Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Back Roads (Glen Crossing #1)

by Susan Crandall (Goodreads Author)

3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 · rating details · 52 ratings · 8 reviews

Sensible, capable, and always in control, Leigh Mitchell is the local sheriff of her sleepy Indiana home town. But Leigh is turning thirty and feeling restless. Something needs to change. She needs to change. So when a sexy stranger asks her to ride the Ferris wheel one moonlit night, she takes a leap of faith-and falls for Will Scott, dangerous secrets and all. By turns p...more

Paperback, 416 pages

Published June 1st 2003 by Forever

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 115)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Sep 25, 2010 Jane Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-with-some-romance

It’s more about solving a mystery than romance. It didn’t draw me in emotionally as much as I would have liked. It was ok.

STORY BRIEF:
Leigh was raised by relatives who didn’t want her. They fed and clothed her but gave nothing emotional. She had to work to pay for her own education. She is now sheriff in a small town in Indiana. She wants to date, but there is no one appropriate. Drifter Will shows up at a carnival and asks Leigh to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. Afterwards they go to a bar and...more It’s more about solving a mystery than romance. It didn’t draw me in emotionally as much as I would have liked. It was ok.

STORY BRIEF:
Leigh was raised by relatives who didn’t want her. They fed and clothed her but gave nothing emotional. She had to work to pay for her own education. She is now sheriff in a small town in Indiana. She wants to date, but there is no one appropriate. Drifter Will shows up at a carnival and asks Leigh to ride the Ferris Wheel with him. Afterwards they go to a bar and dance. Will plans to leave town the next morning but is offered a job as an auto mechanic. Will is low on money, so he accepts the job. He and Leigh are drawn to each other, but Will keeps a distance because he doesn’t want to hurt her. He tells her he will be leaving soon. The reader suspects Will is a good guy who is on the run from bad guys – maybe mafia, or corrupt police, or others. He won’t tell Leigh any details. She trusts him based on her own instincts. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Brittany had flirted with Will and is now missing. Leigh is heading the investigation. The townspeople suspect Will and put pressure on Leigh to arrest him. Will can’t leave town now, because it would look suspicious and an APB might be put out on him. So he stays and helps Leigh with the case.

REVIEWER’S OPINION WITH MILD SPOILERS:
This felt more like a mystery than a romance novel. But it fits the definition of romance because there was a developing relationship and a happy ending. However, it wasn’t as enjoyable as I normally like. It was a serious piece, slowly uncovering clues and solving the two mysteries: the missing girl and Will’s past. I didn’t like a couple parts. Leigh did something predictable which brought the bad guys to town which was the first unsmart thing she did. It was a mistake. It rubbed me wrong. Also, Will was smart enough that he should have predicted this. And he should have warned her not to do it. I was also bothered that Leigh told person A about the evidence she had. As a reader, in my mind, A was a suspect. He could tamper with the evidence. I questioned Leigh’s competence after that. Otherwise the story was ok. Mystery lovers will probably like this more than I did.

DATA:
Story length: 385 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 4. Total number of sex scene pages: 9. Setting: current day Henderson County, Indiana. Copyright: 2003. Genre: mystery with some romance.(less)

like · see review

Dec 31, 2010 Ns rated it 5 of 5 stars

What a charming read! Having enjoyed Susan Crandall's newest novels thus far, I was looking forward to her backlisted books. Back Roads did not disappoint; many late nights were devoted to uncovering the mysteries. Although, Crandall's leap into romantic suspense really began with Pitch Black , this story is full of suspense that will make it hard to put the book down.

The mystery, a young woman's disappearance, foreign to the small, sleepy town of Glens Crossing in Indiana, made more sinister wh...more What a charming read! Having enjoyed Susan Crandall's newest novels thus far, I was looking forward to her backlisted books. Back Roads did not disappoint; many late nights were devoted to uncovering the mysteries. Although, Crandall's leap into romantic suspense really began with Pitch Black , this story is full of suspense that will make it hard to put the book down.

The mystery, a young woman's disappearance, foreign to the small, sleepy town of Glens Crossing in Indiana, made more sinister when it coincides with the appearance of a stranger. Will Scott, the stranger in their midst is really no stranger at all. He grew up in Glens Crossing, carrying the many happy memories that makes up the only shining light in his dangerous past. Already, initially wary, the community at large is quick to point the finger when the young woman turns up missing.

One lonely night at a carnival, Will, a loner seeking a childhoold fulfillment and Leight Mitchell, restless and wanting change, meet and sparks simmer and fly. The mysterious Will intrigue Leigh, while studious Leigh brings stability and a sense of belonging for Will. There is something about Will that pulls at her heart and convinces her the only thing he can be guilty of is secrecy, but not deceit.

Caught up in the crossroads, between her duty and her heart, Sheriff Leigh Mitchell is determined to solve the disappearance and clear Will's name. Even if this mean losing her job, the community trust, and her brother's support. Despite his secrets, his vague answers, Leigh senses a camaraderie with Will and yearns for the opportunity to love him openly. Will also finds love in Leigh but he is not willing to risk her life with his secrets, secrets that appear to be catching up with him.

There is intrigue, mystery, and danger but there is also a tenderness within Will that tugs at your heartstrings from the start. All this combined makes for a superb read. The plot was deliberate and intelligent, pulling readers in, but not so fast-paced as to confuse or make it easy to lose track of. In the end the mysteries are solved satisfyingly, and still maintains the good-feel that is present from the start.(less)

like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Joyce McKune rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-fiction, drama, romance

The sheriff was turning 30 and life in a small town was boring. A tall dark stranger came to town and though mysterious, she trusted him but the whole town thought he had kidnapped a missing girl.

like · see review

Apr 25, 2009 Storm rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009-books

I really liked this book. It wasn't as trashy as I thought it would be. It gave me a feeling a suspense that made me want to keep reading to the very last page. I really liked the story and felt the end was nice too.

like · see review

Aug 04, 2012 Carol Hurtig rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was really good! Kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the secret behind the handsome stranger who came to town and figure out what happened to the missing girl and see the love story develop!

like · see review

May 27, 2009 Bcgrad rated it 3 of 5 stars

Favorite Quotes:
"The crumbling cliff of sanity shook under her feet."

"There was something about a guilty conscience that loosened a tongue faced with silence."

like · see review

Jun 16, 2010 Maria marked it as to-read

Glens Crossing
1. Back Roads (2003)
2. The Road Home (2004)
3. Magnolia Sky (2004)
4. Promises to Keep (2005)

like · see review

May 19, 2011 Autumnlady21 rated it 4 of 5 stars

A very good read. Interesting, a lot of intrigue, kept you wondering all through. Great ending. First time reading Susan Crandall. Will definitely read more of her work.

like · see review

May 18, 2013 Brittany marked it as to-read

May 07, 2013 Bernadette Devries rated it 4 of 5 stars

May 03, 2013 Seanna rated it 5 of 5 stars

Apr 13, 2013 Pam marked it as to-read

Apr 10, 2013 Sophie marked it as to-read

Mar 23, 2013 Alisha Brown added it

Feb 26, 2013 Kathy Sacco marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: books-to-read-first

Feb 14, 2013 Stephanie added it

Feb 14, 2013 Heidi Miller rated it 5 of 5 stars

Feb 13, 2013 Jstutz rated it 5 of 5 stars

Feb 09, 2013 Terri added it

Feb 06, 2013 Judy Woldruff rated it 4 of 5 stars

Feb 04, 2013 Mel Issa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Jan 21, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dec 11, 2012 Sandi Morris added it

Dec 08, 2012 Pampchefpam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Nov 20, 2012 Tracy marked it as to-read

Nov 09, 2012 Leeann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Nov 07, 2012 Que marked it as to-read

Shelves: kindle

Nov 03, 2012 Shelby Rasnake added it

Oct 31, 2012 Gloria Goodman rated it 3 of 5 stars

Oct 24, 2012 Valie rated it 3 of 5 stars

« previous 1 2 3 4 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (5)

More editions...

Genres

Romance

4 users

Contemporary

3 users

See top shelves...

About Susan Crandall

Unlike so many writers, Susan Crandall did not emerge from the womb with a pen and paper in hand and a fully formed story in her mind. Instead, she was born with an incredible love for books. This must be genetic, because her father and now her son, both hated school, but are somehow addicted to books.

For much of her young life, even those exhausting years when her children were young and Susan...more

More about Susan Crandall...

Books by Susan Crandall

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Back Roads

4 trivia questions

More quizzes & trivia...

title link	preview: Back Roads
avg rating	preview: Back Roads Goodreads rating: 3.98 (52 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/873624.Back_Roads?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344269101l/873624.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/873624.Back_Roads?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Back Roads by Susan Crandall[/url]

Back Roads (Glen Crossing #1)

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (5)

Genres

About Susan Crandall

Books by Susan Crandall

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Back Roads

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (5)