COVEY JENCKS

by

Shelton L. Williams

Narrated by Kathy James

Genre: Mystery / Social Thriller

Publisher: Southern Owl Publications, LLC

Publication Date: February 10, 2018

Number of Pages: 229 pages

Audio Book Length: 6 hours, 38 minutes

Covey Jencks is a murder mystery with a social conscience. Set in West Texas with a cast of colorful and humorous characters, it follows a young lawyer from Washington, DC back to his hometown of Odessa, Texas. He wants and needs to solve a murder case from 1979 in 1993. The problem is that the Odessa Police Department has already found its man, and no one wants to re-visit the case of a black prostitute whose life was seemingly of no consequence to anyone. But Freddie Mae Johnson’s death matters to Covey, and eventually he discovers an old flame, JayJay Qualls, who also knew and loved Freddie. Together they undertake an investigation that uncovers not only the truth about Freddie but also the secrets of Odessa’s south side, Mexican gangs, a Boston mobster, and the fallacy of unexamined assumptions. Finding out who killed Freddie is one thing, but preventing their own demise is quite another!

Praise

Williams seamlessly braids a murder mystery with a love story and a drama about the pervasiveness of racism in the South… The author’s prose is buoyantly eccentric, both insightful and self-effacingly humorous. And the clues Covey and JayJay track down are meted out to readers with impressive judiciousness: The author never prematurely surrenders so much information that the conclusion is rendered foregone while the tale’s swift pace prevents it from becoming tedious. An engrossing crime drama that’s both entertaining and provocative. — Kirkus Indie

Covey Jencks is a delight from start to finish and if you aren’t familiar with West Texas (specifically the Odessa area) you might feel like you know the town to a degree. Whether you know the town or not, you are probably aware of the football team from Friday Night Lights. There are many references to their winning years and even Covey’s role on the team. There are also references to Texas oil – both the good and the bad.

This story has two different timelines – the 1970s when the murder occurred and the 1990s when Covey is back in town and feels like he needs to figure out who killed Freddie, a friend from his youth working at his father’s car wash and an intriguing woman in her own right. I enjoyed the back and forth between the times as the story unfolded and more details of the crime and the characters were doled out to the reader. I kept wondering how Freddie’s murder might have taken place and who was involved, and while you have a clue to the second, the “how” was a mystery until the details were revealed. I was actually surprised at the involvement of one character because he portrays himself differently earlier in the book and I think that throws Covey and JayJay off.

The characters are multi-dimensional and some might surprise you as the story progresses and their involvement in past and present events. The cast of characters leaves no race, gender, or affiliation out and we see everything from white, black, brown, straight, and gay. Each character meshed well with the story and take note that there are racial slurs in the book which are appropriate to the time and location. I had no problem reading these because I know that 40 years ago is not today. I especially enjoyed all the references to many things we take for granted – cell phones, internet (and not dial-up!), and the start of coffee shops (aka Starbucks). I also enjoyed the various town references especially when the characters headed to the “big city” of Dallas et al.

Besides the mystery portion, I found different situations within the story humorous. I enjoy a good chuckle now and then because any author that can find humor in a situation is one that I will want to read again. Life is too crazy to not have some laughter now and again.

I’m not sure if this is going to be a series or not, but I would enjoy reading more about Covey’s family life coming out in light of what we know about his dad from this book. We also had a little peek into JayJay’s life as a younger woman and it would be enlightening to learn more about her and how she came to be in Covey’s life. Either way, this is an enjoyable book and one you might want to pick up.

We give this 4 paws up

Shelton L. Williams (Shelly) is founder and president of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, DC. He holds a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and he taught for nearly 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He has served in the US Government on 4 occasions and he has written books and articles on nuclear proliferation. In 2004 he began a new career of writing books on crime and society. Those books are Washed in the Blood, Summer of 66, and now Covey Jencks. All firmly prove that he is still a Texan at heart.

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My first part-time job, while I was in high school, was announcing at the local radio station, and I had fun being “on the air” and using my sarcastic sense of humor.  I worked in the radio business for more than twenty years. My favorite pastimes are teaching figure skating, getting lost in a great book, and watching movies.  I narrate and produce audio books in my home studio, and I truly enjoy bringing an author’s characters to life with an audio book. I currently reside in Minnesota with my slightly overweight cat and two childlike golden retrievers.

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