A KILLING AT COTTON HILL - WINNER! 2014 Macavity Award for Best First Mystery Praise for the Samuel Craddock mysteries: "There may be no protagonist in our genre today as decently compelling as Samuel Craddock. And there may be no better chronicler of the character and complexity of small-town America than Terry Shames." --WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER "I love Samuel Craddock, I love this town, and I love this series of books." --TIMOTHY HALLINAN   "Former chief of police Samuel Craddock is a man readers are going to love, and they'll want to visit him and Jarrett Creek, Texas, often." --BILL CRIDER   "Shames has come up with a sleuth for the long haul." -- Toronto Star  "The lead's folksy tone belies astute detecting, and the plotting will dazzle readers." --Library Journal STARRED REVIEW "An amazing read. The poetic, literary quality of the writing draws you into a small town and its interesting, secret-carrying residents.

" --RT Book Reviews   "Grizzled, world-weary Craddock is a nuanced and artfully drawn character who embodies the positive values of small-town Texas as he gets deeper into a multilayered story of trust and betrayal. Jarrett Creek is much more than a backdrop--it's a complex character in the story. Samuel Craddock is a hero worth rooting for. Highly recommended." --SHELDON SIEGEL.