Author Percy Lynchard’s new novel, a sequel to Guilty in Mississippi, continues the story of investigator Paul Lane’s attempts to solve a pair of murders in the Mississippi Delta.

Paul works for the district attorney’s office. In 1970, over a year since the crimes, he receives a new lead. A third young woman has been murdered in a neighboring county, and it seems clear she’s the victim of the same killer. Then an even bigger break in the case arrives: Teenager Randy Butler pawns two rings the killer stole from the first two murder victims. Randy says he took them from his abusive father.

Randy has lied about where he got the rings, but the real killer is prominent in the community and threatens Randy into continuing the ruse. Torn between preserving his own safety and saving his father from a potential death sentence, Randy makes a desperate choice that nearly leaves Paul and his team back at square one.

Lynchard once again delivers keenly observed characters. Randy’s suffering, from both his home life and the consequences of his lie, is palpable. His best friend Wesley, who does his best to counsel Randy, is also expertly drawn.

At 136 pages, however, the story feels underdeveloped. Paul, the ostensible series’ protagonist, feels relegated to the background as the story focuses mostly on Randy and Wesley. And readers of the first book may wonder what became of Tyrone Braid, the initial falsely accused killer, and his family (particularly his sister, last seen in a coma).

The book also includes odd formatting: very long paragraphs, missing quotation marks and dialogue indentations, and inexplicable use of italicized and bold type. These inconsistencies make it difficult to navigate the otherwise fast-moving story.

Despite its flaws, the novel’s Southern-Gothic-adjacent sense of tragedy is undeniably compelling. The ending leaves the door wide open for a third series’ entry, and readers will likely hope that comes to fruition.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.