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Jess Keeler #1
Something Bad Wrong
To catch the killer who eluded her detective grandfather fifty years ago, a true-crime podcaster must contend with outdated evidence, ulterior motives, and the dark family secrets that got in the way.
True-crime podcaster Jess Keeler has returned to Deeton County, North Carolina, to pick up where her grandfather left off. Sheriff’s Deputy Big Jim Ballard, her grandfather, was a respected detective—until it all came crashing down during a 1972 murder investigation.
For Jim, solving the murders of two teens should have been the highlight of his already storied career. Instead, he battled his own mind, unsure where his hunches ended and the truth began.
Working from her grandfather’s disjointed notes, Jess is sure that she can finally put the cold case—and her family’s shame—to rest. Enlisting the help of disgraced reporter Dan Decker, Jess soon discovers ugly truths about the first investigation, which was shaped by corruption, egos, and a family secret that may be the key to the crime.
Told in a dual timeline that covers both investigations, Something Bad Wrong explores human folly, hubris, and how sometimes, to solve a crime, you have to find out who’s covering it up.
True-crime podcaster Jess Keeler has returned to Deeton County, North Carolina, to pick up where her grandfather left off. Sheriff’s Deputy Big Jim Ballard, her grandfather, was a respected detective—until it all came crashing down during a 1972 murder investigation.
For Jim, solving the murders of two teens should have been the highlight of his already storied career. Instead, he battled his own mind, unsure where his hunches ended and the truth began.
Working from her grandfather’s disjointed notes, Jess is sure that she can finally put the cold case—and her family’s shame—to rest. Enlisting the help of disgraced reporter Dan Decker, Jess soon discovers ugly truths about the first investigation, which was shaped by corruption, egos, and a family secret that may be the key to the crime.
Told in a dual timeline that covers both investigations, Something Bad Wrong explores human folly, hubris, and how sometimes, to solve a crime, you have to find out who’s covering it up.
440 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2023
2263 people are currently reading
6555 people want to read
About the author
Eryk Pruitt
46 books142 followersEryk Pruitt is a screenwriter, author and filmmaker living in Durham, NC with his wife Lana and cat Busey. His short films FOODIE and LIYANA, ON COMMAND have won several awards at film festivals across the US. His fiction appears in The Avalon Literary Review, Pulp Modern, Thuglit, and Zymbol, to name a few. In 2013, he was a finalist for Best Short Fiction in Short Story America and has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes for 2014. His novel Dirtbags was published in April 2014, and HASHTAG will be published in May, 2015. A full list of credits can be found at erykpruitt.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 295 reviews
October 10, 2022
This was absolutely just excellent. It is not true crime but read exactly like true crime should be. I don't know how I missed out on this author but so glad I stumbled across it.
The story takes place in two time frames, one current and one in the 70's. Two young adults were kidnapped off of lovers lane and murdered in the 70"s. Crime was never solved and it follows the investigators in the 70's and then the granddaughter of the original investigator in present time who found his notebook detailing the investigation who is putting together a podcast to solve it.
What was absolutely compelling about this was how the author wrote out the lead investigator, Jim Ballard. It was heartbreaking and SO realistic. I could not put this down. The writing and character descriptions were so realistic.. I would totally read a ton more from this author! Again....just an excellent writer
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and the author for the chance to read it.
The story takes place in two time frames, one current and one in the 70's. Two young adults were kidnapped off of lovers lane and murdered in the 70"s. Crime was never solved and it follows the investigators in the 70's and then the granddaughter of the original investigator in present time who found his notebook detailing the investigation who is putting together a podcast to solve it.
What was absolutely compelling about this was how the author wrote out the lead investigator, Jim Ballard. It was heartbreaking and SO realistic. I could not put this down. The writing and character descriptions were so realistic.. I would totally read a ton more from this author! Again....just an excellent writer
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and the author for the chance to read it.
April 16, 2023
Podcast Procedural
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (April 1, 2023) released in advance of the official Thomas & Mercer paperback/eBook/audiobook (May 1, 2023)
I selected Something Bad Wrong from this month’s First Reads selections where it was promoted as a ‘police procedural.’ I found it to be a frustrating read with incompetent and corrupt police, fumbling podcast investigators, cruel depictions of characters suffering from Alzheimer’s and/or dementia, and mysterious plot holes. In the end it also earned an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™.
I’ll summarize the basic plot and then my issues hopefully without getting too spoilery. A murder of a young couple occurs in 1972 and in one timeline we follow the original investigation by two local county Sheriff’s Departments. This alternates with a present day timeline of 50 years later where the granddaughter of one of the original Sheriff’s Deputies decides to investigate the case when she discovers her grandfather’s notebook in the attic. She decides to turn the investigation into a podcast. In order to add some journalistic credibility and provide a ‘redemption story,’ for the 'voice' of the podcast she enlists a previously respected, but now disgraced, TV anchorman who lost his career and family due to a workplace harassment scandal.
It soon becomes clear that the policing back in 1972 in those rural counties often consisted of the sheriffs & deputies playing judge, jury & executioner. One sheriff prides himself on his insight into guilty minds and his ability to ‘read’ people. He is however oblivious to the fact that his lead deputy is suffering from memory problems (which were probably called senility at the time), as is everyone else. The granddaughter seems to miss this as well (until the final page, are you kidding me?), although the reader will pick this up immediately.
Other strange elements/plot holes include:
- Due to the 50 year gap between investigations, the search for present day witnesses / suspects is from a limited number of still living 70 to 80-year-olds (which narrows the field for sure, but makes for some sad depictions and one absurd one).
- One suspect (with their ongoing sociopathic/psychopathic issues) has apparently lived in the community for 50+ years and no one has said or done anything about it? They’ve also procured an acolyte in the meantime?
- The title of the podcast is presumably taken from the disjointed wording which is often found in the grandfather’s notebook, but no source of that phrase is ever stated.
- There are 2 nephews of one of the living relatives, who is described as being the surviving member of the family i.e. these then are the sons of one of the deceased teenager victims? That doesn’t make any sense at all.
- The portrayal of Alzheimer’s / dementia is disturbing and sickening in parts [Note: this may be a personal issue for me, and perhaps will not offend everyone]
- The reader will have to write their own ending about the fate of the grandfather, although there is at least a strong implication of what happened.
- The reader will have to write their own ending about the final page revelations. Is there some kind of coded message implied?
- Without getting spoilery, there is a certain expectation of a podcast procedural that the protagonist podcaster will see justice done. If you expect this, you will be disappointed.
Anyway, these combined issues throughout the book made me confused, angry and disturbed about it, which are my criteria for a 1-star rating. Apologies to those who enjoyed it.
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Something Bad Wrong appears to be the first of a planned series, with Jess Keeler #2 Blood Red Summer already listed on Goodreads with a May 14, 2023 release date (as posted as of early April 2023). It seems unlikely that an additional novel would be released so soon after the first one, so perhaps this #2 is a short story or novella. A 2024 publishing date seems more likely for a full novel.
Review of the Amazon First Reads Kindle eBook edition (April 1, 2023) released in advance of the official Thomas & Mercer paperback/eBook/audiobook (May 1, 2023)
I selected Something Bad Wrong from this month’s First Reads selections where it was promoted as a ‘police procedural.’ I found it to be a frustrating read with incompetent and corrupt police, fumbling podcast investigators, cruel depictions of characters suffering from Alzheimer’s and/or dementia, and mysterious plot holes. In the end it also earned an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert™.
I’ll summarize the basic plot and then my issues hopefully without getting too spoilery. A murder of a young couple occurs in 1972 and in one timeline we follow the original investigation by two local county Sheriff’s Departments. This alternates with a present day timeline of 50 years later where the granddaughter of one of the original Sheriff’s Deputies decides to investigate the case when she discovers her grandfather’s notebook in the attic. She decides to turn the investigation into a podcast. In order to add some journalistic credibility and provide a ‘redemption story,’ for the 'voice' of the podcast she enlists a previously respected, but now disgraced, TV anchorman who lost his career and family due to a workplace harassment scandal.
It soon becomes clear that the policing back in 1972 in those rural counties often consisted of the sheriffs & deputies playing judge, jury & executioner. One sheriff prides himself on his insight into guilty minds and his ability to ‘read’ people. He is however oblivious to the fact that his lead deputy is suffering from memory problems (which were probably called senility at the time), as is everyone else. The granddaughter seems to miss this as well (until the final page, are you kidding me?), although the reader will pick this up immediately.
Other strange elements/plot holes include:
- Due to the 50 year gap between investigations, the search for present day witnesses / suspects is from a limited number of still living 70 to 80-year-olds (which narrows the field for sure, but makes for some sad depictions and one absurd one).
- One suspect (with their ongoing sociopathic/psychopathic issues) has apparently lived in the community for 50+ years and no one has said or done anything about it? They’ve also procured an acolyte in the meantime?
- The title of the podcast is presumably taken from the disjointed wording which is often found in the grandfather’s notebook, but no source of that phrase is ever stated.
- There are 2 nephews of one of the living relatives, who is described as being the surviving member of the family i.e. these then are the sons of one of the deceased teenager victims? That doesn’t make any sense at all.
- The portrayal of Alzheimer’s / dementia is disturbing and sickening in parts [Note: this may be a personal issue for me, and perhaps will not offend everyone]
- The reader will have to write their own ending about the fate of the grandfather, although there is at least a strong implication of what happened.
- The reader will have to write their own ending about the final page revelations. Is there some kind of coded message implied?
- Without getting spoilery, there is a certain expectation of a podcast procedural that the protagonist podcaster will see justice done. If you expect this, you will be disappointed.
Anyway, these combined issues throughout the book made me confused, angry and disturbed about it, which are my criteria for a 1-star rating. Apologies to those who enjoyed it.
Trivia and Links
Amazon Prime First Reads advance reading copies (ARCs) are available to Amazon Prime subscribers. They offer advance reads of books in Kindle eBook format one month before the date of official release. The current month's selection is available here (Link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).
Something Bad Wrong appears to be the first of a planned series, with Jess Keeler #2 Blood Red Summer already listed on Goodreads with a May 14, 2023 release date (as posted as of early April 2023). It seems unlikely that an additional novel would be released so soon after the first one, so perhaps this #2 is a short story or novella. A 2024 publishing date seems more likely for a full novel.
June 3, 2023
I honestly can’t say I enjoyed this one!! I couldn’t stay invested in this one. It just wasn’t for me
April 19, 2023
TW: Rape/Sexual Assault/Sexual Abuse, Murder, Alcoholism, Police Brutality
Newspapers reported that on December 24, 1971, Linda Harris and Steven Hicks vanished after attending a small gathering with colleagues and friends, only to be discovered two weeks later. For nearly fifty years, their killer, or killers, has never been identified.
Remember that feeling when you start reading a book and instantly know it will be a favorite? Something Bad Wrong is that book for me. Over the last number of years, I have often felt that the thriller genre had lost its spark. With many books, I could easily see what was going to happen in the end. But Eryk Pruitt took me by the hand and I was so wrapped up in the reading experience that I never could have guessed what roads I was going to go down.
From the perspective of multiple characters in the past and the present, I was hooked on this cold case true crime podcast investigation. Sometimes, I did feel as frustrated as podcaster, Jess Keeler on people's hesitancy to discuss a crime. But that made it all that more realistic and kept me interested.
This was my Amazon First Reads choice for April and I am so glad that it turned out to be a hit. Not that I need to add another series to my TBR but I think I am going to hang out with Jess Keeler a little more.
Goodreads review published 19/04/23
Newspapers reported that on December 24, 1971, Linda Harris and Steven Hicks vanished after attending a small gathering with colleagues and friends, only to be discovered two weeks later. For nearly fifty years, their killer, or killers, has never been identified.
Remember that feeling when you start reading a book and instantly know it will be a favorite? Something Bad Wrong is that book for me. Over the last number of years, I have often felt that the thriller genre had lost its spark. With many books, I could easily see what was going to happen in the end. But Eryk Pruitt took me by the hand and I was so wrapped up in the reading experience that I never could have guessed what roads I was going to go down.
From the perspective of multiple characters in the past and the present, I was hooked on this cold case true crime podcast investigation. Sometimes, I did feel as frustrated as podcaster, Jess Keeler on people's hesitancy to discuss a crime. But that made it all that more realistic and kept me interested.
This was my Amazon First Reads choice for April and I am so glad that it turned out to be a hit. Not that I need to add another series to my TBR but I think I am going to hang out with Jess Keeler a little more.
Goodreads review published 19/04/23
November 8, 2023
I love Podcast stories, because I love the moral dilemma of covering true crime. I must recommend, do this one as an audiobook. The narrators each really broke out the different perspectives and unique voice of each character and I really enjoyed it!
First, there's Jess. She's struggling into journalism after she abandoned her career hopes in order to start a family. Now that her son is grown, she's ready to get back into it. And she wants to dig into an old case, one that has personal ties to her family. Long ago, her grandfather was the lead detective on a case in their small town that involved 2 highschoolers murdered on a lover's lane. It's been unsolved for almost 50 years and Jess has now stumbled on her grandfather's old detective's notebook. His notes, his theories (and clearly exactly who he thought was guilty) are all in these pages. She hopes this new information can crack the case wide open.
She pulls a nightly news personality to help her gain some credibility - but only because he's just lost it all - his job, wife and life - while being caught out for having an affair. Together, the two of them find new avenues to investigate, new names to research, and force old memories to the surface.
I was so drawn into this story, probably because I listened to all of it on one day during a long car ride. I loved the characters, even if they were flawed. I especially loved Jess and how she stood her ground, threw herself into every story but also how she never forgot the victims. Her aim was always to try to discover what happened to them on lover's lane when they were murdered.
I see, now, that Jess Keeler may very well be a series. I plan to get book 2 as soon as I can!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
First, there's Jess. She's struggling into journalism after she abandoned her career hopes in order to start a family. Now that her son is grown, she's ready to get back into it. And she wants to dig into an old case, one that has personal ties to her family. Long ago, her grandfather was the lead detective on a case in their small town that involved 2 highschoolers murdered on a lover's lane. It's been unsolved for almost 50 years and Jess has now stumbled on her grandfather's old detective's notebook. His notes, his theories (and clearly exactly who he thought was guilty) are all in these pages. She hopes this new information can crack the case wide open.
She pulls a nightly news personality to help her gain some credibility - but only because he's just lost it all - his job, wife and life - while being caught out for having an affair. Together, the two of them find new avenues to investigate, new names to research, and force old memories to the surface.
I was so drawn into this story, probably because I listened to all of it on one day during a long car ride. I loved the characters, even if they were flawed. I especially loved Jess and how she stood her ground, threw herself into every story but also how she never forgot the victims. Her aim was always to try to discover what happened to them on lover's lane when they were murdered.
I see, now, that Jess Keeler may very well be a series. I plan to get book 2 as soon as I can!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
February 26, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
After discovering her grandfather Big Jim's notebook about an unsolved murder of a young couple in 1972, Jess sets out to make a podcast about the case. She pulls in disgraced news anchor Dan Decker to help. Honestly, that's about as far as I got because I DNF'd at about 39% in.
Why? I didn't like any of the characters. Not only did they feel one-dimensional and stereotypical (not just the characters in the ''70s but those in the present day as well) but the men were written in a way that made them seem as though the author felt men are superior to women. Dan hits on every woman he sees, and is a casualty (in his mind) to the Me Too movement (maybe he's actually just a pervert who shouldn't have harassed women, I don't know). Jess exploits that in their very first meeting. Plus, the author makes it out like Jess can't do this podcast on her own, but instead HAS to have this older man help her. It's bad storytelling and a weak concept. It's something that I couldn't get past and so I decided to stop reading.
After discovering her grandfather Big Jim's notebook about an unsolved murder of a young couple in 1972, Jess sets out to make a podcast about the case. She pulls in disgraced news anchor Dan Decker to help. Honestly, that's about as far as I got because I DNF'd at about 39% in.
Why? I didn't like any of the characters. Not only did they feel one-dimensional and stereotypical (not just the characters in the ''70s but those in the present day as well) but the men were written in a way that made them seem as though the author felt men are superior to women. Dan hits on every woman he sees, and is a casualty (in his mind) to the Me Too movement (maybe he's actually just a pervert who shouldn't have harassed women, I don't know). Jess exploits that in their very first meeting. Plus, the author makes it out like Jess can't do this podcast on her own, but instead HAS to have this older man help her. It's bad storytelling and a weak concept. It's something that I couldn't get past and so I decided to stop reading.
December 26, 2022
Podcaster Jess Keeler teams up with womanizing ex-anchor Dan Decker to solve the murder of a couple that happened 50 years ago. They uncover a corrupt police force and expose many secrets and lies. The book goes back and forth between past and present and was a very gripping read. Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!
December 26, 2022
Podcaster Jess Keeler teams up with womanizing ex-anchor Dan Decker to solve the murder of a couple that happened 50 years ago. They uncover a corrupt police force and expose many secrets and lies. The book goes back and forth between past and present and was a very gripping read. Thanks NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC!
October 14, 2023
A dual murder takes place during Christmas of 1971. In present day a podcaster is trying to solve this cold case by interviewing those that still remember the incident. She enlists the help of a disgraced investigative newscaster. A very enjoyable read that takes place in a small town in North Carolina. The author does a wonderful job with flashbacks in order to bring the reader up to date on the events in 1972. The present day narrative tends to be a bit slow but very logical. Really enjoyed this book.
November 18, 2022
Eryk Pruitt’s novel Something Bad Wrong chronicles the investigation of an unsolved double murder of a young couple found bound to a tree in the woods in early 1972.
The young couple disappeared on Christmas Eve of 1971 from South Carolina and were later found by a surveyor across the state line in Deeton County, North Carolina.
The novel opens with a preface of a modern-day true-crime podcast created by Jess Keeler and then further tells the story with dual timelines of the present day and 1972 investigation. The story is then propelled forward by the points of view of the different characters within the novel in alternating chapters.
Leading the investigation of 1972 is Deeton County, NC sheriff’s deputy Big Jim Ballard, who also happens to be the long-dead grandfather of podcaster Jess. Big Jim is supervised by Sheriff Red Carter. Both are larger-than-life local legends, with each willing to resort to any method necessary to find the answers that they want.
For fifty years the killings have gone unsolved with no new information coming to light until after Jess discovers an old spiral notebook belonging to her grandfather. The notebook not only contains previously unknown information but also the name of a man her grandfather highlighted as “guilty.”
Jess then approaches Dan Decker, a disgraced womanizing, but once a very well-known journalist, to help in her investigation and after considerable encouragement is able to persuade him to help.
With the charm of Decker, the pair find more people willing to reveal more information, while others seem to wish the past stayed in the past. One of those resistant to the overtures of Jess and Dan is the sister of the murdered woman.
Not only does Eryk Pruitt put forward an interesting present-day telling, but also a complex recounting of the original investigation with interesting revelations best left to the discovery of the reader.
Of the novels I have read this year, Something Bad Wrong has been one of the best crime fiction novels read so far. The writing is crisp, and wonderfully descriptive, with the story reading like a crime fiction epic. Something Bad Wrong is also a blending of the genre styles of Country/Rural Noir and a police procedural. It is also written in such a way that Southern films from the 1970s like I Walk The Line and In the Heat of the Night are brought to mind.
I really enjoyed the craftsmanship of this novel and cannot recommend it highly enough.
Something Bad Wrong is set to be released in early 2023. Netgalley provided an ARC upon the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com
The young couple disappeared on Christmas Eve of 1971 from South Carolina and were later found by a surveyor across the state line in Deeton County, North Carolina.
The novel opens with a preface of a modern-day true-crime podcast created by Jess Keeler and then further tells the story with dual timelines of the present day and 1972 investigation. The story is then propelled forward by the points of view of the different characters within the novel in alternating chapters.
Leading the investigation of 1972 is Deeton County, NC sheriff’s deputy Big Jim Ballard, who also happens to be the long-dead grandfather of podcaster Jess. Big Jim is supervised by Sheriff Red Carter. Both are larger-than-life local legends, with each willing to resort to any method necessary to find the answers that they want.
For fifty years the killings have gone unsolved with no new information coming to light until after Jess discovers an old spiral notebook belonging to her grandfather. The notebook not only contains previously unknown information but also the name of a man her grandfather highlighted as “guilty.”
Jess then approaches Dan Decker, a disgraced womanizing, but once a very well-known journalist, to help in her investigation and after considerable encouragement is able to persuade him to help.
With the charm of Decker, the pair find more people willing to reveal more information, while others seem to wish the past stayed in the past. One of those resistant to the overtures of Jess and Dan is the sister of the murdered woman.
Not only does Eryk Pruitt put forward an interesting present-day telling, but also a complex recounting of the original investigation with interesting revelations best left to the discovery of the reader.
Of the novels I have read this year, Something Bad Wrong has been one of the best crime fiction novels read so far. The writing is crisp, and wonderfully descriptive, with the story reading like a crime fiction epic. Something Bad Wrong is also a blending of the genre styles of Country/Rural Noir and a police procedural. It is also written in such a way that Southern films from the 1970s like I Walk The Line and In the Heat of the Night are brought to mind.
I really enjoyed the craftsmanship of this novel and cannot recommend it highly enough.
Something Bad Wrong is set to be released in early 2023. Netgalley provided an ARC upon the promise of a fair review.
This review was originally published at MysteryandSuspense.com
April 12, 2023
Fell short for me
Overall I don't mind the author's writing style, and I commend the effort to tell the solving of a many-decades old double murder with the backdrop of a family torn apart in a previous generation by and now in the present day again facing the spector of Alzheimer's disease. But a lot of it just didn't work for me. There were too many convenient stereotype characters, for one thing.
And then parts of the plot just were not believable - one example is when the main character, who is researching the murders, find a high school yearbook at a local library that has a picture showing one of the victims and a witness she's interviewing, and breathlessly waits as she watches the witness page through the book to get to that particular picture. The problem I have with this scenario is that at this point in the book this investigator is unaware the victim was a twin (who she looked like), which would have been obvious in the yearbook, at the very least in their senior pictures which would have been side by side, but likely the two girls would have appeared in other pictures as well. Anyone as obsessed with the case as this character was would have scoured the yearbook and discovered there were twins.
Another thing that didn't sit right was when a character, early in 1972, was told by a doctor practicing internal medicine in a hospital in a small city near the Virginia - North Carolina border that he is treating the character for Alzheimer's. This is implausible at best - Alzheimer's did not become widely recognized in the U.S. until the late 1970s, and would not have been easily accepted or diagnosed in less populated areas, like this, until later than that. In addition, while there are things available now, there would have been virtually no "treatment" available in the early '70s, especially in rural areas.
Too many distracting inconsistencies and less-than-likely character actions and plot turns for the book to be as enjoyable a read as it could have been.
Overall I don't mind the author's writing style, and I commend the effort to tell the solving of a many-decades old double murder with the backdrop of a family torn apart in a previous generation by and now in the present day again facing the spector of Alzheimer's disease. But a lot of it just didn't work for me. There were too many convenient stereotype characters, for one thing.
And then parts of the plot just were not believable - one example is when the main character, who is researching the murders, find a high school yearbook at a local library that has a picture showing one of the victims and a witness she's interviewing, and breathlessly waits as she watches the witness page through the book to get to that particular picture. The problem I have with this scenario is that at this point in the book this investigator is unaware the victim was a twin (who she looked like), which would have been obvious in the yearbook, at the very least in their senior pictures which would have been side by side, but likely the two girls would have appeared in other pictures as well. Anyone as obsessed with the case as this character was would have scoured the yearbook and discovered there were twins.
Another thing that didn't sit right was when a character, early in 1972, was told by a doctor practicing internal medicine in a hospital in a small city near the Virginia - North Carolina border that he is treating the character for Alzheimer's. This is implausible at best - Alzheimer's did not become widely recognized in the U.S. until the late 1970s, and would not have been easily accepted or diagnosed in less populated areas, like this, until later than that. In addition, while there are things available now, there would have been virtually no "treatment" available in the early '70s, especially in rural areas.
Too many distracting inconsistencies and less-than-likely character actions and plot turns for the book to be as enjoyable a read as it could have been.
September 9, 2022
Impossible to put down … read in under six hours. Fantastic read ... brilliantly written with an incredible story that was skilfully divided between 1972 and Now. Tense and unnerving with many twists and turns that lead to a climatic ending. Highly recommended read and worthy of five stars.
June 12, 2023
An OK book
It's not bad, not great either. Somewhere in the middle for me. Used GD throughout the story. Used southern stereotypes, especially for the suspects and some law enforcement officers. You'll like the book more if you lean towards one particular political party.
It's not bad, not great either. Somewhere in the middle for me. Used GD throughout the story. Used southern stereotypes, especially for the suspects and some law enforcement officers. You'll like the book more if you lean towards one particular political party.
January 1, 2024
4.5 stars. A twisty tale of murder, secrets, and obsessions. Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
April 29, 2023
One star plus one for the authors successfully suckering me into finishing the book.
Too long by at least 100 pages. Lots of repetition. A few threads dropped along the way.
Actions of the characters are unbelievable. Jess, The unlikable amateur podcaster solves the case by repeatedly going over her notes that are compiled from very little evidence and from people who refuse to talk to her and from police records she’s not allowed to see. Everyone is hiding something but in the end there is no reason for this. Nothing is really being hidden.
At one point she finds out about a similar abduction where the victims live. Police (now fully cooperating) tell her they can’t find the victims. Jess taps her computer a few times and immediately gets the addresses.
The author, in closing notes, doesn’t mention having done any research on Alzheimer’s. I am no expert either but I find the behavior of the deputy who has it as unbelievable as all the rest of the characters’ actions
The murderer is particular over the top.
The revelation of the murderer is anti-climactic and the book drags on long afterward.
I really wish I had not wasted time on this.
Too long by at least 100 pages. Lots of repetition. A few threads dropped along the way.
Actions of the characters are unbelievable. Jess, The unlikable amateur podcaster solves the case by repeatedly going over her notes that are compiled from very little evidence and from people who refuse to talk to her and from police records she’s not allowed to see. Everyone is hiding something but in the end there is no reason for this. Nothing is really being hidden.
At one point she finds out about a similar abduction where the victims live. Police (now fully cooperating) tell her they can’t find the victims. Jess taps her computer a few times and immediately gets the addresses.
The author, in closing notes, doesn’t mention having done any research on Alzheimer’s. I am no expert either but I find the behavior of the deputy who has it as unbelievable as all the rest of the characters’ actions
The murderer is particular over the top.
The revelation of the murderer is anti-climactic and the book drags on long afterward.
I really wish I had not wasted time on this.
September 13, 2022
Ooo this was a lot of fun. Podcast based is always fun and I loved the mention of mommy blogging. I think this will be amazing and I’m excited to have a copy of this beautiful book. Definitely kept me on my toes but I loved the ending.
March 7, 2023
Only Murders on the State Line... or something like that,
Jess Keeler wants to start a podcast about a local murder case for which her grandfather was one of the lead investigators and drafts in disgraced anchor man Dan Decker in an attempt to spruce things up. Jess and Dan are however, pretty one dimensional and it takes some time for things to actually get going on their side of the story as the principals surrounding the case don't want to talk except when they have a quick plot progress point to impart.
Running concurrently to this we delve into the aftermath of the murders in 1972 getting the view from there with the characters of Big Jim and Red being a little cliche, but more coloured in than the present date duo. The two timelines has a habit of stretching things out rather than bringing any thrust to the story.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this one as it is not altogether unenjoyable, but just not as well formed as other novels of this type, which I've read.
Jess Keeler wants to start a podcast about a local murder case for which her grandfather was one of the lead investigators and drafts in disgraced anchor man Dan Decker in an attempt to spruce things up. Jess and Dan are however, pretty one dimensional and it takes some time for things to actually get going on their side of the story as the principals surrounding the case don't want to talk except when they have a quick plot progress point to impart.
Running concurrently to this we delve into the aftermath of the murders in 1972 getting the view from there with the characters of Big Jim and Red being a little cliche, but more coloured in than the present date duo. The two timelines has a habit of stretching things out rather than bringing any thrust to the story.
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for this one as it is not altogether unenjoyable, but just not as well formed as other novels of this type, which I've read.
July 7, 2023
Who here likes to try new things?
I, for one, LOVE IT, as long as it doesn't involve taste testing what my husband has been brewing in the kitchen!
One of my favorite things about book blogging is being introduced to authors I would not have typically heard about had I just been browsing the shelves at my local bookstore. I get to be a part of a book loving community who alerts one another when we come across a "banger" .
Well, I can't wait to tell the folks over at bookstagram that I found our next 5 star read!
Something Bad Wrong, is going to take the world by storm and leave us all begging for more. Eryk Pruitt, has a style all his own that will completely consume you.
Lately, I have taken a liking to the podcast theme books. I love listening to podcasts myself and its a way to incorporate the detective/police procedural side without being repetitive and boring so we still feel like we are a part of the case without having to skip ahead between two cops bantering.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I am eager to read more by this author.
Pruitt is not a new author but he was new to me. After concluding Something Bad Wrong, I knew that I just needed to know more about this author so I found a book that made me giggle at the title (Dirtbags), no need to read the back, I had to have it
Teaser :
To catch the killer who eluded her detective grandfather fifty years ago, a true-crime podcaster must contend with outdated evidence, ulterior motives, and the dark family secrets that got in the way.
True-crime podcaster Jess Keeler has returned to Deeton County, North Carolina, to pick up where her grandfather left off. Sheriff’s Deputy Big Jim Ballard, her grandfather, was a respected detective—until it all came crashing down during a 1972 murder investigation.
For Jim, solving the murders of two teens should have been the highlight of his already storied career. Instead, he battled his own mind, unsure where his hunches ended and the truth began.
Working from her grandfather’s disjointed notes, Jess is sure that she can finally put the cold case—and her family’s shame—to rest. Enlisting the help of disgraced reporter Dan Decker, Jess soon discovers ugly truths about the first investigation, which was shaped by corruption, egos, and a family secret that may be the key to the crime.
Told in a dual timeline that covers both investigations, Something Bad Wrong explores human folly, hubris, and how sometimes, to solve a crime, you have to find out who’s covering it up.
I, for one, LOVE IT, as long as it doesn't involve taste testing what my husband has been brewing in the kitchen!
One of my favorite things about book blogging is being introduced to authors I would not have typically heard about had I just been browsing the shelves at my local bookstore. I get to be a part of a book loving community who alerts one another when we come across a "banger" .
Well, I can't wait to tell the folks over at bookstagram that I found our next 5 star read!
Something Bad Wrong, is going to take the world by storm and leave us all begging for more. Eryk Pruitt, has a style all his own that will completely consume you.
Lately, I have taken a liking to the podcast theme books. I love listening to podcasts myself and its a way to incorporate the detective/police procedural side without being repetitive and boring so we still feel like we are a part of the case without having to skip ahead between two cops bantering.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I am eager to read more by this author.
Pruitt is not a new author but he was new to me. After concluding Something Bad Wrong, I knew that I just needed to know more about this author so I found a book that made me giggle at the title (Dirtbags), no need to read the back, I had to have it
Teaser :
To catch the killer who eluded her detective grandfather fifty years ago, a true-crime podcaster must contend with outdated evidence, ulterior motives, and the dark family secrets that got in the way.
True-crime podcaster Jess Keeler has returned to Deeton County, North Carolina, to pick up where her grandfather left off. Sheriff’s Deputy Big Jim Ballard, her grandfather, was a respected detective—until it all came crashing down during a 1972 murder investigation.
For Jim, solving the murders of two teens should have been the highlight of his already storied career. Instead, he battled his own mind, unsure where his hunches ended and the truth began.
Working from her grandfather’s disjointed notes, Jess is sure that she can finally put the cold case—and her family’s shame—to rest. Enlisting the help of disgraced reporter Dan Decker, Jess soon discovers ugly truths about the first investigation, which was shaped by corruption, egos, and a family secret that may be the key to the crime.
Told in a dual timeline that covers both investigations, Something Bad Wrong explores human folly, hubris, and how sometimes, to solve a crime, you have to find out who’s covering it up.
March 18, 2023
Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt is a highly recommended investigative thriller/police procedural.
Jess Keeler, a podcaster, is determined to solve the 1972 murder of Linda Harris and Steven Hicks. The couple from Lake Castor, Virginia, disappeared on Christmas Eve in 1971. Their bodies were found a couple weeks later just over the border in North Carolina. Jess's grandfather, Big Jim Ballard was a detective in Deeton County, North Carolina and was put in charge of the investigation by Sheriff Red Carter. Jim, however, was keeping the fact he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a secret.
Jess recruits disgraced news caster Dan Decker to help her with the investigation in hopes of solving the crime in a true crime podcast. Jess has found an old notebook from her grandfather and is using the notes he made to assist them in the direction their research should take. As they begin looking into the case and background information, it becomes clear that the notes may not have all the answers and that there were several problems and conflicts in the original investigation.
The narrative unfolds through two timelines, Jess and Dan in the present day and all those involved in the official investigation in 1972. There are also several different points-of-view from a variety of characters. The complexities of the original case are presented along with the conflicts between characters and psychological motives. The first investigation was plagued by dueling egos, corruption, and secrets.
The depiction of Big Jim and his struggle with Alzheimer’s disease is well executed and heartbreaking, however all of the characters are not quite fully realized. There is some devolving into using caricatures of a type of person, Sheriff Red Carter, for example, but generally the male characters are better written than Jess. Jess isn't as compelling of a characters and seems to be much younger than her age, almost 40.
Both timelines are interesting as they both lead to the eventual answers, although the present day investigation is slower-paced. The dual timelines work well in the novel, while the ending felt rushed.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...
Jess Keeler, a podcaster, is determined to solve the 1972 murder of Linda Harris and Steven Hicks. The couple from Lake Castor, Virginia, disappeared on Christmas Eve in 1971. Their bodies were found a couple weeks later just over the border in North Carolina. Jess's grandfather, Big Jim Ballard was a detective in Deeton County, North Carolina and was put in charge of the investigation by Sheriff Red Carter. Jim, however, was keeping the fact he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease a secret.
Jess recruits disgraced news caster Dan Decker to help her with the investigation in hopes of solving the crime in a true crime podcast. Jess has found an old notebook from her grandfather and is using the notes he made to assist them in the direction their research should take. As they begin looking into the case and background information, it becomes clear that the notes may not have all the answers and that there were several problems and conflicts in the original investigation.
The narrative unfolds through two timelines, Jess and Dan in the present day and all those involved in the official investigation in 1972. There are also several different points-of-view from a variety of characters. The complexities of the original case are presented along with the conflicts between characters and psychological motives. The first investigation was plagued by dueling egos, corruption, and secrets.
The depiction of Big Jim and his struggle with Alzheimer’s disease is well executed and heartbreaking, however all of the characters are not quite fully realized. There is some devolving into using caricatures of a type of person, Sheriff Red Carter, for example, but generally the male characters are better written than Jess. Jess isn't as compelling of a characters and seems to be much younger than her age, almost 40.
Both timelines are interesting as they both lead to the eventual answers, although the present day investigation is slower-paced. The dual timelines work well in the novel, while the ending felt rushed.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2023/0...
June 14, 2023
4.5 stars
February 26, 2023
On Christmas Eve 1971, two young lovers disappear, their bodies discovered weeks later, across the North Carolina state line, creating a conflict between Virginia’s Lake Castor investigators, where the couple went missing from, and the Deeton County Sheriff’s Department who found them. Ultimately, the investigation was headed by “Big Jim” Ballard, a trusted lawman in the community, but hiding a terrible secret. The case was never solved. 50 years later, Ballard’s granddaughter, Jess, a J-School dropout finds her grandfather’s personal notes and decides she wants to tackle the cold case once and for all. She decides to approach it as a podcast and enlist the help of disgraced former big-time broadcaster Dan Decker to help her. Despite being stonewalled at every turn, the pair begin putting pieces together. Because secrets in small towns never stay secret for long.
This book is told along two timelines: 1971/2, and the present day; and from multiple POVs.
The concept of this book grabbed me right me right away. I love a good podcast cold case revival. Add in the family connection and I was definitely in! And it really pays off in this story - Jess is determined to interpret her grandfather’s notes and finish this case, but she goes about it the wrong way at many times. Dan, on the other hand, is very jaded and cynical, but he knows what to do story wise, and how journalism works. Put the two of them together and it’s just great reading.
Plus the 1972 storyline is no sleeper either. I won’t give anything away, but, yeah, there’s a lot going on there that just at times made me stop and say, “Whoa.” Trust me, this author knows how to throw in a twist. In both timelines, there were plenty, and they were realistic enough that you could imagine them happening, which gave them that spark. That “holy crap” moment when you realize what just happened and you can totally see it happening in the context of the story. It was great.
The ending was also quite a stunner. Just read this one and trust me. It was satisfying in the context of the book and that’s really all I can say about it.
Overall, this was a well crafted book with some intense characters and scenes that really kept my attention and interest. It’s a very interesting book and great mystery/thriller for any fan of the genre.
This book is told along two timelines: 1971/2, and the present day; and from multiple POVs.
The concept of this book grabbed me right me right away. I love a good podcast cold case revival. Add in the family connection and I was definitely in! And it really pays off in this story - Jess is determined to interpret her grandfather’s notes and finish this case, but she goes about it the wrong way at many times. Dan, on the other hand, is very jaded and cynical, but he knows what to do story wise, and how journalism works. Put the two of them together and it’s just great reading.
Plus the 1972 storyline is no sleeper either. I won’t give anything away, but, yeah, there’s a lot going on there that just at times made me stop and say, “Whoa.” Trust me, this author knows how to throw in a twist. In both timelines, there were plenty, and they were realistic enough that you could imagine them happening, which gave them that spark. That “holy crap” moment when you realize what just happened and you can totally see it happening in the context of the story. It was great.
The ending was also quite a stunner. Just read this one and trust me. It was satisfying in the context of the book and that’s really all I can say about it.
Overall, this was a well crafted book with some intense characters and scenes that really kept my attention and interest. It’s a very interesting book and great mystery/thriller for any fan of the genre.
April 18, 2023
This was a free Prime selection and boy, is it a lot of plot! Protagonist Jess is trying to get her true crime podcast up and running so she turns to an unsolved murder case from the 1970s. A young couple was murdered, their bodies found in the woods, and although there were plenty of rumors about the identity of the murderer, no one was ever prosecuted for the crime. Jess convinces a washed-up tv anchor to join her investigation and she also has to cope with the issues raised by her mother's medical diagnosis. But wait! Jess's grandfather (whom she knows very little about) was one of the cops in the case and had a mysterious condition that pretty quickly reveals itself as Alzheimer's.
I wasn't surprised to see the author is a screenwriter because the characters here are loosely drawn and not all of them felt real or complex enough (even despite the complex issues raised). The structure of the plot also screams "streaming series" as there are several sudden plot points that feel like the cliffhanger for an individual episode. Several other aspects of the book left me cold -- for example, the treatment of Alzheimer's misses (the scene with the cop's daughter especially did not ring true), the plot doesn't really hang together in the light of day, and the ending was poorly done. For a Netflix spec -- great. For a novel, more characterization, some trimming of the wacky plot angles, and a more narrowed focus would have helped a lot.
I wasn't surprised to see the author is a screenwriter because the characters here are loosely drawn and not all of them felt real or complex enough (even despite the complex issues raised). The structure of the plot also screams "streaming series" as there are several sudden plot points that feel like the cliffhanger for an individual episode. Several other aspects of the book left me cold -- for example, the treatment of Alzheimer's misses (the scene with the cop's daughter especially did not ring true), the plot doesn't really hang together in the light of day, and the ending was poorly done. For a Netflix spec -- great. For a novel, more characterization, some trimming of the wacky plot angles, and a more narrowed focus would have helped a lot.
October 4, 2022
Jess finds an old notebook of her grandfather's and decides to do a podcast on an old unsolved murder he had investigated before his death. She ropes in Dan, a disgraced journalist, to help. The story flips between Jess and Dan in the present day and several of the investigating officers in the past. This was really good for a lot of the book, but I'm still not sure how I feel about the ending. 3.5 stars rounded to 4, I think.
November 29, 2022
I'd picked this book for my love for podcasts and transcripts that form an interesting storytelling but it fell short when I read and read and did not get enough glimpses of the promised entertainment from this book. It felt flat and the characters were bland and unlikeable. I hate quitting while reading a book but I had to stop this because it was super disappointing and I have so many good books waiting to be picked!
September 8, 2024
This book was so good and well written I like how it moves from then and now with characters and you are trying to figure out why a murder didn't get solved. The connections of all the characters made me want to keep reading and find out what is going on and why it had not been solved. There is so much more to this book then just figuring out the murders. I really like the podcaster, Jess Kessler, and how she would not leave this story until she finished it and how her personal life was impacted by this case. I hope there will be more books with her in it and more will unfold about her story. I really liked the way this author went back and forth in time and it all came together in the end. Corrupt police forces with the combo of people with money can get away with anything is very clear in this book.
Read
November 20, 2023DNF. I tried, but I honestly just got really bored with this one. I liked the scenes in the past much better than the future, but still wasn't at all invested in this murder. And I hated (hated, hated, hated), our MC.
July 7, 2023
Did you ever see that Episode of The Big Bang Theory where Amy is trying to help Sheldon deal with his issues when he can't finish things? That's what this felt like.
The who dun nit portion is resolved, sort of, by the end, but there are a lot of plots that are not finished and you are left wondering what happened. Never felt like I got the whole answer.
Also, I didn't appreciate the underlying and sometimes blatant narrative that all cops are bad and do things that are unethical.
The who dun nit portion is resolved, sort of, by the end, but there are a lot of plots that are not finished and you are left wondering what happened. Never felt like I got the whole answer.
Also, I didn't appreciate the underlying and sometimes blatant narrative that all cops are bad and do things that are unethical.
April 14, 2023
SOMETHING BAD WRONG by Eryk Pruitt
At the risk of sounding entirely cliche, there’s “something bad wrong” with this novel. The plot is strung together haphazardly with two thirds of the book slowly plodding along and then everything “and the kitchen sink” thrown into part three.
Jess Keeler is a rookie podcaster, and I mean ROOKIE, she has to Google how to use her sound equipment correctly. Because of this she decides to seek out a veteran newscaster, Dan, to help with her investigation of the “Christmas Eve Murders” from 50 years prior. Here the story goes a bit to pieces. Dan is a total chauvinist that has been canceled due to sexual harassment, why she’d want to lose credibility in a partner I do not know.
The jumps in time to Jess’s grandfather James, who mishandled the original investigation are stilted and awkward. His suffering from dementia is somehow not recognized by his family and the way it was written I started to believe he was drugged. That is how fast his symptoms accelerated. The “good old boy club” and backwoods justice of “the seven” is also problematic.
The supposed murderer is clear early on, but with extremely loose connections. The crime was an isolated incident that was never repeated. If it was a crime of passion there was simply no passion. Also we never find out why these two kids were singled out. I suppose randomly, but that is not the makings of a good thriller. The paranormal stuff pushed into part three was lame. Also the vigilante ending could have happened 50 years prior, and there would have been no need to have a podcast. Or write this book for that matter.
At the risk of sounding entirely cliche, there’s “something bad wrong” with this novel. The plot is strung together haphazardly with two thirds of the book slowly plodding along and then everything “and the kitchen sink” thrown into part three.
Jess Keeler is a rookie podcaster, and I mean ROOKIE, she has to Google how to use her sound equipment correctly. Because of this she decides to seek out a veteran newscaster, Dan, to help with her investigation of the “Christmas Eve Murders” from 50 years prior. Here the story goes a bit to pieces. Dan is a total chauvinist that has been canceled due to sexual harassment, why she’d want to lose credibility in a partner I do not know.
The jumps in time to Jess’s grandfather James, who mishandled the original investigation are stilted and awkward. His suffering from dementia is somehow not recognized by his family and the way it was written I started to believe he was drugged. That is how fast his symptoms accelerated. The “good old boy club” and backwoods justice of “the seven” is also problematic.
The supposed murderer is clear early on, but with extremely loose connections. The crime was an isolated incident that was never repeated. If it was a crime of passion there was simply no passion. Also we never find out why these two kids were singled out. I suppose randomly, but that is not the makings of a good thriller. The paranormal stuff pushed into part three was lame. Also the vigilante ending could have happened 50 years prior, and there would have been no need to have a podcast. Or write this book for that matter.
April 30, 2023
Far fetched
If the author intended to write an irreverent political hit piece he succeeded. All of the law enforce
ment characters portrayed are described as corrupt and the political references did not support the story. I can only assume that it reflects the author's political bias. Won't be reading anything else written by this author
If the author intended to write an irreverent political hit piece he succeeded. All of the law enforce
ment characters portrayed are described as corrupt and the political references did not support the story. I can only assume that it reflects the author's political bias. Won't be reading anything else written by this author
June 25, 2023
What can I say? It was free!
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