Title: The Wages of Sins of the Son: Guilty in Mississippi II
Author: Percy Lynchard
Publisher: Page Solutions
ISBN: 979-8896331261
Pages: 136
Genre: Crime Thriller / Mysteries
Reviewer: Anthony Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
When it comes to the impact which loss has on a community, there is no loss more haunting and chaotic than the loss felt when violent crime takes the lives of the innocent, in particular, young children and teens. Violence is always abhorrent, but when the young are targeted for especially heinous crimes, small town communities feel the impact greatly, as mistrust and a lack of safety seems to permeate throughout that community.
That loss plays a major role in author Percy Lynchard’s The Wages of Sins of the Son: Guilty in Mississippi II. The book follows the first book in the series, as horrendous murders in a small Mississippi town remain unsolved. As investigators look for new clues a new crime emerges, a young teenager is found with evidence linked to two of the crimes, and the scared boy falsely blames his father for the crimes. As prosecutors go after the father, the boy wrestles with guilt and fear as the investigation spins out of control, while the true perpetrator remains elusive, unbeknownst to investigators.
Harrowing and thrilling, the author expertly weaves a character-driven narrative that feels real. The author does an incredible job of immersing the reader in a 1970s, old-school southern town dominated by small-town politics, gossip, and churchgoing families, giving the author’s imagery a vintage feel. The desperation and need for justice that the prosecution and investigators feel are palpable on the page, as are the defiance and guilt of the young man who centers the narrative. The nature of the crimes themselves and the way the author walks readers seamlessly through the investigation process while grounding the narrative with emotionally compelling character development made this story shine.
Readers who enjoy thriller novels, especially those that involve small-town murder mysteries and crime thrillers, will be enthralled by this narrative. The heart of the story is in the strong themes of guilt, lies, and how secrets within a small community can blow suspects and investigations way out of proportion. Using the personal lives and preferences of suspects against them in the investigation of a violent crime, and the terror a young boy felt in the face of that investigation, leads to a series of events that drove the story forward like a roller coaster, and will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Percy Lynchard delivers a compelling Southern legal thriller where every revelation raises the stakes, and the cost of the truth may be higher than anyone imagined.