JC Gatlin’s mystery H_NGM_N – Murder Is The Word is the complete package and all a mystery aficionado could ever want in a mystery. It has everything needed to keep you anxiously turning the pages to find out where the next twist and turn will lead you. A female reporter and her cameraman return to her hometown, where one of her best friends supposedly committed suicide. The reporter, however, does not believe her friend hung herself, and her investigation into the matter forces her to confront the local sheriff, the man who left her right before her wedding. The author deftly interweaves the dynamics of this volatile relationship with the murder story. Congrats to this author who accurately portrays the emotions of both his male and female characters! As the reporter, who is supposed to leave the scene and cover another story, is continually drawn back into this murder investigation, she and the innocents around her are plunged into danger. You will be holding your breath as the fast paced action rockets you to new heights. The book is tour de force – a wonderful mystery that will be treasured and needs to be on your bookshelf!

This engaging and entertaining thriller, complete with sympathetic characters and a complex plot, will make you smile while you’re on the edge of your seat. The chapters, with titles in a Hangman “missing letters” font, are chock full of drole descriptions like, “Winnie made her way upstairs, causing the dogs to leap off the couch with the synchronization of an Olympic swim team and race after her.” Set in Florida, the heat and humidity steam from the chapters, adding to the delicious suspense until the surprise ending explodes like the trap at the base of a gallows. A fun read from start to finish.

H_NGM_N's main character, Tampa news reporter Tory Younger has a problem. Torn between going home to her best friend Brooke's funeral or staying on her job, she and her cameraman, RJ, return to Elroy Springs to find a small town in turmoil. Together they unearth past secrets and reveal hidden lies that will endanger them both.

A fast-paced read with numerous suspects and a murderer among them, can Tori and RJ find the culprit before he kills again? It's a must for mystery lovers--a puzzler that kept me turning pages to find out the evil that escapes when a person kills. The end s_rpr_s_d me. Need I say that I also enjoyed the clever H_NGM-N clues at the beginning of each chapter?

J M West

Gatlin’s novel had me hooked from the first chapter. It was difficult to put the book down. Just when you think you know who the killer must be, another clue leads to a new possibility. Gatlin creates believable characters: Tori haunted by heartbreak; RJ, her cameraman, with boyish charm; Ash, a father and husband; Mike, the handsome sheriff; and Darla, the child who lost her mother. Florida is a perfect location for this crime novel with its waterways, dead orange trees, and abandoned water towers.
If you like mysteries, I recommend this novel

JC Gatlin surprised me. That's not that easy. I'm easily frustrated by mysteries because - frankly - they don't often seem all that mysterious. Not so for this book. Grab a copy, you'll enjoy it immensely.