Show Me Betrayal Review: First Line Friday

Welcome to a Show Me Betrayal review on this First Line Friday.

First, the details. Show Me Betrayal is a Dual Time Mystery. It is the first in the Show Me Mysteries by Ellen E. Withers. Published by Scrivenings Press, the book is available in eBook and paperback formats. An Amazon link is at the end of my review. It is also available with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

As an added bonus, Scrivenings Press is holding their annual Black Friday eBook Sale from November 27th through December 3rd. This book, along with the second in the series and almost all of the Scrivenings Press catalogue of books, will be available during the sale for 99¢ per eBook. This sale is a great way to fill up some virtual stockings this Christmas or even grab a few for yourself to read on cold winter nights.

You can find links to every book in the sale here: Black Friday Ebook Sales Links

Now for the first line of Show Me Betrayal: “Liesl raced across the porch steps of the grand Victorian dwelling, through the house, and up the stairs.”

My Show Me Betrayal Review:

I don’t usually read mystery or suspense stories because I don’t like unsettling things. However, I purchased this book for my grandson who reads adult mysteries regularly. I didn’t want to pass it on without doing my due diligence and reading it first. Being Christian fiction, I knew there wouldn’t be gore, language, or sexual content. But I still wanted to see how the details of the crimes were handled before giving it to a preteen.

I’m so glad I did. Not because I found anything concerning, but because I throughly enjoyed the story. First, the setting. Mexico, Missouri is a town I didn’t know existed until this book, but if it is anything like the author describes it, the place sounds charming, fictional murder aside. And the description of the Victorian house perfectly captures the equal parts charm and creepiness that often reside in Victorian homes. I’ve always thought they must keep the best secrets. The one in this book certainly does.

I also enjoyed the characters. Liesl, Kurt, and Nicole are friends that grew up together. They’re tied together with all the love, camaraderie, shared experiences, and even hard times between them that often accompany small-town friendships. And though theirs takes a totally different path, the friendships in the historical thread of the book are just as realistic and relatable.

And the historical portion of the story is well done too. References to common events and activities of the time are true to the period. And even though some of them may be foreign to me, not having lived in that time period, they were written in an easily understood and relatable manner. Teenagers are teenagers in every time period.

As for the mystery itself, I won’t go into details since the last thing I suspect a mystery reader wants is spoilers. What I will say is the little glimpses the author gives into the mind of a killer are well-done. They really make the reader feel how unhinged the villain truly is. She also balances giving hints to the identity of the murderer with believable alternatives. You may think you’ve got it figured out, but you won’t know for sure until the big reveal.

I may not typically go for mysteries, but I’ll definitely be checking out book two in the series. I give Show Me Betrayal five stars.

Purchase Show Me Betrayal