.”

-Publishers Weekly

“Tim Garvin’s shrewd debut novel churns with unsettled scores. His wily and disarmingly sentimental detective Seb Creek dredges the past of tidewater Swann County to settle them. Creek’s subtle interrogations make this novel a signal launch.”

-Kris Lackey, USA Today bestselling author of Nail’s Crossing and Greasy Bend


“I’ve never read half a book in one sitting, but this time I did. Early on, the twists of A Dredging in Swann gripped tight and kept me shackled to the page. The book is full of rich deep characters and an amazingly complicated weave of plot. It’s written in strong, colorful prose and with a pace that sucks you in and holds you. I couldn’t leave until Detective Seb Creek had aired all secrets, old and new. Highly recommended—but word of warning … hold on to something while you’re reading.”

-C. Hope Clark, author of the Edisto Island mysteries

“Tim Garvin’s muscular A Dredging in Swann offers two stories in one. The lawman Seb Creek must unravel a complicated murder. That’s the mystery. The suspense tale is whether Cody Cooper, a PTSD afflicted Marine, can extricate himself from his lunatic crime. As the narratives intertwine, they capture both the meanness and humanity of the rural South. The pages crackle with ironic observation and compassionate humor. This book is deadly serious. And serious fun.”

-Fred Chappell, author of Farewell, I’m Bound to Leave You, Midquest: A Poem, and many other books

“When a man who’s recently been released from prison is found hanged in a well, North Carolina detective Seb Creek must figure out if it was an accident or murder—and what about those missing Stinger...


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Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781982550844
PRICE $25.99 (USD)

Available on NetGalley

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Featured Reviews

This was a good read. It was engaging and kept my attention. That and I learned about Venus Flytraps, who knew?! Two events occur at the beginning that set the stage for the rest of the book. A black man who had spent 48 years in prison is released and inherits money, a house and land. Not long after he is murdered. The other event involves two military helicopters, they are returning from a drill when one of the helicopters accidently loses its load – several loaded Stinger missiles and a launcher. Seb Creek is assigned the task of solving the murder. Cody Cooper happens to be camping on the military base and witnesses the missiles fall not far from where he is. So of course he steals them. The murder investigation and Cody’s predicament with the missiles dove tail with a satisfying conclusion. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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Garvin’s new novel A Dredging in Swann is an interesting book that rounds out its characters in a small town in North Carolina. The first couple of chapters are quite staccato but it finds its flow after this point to immense the reader into the workings of this small town.

Lulling the reader into the quiet surrounds of Swann County, we are introduced to a murder that has a more complex reasoning than first envisioned. Written in the third person, the story jumps back and forth from Seb Creek, the everyman detective who has a military background and Cody, a man with a troubled past. What starts out as a straight forward murder mystery intertwines itself with the life of Cody extremely successfully.

The characters are very well balanced and drawn given a three dimensional approach. Garner has an incredible talent of making these characters varied in their emotional approach which lifts them up beyond the page. The second and third tier characters have the same emotional depth as the main characters and long after reading the book, they do stay with you for quite some time.

The plot is very complexed but easy to get into. The juxtaposition between the murder of Leo to the theft of missiles is very well handled and it takes a mastermind to be able to pull this off effectively which Garner does with aplomb. The plot becomes tangled the more we get into the novel but in the final third, it is pure enjoyment as these get untangled to give a realistic approach to the solving of the crime which sets this apart from most novels of this ilk.

Overall, this is an fascinating read that keeps the reader involved. I enjoyed learning about the Venus flytrapping, the small town life and the military approach to the proceedings. The murder mystery of the aspect has a life of its own as we have to uncover the past to work out the present. I haven’t read the other books in this series and Garner is meticulous to ensure the reader can get just involved and invested without having prior knowledge. This is an incredible book and one that is enjoyable, involving and entertaining without losing its focus. Highly recommended.

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