The mayor of the north Georgia town of Witherston and one of its prominent attorneys are being blackmailed by a mysterious Donna Dam, who threatens to expose the two men’s shameful activities of forty years ago if they do not take a paternity test and pay a hefty sum of money, and if Mayor Rather does not withdraw his proposal to build a dam, creating a lake on top of a sacred Cherokee burial ground. Blackmail leads to murder, and when Detective Mev Arroyo and her two teenage twins investigate, they discover some dark secrets, putting all their lives in danger…
TAYLOR JONES SAYS: In Dam Witherston by Betty Jean Craige, we are reunited with all the delightful and zany characters in Witherston, Georgia. This time, Mayor Rather is trying to dam the stream and flood a sacred Cherokee burial ground in order to build a lake for recreation. But then someone blackmails the mayor, threatening to reveal what he did forty years ago if he doesn’t pay a hefty fee and back off the dam project. When the shack where the blackmail money is to be dropped off explodes, killing someone, Mayor Rather is the prime suspect. Now Detective Mev Arroyo and her two teenage sleuth sons, Jaime and Jorge, have to prove his innocence—or guilt.
Like the first two books in the series, Craige has combined mystery, humor, and suspense in a clever tale of murder and mayhem as you can only find in Witherston.
REGAN MURPHY SAYS: Dam Witherston by Betty Jean Craige is the story of greed, revenge, and what happens when the past comes back to bite you in the butt. Someone is blackmailing the mayor of Witherston, as well as one of its successful attorneys, threatening to reveal what they did on a night in November forty long years ago, if the two men don’t pay a large sum of money, take a paternity test, and if the mayor doesn’t put the brakes on a project to dam the town stream and create an artificial lake, flooding an ancient Cherokee burial ground. When the local law enforcement investigates the blackmail scheme, they discover a murder, and that’s when the trouble really starts.
Craige has a unique voice, and her character development is superb. I love that I can never figure out who the villain is until the protagonist does. Dam Witherston is a worthy sequel to the first two books in the series. Another keeper to put on the shelf and read over and over. Bravo, Craige.
PROLOGUE
Mayor Rich Rather grabbed his cell phone when a beep signaled the arrival of an email.
“Excuse me,” he said to Trevor Bennington, Jr., President of Bennington Financial Services and member of the Witherston Town Council. “I’m expecting an estimate from Appalachian Landscape Contractors.”
He opened his email.
From: Donna Dam (donotreply@xxx.com)
To: Rich Rather
PAYBACK TIME
Fri 03/10/2017 9:31 a.m.
Dear Mayor Rather:
Do you remember what you were doing on the night of November 5-6, 1977? I bet you do. You will pay for it.
There is a wooden shed 1/4 mile upstream from Withers Fork on east bank of Saloli Stream. It’s on the Zamora property. Bring $9,900 in cash at 5:00 pm tomorrow. Leave the money in an envelope inside on the table. If you do not show up on time, I will go public with your secret.
Donna Dam
Sent from my iPhone
“Anything wrong, Rich?”
“No, nothing, nothing at all. Thanks, Trevor.” Rich stood up. “But I’m afraid I’ve got other business to attend to. I’m sorry to be cutting our meeting short. So sorry.”
The mayor showed him out of his office and deleted the email.
***
Grant Griggs sat down for Friday morning coffee with Patrick Davis, President of Witherston Savings and Loan. As was their custom at the Witherston Inn Café, they’d taken a back table.
“Looks like Rich will give the contract to Appalachian Lakescape Contractors, Grant,” Patrick said. “I lobbied him hard.”
“Thanks, Patrick. I promise that will work out for both of us.”
Grant’s cell phone beeped. “Do you mind if I check my email, Patrick? I’m expecting a message from Phyllis Graph.”
From: Donna Dam (donotreply@xxx.com)
To: Grant Griggs
PAYBACK TIME
Fri 03/10/2017 9:31 a.m.
Dear Mr. Griggs:
Do you remember what you were doing on the night of November 5-6, 1977? I bet you do. You will pay for it.
There is a wooden shed 1/4 mile upstream from Withers Fork on east bank of Saloli Stream. It’s on the Zamora property. Bring $9,900 in cash at 5:00 pm tomorrow. Leave the money in an envelope inside on the table. If you do not show up on time, I will go public with your secret.
Donna Dam
Sent from my iPhone
“Shit,” Grant muttered. “Patrick, I’m sorry to have to leave you, but I’ve got to see a client. I must go now.” He deleted the email and walked out of the restaurant.
***
Red Wilker was vacuuming the stuffed black bear the taxidermist had just delivered to Wilker’s Gun Shop when he got the email.
From: Donna Dam (donotreply@xxx.com)
To: Red Wilker
PAYBACK TIME
Fri 03/10/2017 9:31 a.m.
Dear Mr. Wilker:
Would you like for the people of Witherston to know that you are buying up property in Saloli Valley with inside information about the proposed lake? I bet you wouldn’t.
There is a wooden shed 1/4 mile upstream from Withers Fork on east bank of Saloli Stream. It’s on the Zamora property. Bring $5,000 in cash at 5:00 pm tomorrow. Leave the money in an envelope inside on the table. If you do not show up on time, I will go public with your secret. And you could get jail time.
Donna Dam
Sent from my iPhone
“‘What the duck is this? Look, Grace. Who in creation is Donna Dam?” He handed his cell phone to his wife.
Grace read the email. “Is she referring to your land buy-outs in Saloli Valley?”
“How could she find that out? How could anybody?”
“Rich knows. Grant knows. Phyllis knows. Patrick knows.”
“They all have a stake in the lake. They won’t be talking.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Don’t ask. You don’t need to know.”
Red deleted the email.
© 2017 by Betty Jean Craige