We are introduced to Joshua Thornton and his five children in chapter 1. The prologue brings Lulu Jefferson's view and a little bit about his parents. We are also introduced to Tad. There is a catch as Joshua moves his family to his former hometown.

He seems to get caught helping someone who tried to kill his cousin Tad in a church, and it seems to bring more to be involved. All when he goes to the state attorney general. It is more as his murderer with his arrangement and ends up murdered along with Beth Davis.

There is a twist when things get more complicated, and the state attorney general decides to ask or request Joshua to become a Special Prosecutor for the case of Vicki Rawlings and Beth Davis. They think he got the trust of the citizens of his hometown. Will he take the offer, or will he not?

Joshua is working with a police officer and a local reporter. What appears to be one thing is that his children are so like him that they want to join in and protect him. Does Joshua wish to be a dad and raise them, or will he hide from them and not send this child to live with their extended family? How will he decide to deal with the life he was chosen for?

Lauren Carr's Mysteries and stories are good. However, this one is less dense when it starts at the story's beginning. However, the action is improving, with this one being when Joshua and his five children are introduced. They are about school age. This book gets better as it goes along.

This is probably when she was starting to write these kinds of stories. This is their second series, so it has improved dramatically since. I love this one. I only wish I knew more about what happened to Valerie and what caused her to pass away. Then Joshua moved and settled in his hometown with his lovely five children. But other than that, it is a good starter book or series to get into her books, Along with Mac Faraday Mysteries. ( )

I enjoyed reading a Small Case of Murder. It was full of murders and sucides over a long period of time. I wondered if I would like it as well as Lauren's later books.
Yes I liked her later books best but while saying that I did like this book.
I had a hard time putting this book down once I started it.
Thier are a lot of characters in this story. I especially liked meeting Joshua Thornton and his family.
Joshua moved his family after his wife's death back to his hometown of Chester, West Virginia. Joshua left JAG because he now was a single parent to his 5 children. He plans to open up his own law practice. Joshua bought a old building that the town doctor owned and it came with a lot of books and patients files.
His cousin Tad was the town doctor now and was interested in the records and asked for them.
During the move Joshua found a letter written from his parents friend Lulu that had died on the same day as his parents had. The letter was never opened till now.
It talked about the dead body the four of them found on thier prom night that disappeared before they could get back with the Sheriff to show him. The sheriff did not believe them.
Joshua and his family were interested that his parents found a dead body and did not know who it was. Lulu's letter mentioned that she saw the dead guy in a picture of
Reverend Rawling,Sheriff DeLaney and some other guys in army uniforms. She asked Reverend about the picture.
Lulu died of a drug overdose the same day she mailed the letter also the same day Joshua lost his parents.
Thier are a lot of murders that happened in the past and again now that have not been solved. Everyone knows who the leader of drugs in the area but no proof. Joshua quiet life that he moved back for doesn't last for long even in church.
I like all the plot twists and turns that kept me from putting the book down till i finshed reading it.
I was given this ebook to read from Lauren and in exchange to write a honest review of it.
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (April 26, 2011) 324 pages. ( )

When Joshua Thornton, a recent widower and former Jag Commander returns to his hometown with his five children all hell breaks loose. When Josh finds a twenty year old letter addressed to his deceased mother in the attic, he sets into motion a chain of events that put him,his cousin and inquisitive children in danger. We have murders, crazy women, bad cops, drugs and a crazy drug lord preacher. This is a mystery worth reading, it is a fast read because you can't put it down. I definitely want to read Book 2 in the Joshua Thornton series.

Thanks to CreateSpace and Net Galley. ( )

This story was pretty boring. The writing was awkward and stilted, the characters clichéd, and the whole thing came off preachy. Don't waste your time on this one, as there are plenty of well-written murder mysteries set in small towns out there... ( )

A murder mystery for those that don't read murder mysteries. I don't, but I found this book irresistible! The ending is very shocking, the plot so complex you may need to read it twice to catch it all. ( )