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A Quiet Little Town: A Colinas County Mystery
- GenresHistorical Fiction
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 30, 2026
4 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Love
27 books238 followersBefore returning to her writing roots in historical fiction, Dorothy Love published twelve novels for young adults. Her work has garnered numerous honors from the American Library Association, the Friends of American Writers, the International Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2026
Sheriff Hutch Joyner and newspaper publisher Ruth Hartnett know just about everything going on in Colinas County…until dead bodies and mysterious disappearances have rumors flying. Author Dorothy Love brings 1956 rural Texas to life with authentic details and a page-turning pace. Tensions with the Mexican community echo today’s events. The challenges Ruth faces in raising her preteen son will resonate with every parent. And a dog named Friday stole my heart! Looking forward to more!
January 29, 2026
I was given an ARC copy of A Quiet Little Town by Dorothy Love.
The book is set in April 1956. Most of the characters have been touched by various aspects of the WWII. This brings some interesting character storylines to the plot.
The story starts with a town picnic where a lot of the characters are introduced to us. Two of the main characters, are Ruth a war widow and the owner of the town newspaper and Hutch, the town sheriff, who is a widower.
I’m not giving anything away by saying that two teenage boys come to find the sheriff at the picnic to say that they have just found a body up at the quarry. This becomes the main theme for the story, “Who killed arguably the most disliked man in town?” Also “why” and “how” become questions that divide portions of the town.
Its genre could be a small town cozy murder mystery with historical facts of the time thrown in. However cozy just isn’t the vibe with everything that happens. Maybe you’ll have to read it to understand why I don’t think “cozy” is the quite the right word choice.
Be sure to watch for the series A Colinas County Mystery. The next book is The Devil’s Backbone by Dorothy Love
The book is set in April 1956. Most of the characters have been touched by various aspects of the WWII. This brings some interesting character storylines to the plot.
The story starts with a town picnic where a lot of the characters are introduced to us. Two of the main characters, are Ruth a war widow and the owner of the town newspaper and Hutch, the town sheriff, who is a widower.
I’m not giving anything away by saying that two teenage boys come to find the sheriff at the picnic to say that they have just found a body up at the quarry. This becomes the main theme for the story, “Who killed arguably the most disliked man in town?” Also “why” and “how” become questions that divide portions of the town.
Its genre could be a small town cozy murder mystery with historical facts of the time thrown in. However cozy just isn’t the vibe with everything that happens. Maybe you’ll have to read it to understand why I don’t think “cozy” is the quite the right word choice.
Be sure to watch for the series A Colinas County Mystery. The next book is The Devil’s Backbone by Dorothy Love
February 2, 2026
A Quiet Little Town is one of those rare historical mysteries that feels both richly immersive and quietly powerful. Set in 1956 Texas hill country, the town of Colinas is picture‑perfect on the surface—but the moment Sonny Guthrie’s body turns up in an abandoned quarry, those tidy edges begin to fray.
Sheriff Hutch Joyner is the heart of this story, and what a compelling protagonist he is. Haunted by his time in a WWII POW camp and still mourning his late wife, Hutch carries his grief with a quiet dignity that makes him instantly sympathetic. With his loyal golden retriever Friday by his side, he approaches the double murder at the centre of the novel with a steadiness that feels both old‑fashioned and deeply human. His pursuit of truth—tempered always by compassion—anchors the whole book.
The mystery itself unfolds with wonderful texture and patience. Every character, from Guthrie’s enigmatic widow to the local football hero with secrets of his own, feels lived‑in and layered. The atmosphere of Colinas—its charm, its prejudices, its tightly guarded loyalties—is captured so vividly that you can almost hear the cicadas and taste the dust in the air.
What I loved most is how the story becomes more than an investigation. It’s a quiet reckoning with the cost of silence, the corrosive power of prejudice, and the bravery required to seek justice in a community afraid of the truth. The relationship between Hutch and Ruth, the young war widow who runs the town’s newspaper, is tender without overshadowing the mystery—a lovely thread of hope running through the darker corners of the narrative.
Dorothy Love’s writing is evocative and meticulously researched, bringing both the era and the emotional landscape of the characters to life with remarkable clarity. This is a thoughtful, emotionally resonant, character‑driven mystery with genuine heart. A standout historical whodunit that I will be thinking about for a long time.
My thanks to Dorothy Love, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
Sheriff Hutch Joyner is the heart of this story, and what a compelling protagonist he is. Haunted by his time in a WWII POW camp and still mourning his late wife, Hutch carries his grief with a quiet dignity that makes him instantly sympathetic. With his loyal golden retriever Friday by his side, he approaches the double murder at the centre of the novel with a steadiness that feels both old‑fashioned and deeply human. His pursuit of truth—tempered always by compassion—anchors the whole book.
The mystery itself unfolds with wonderful texture and patience. Every character, from Guthrie’s enigmatic widow to the local football hero with secrets of his own, feels lived‑in and layered. The atmosphere of Colinas—its charm, its prejudices, its tightly guarded loyalties—is captured so vividly that you can almost hear the cicadas and taste the dust in the air.
What I loved most is how the story becomes more than an investigation. It’s a quiet reckoning with the cost of silence, the corrosive power of prejudice, and the bravery required to seek justice in a community afraid of the truth. The relationship between Hutch and Ruth, the young war widow who runs the town’s newspaper, is tender without overshadowing the mystery—a lovely thread of hope running through the darker corners of the narrative.
Dorothy Love’s writing is evocative and meticulously researched, bringing both the era and the emotional landscape of the characters to life with remarkable clarity. This is a thoughtful, emotionally resonant, character‑driven mystery with genuine heart. A standout historical whodunit that I will be thinking about for a long time.
My thanks to Dorothy Love, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC
February 1, 2026
A Quiet Little Town by Dorothy Love is a historical mystery novel set in Colinas, a picturesque town in the Texas hill country in 1956. Hutch Joyner, a widower and survivor of a brutal WWII POW camp, serves as the local sheriff, and he was a fabulous character. (As was his Golden Retriever, Friday!) Hutch finds himself investigating a double murder, forcing the town to reckon with long-buried loyalties and the high cost of silence.
I wasn't sure I was going to love this novel, as there seemed to be too many times a character was pausing what he or she was speaking about to drink some water, or set down a spoon, or stifle a burp behind a closed fist, or use a toe to set a porch swing in motion, etc. There has to be a reason writers do that. (Am I the only reader who finds that annoying??) However, the storyline ended up grabbing me, interruptions and all, and I did NOT want to put the book down! I'm eager to read the next book in the series, The Devil's Backbone.
#Crime #Mystery #Romance #LeaningOaksPress
I wasn't sure I was going to love this novel, as there seemed to be too many times a character was pausing what he or she was speaking about to drink some water, or set down a spoon, or stifle a burp behind a closed fist, or use a toe to set a porch swing in motion, etc. There has to be a reason writers do that. (Am I the only reader who finds that annoying??) However, the storyline ended up grabbing me, interruptions and all, and I did NOT want to put the book down! I'm eager to read the next book in the series, The Devil's Backbone.
#Crime #Mystery #Romance #LeaningOaksPress
February 10, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
A Quiet Little Town by Dorothy Love is engaging from the start. The main character is Sheriff Joyner in a classic whodunit that has rattled his town. I believe the book is appropriate for anyone 16+.
This is the first in a series of books. Love's prose is simple yet very descriptive; you can actually envision the surroundings. She does a good job drawing you into the era and the characters are relatable. Dreams, disasters, choices, secrets, and prejudices are interwoven in the prose which is easy to follow. There are multiple lessons and truths found in the text.
"Things got easier once a man accepted the life he had, instead of mourning the one he'd lost."
A Quiet Little Town by Dorothy Love is engaging from the start. The main character is Sheriff Joyner in a classic whodunit that has rattled his town. I believe the book is appropriate for anyone 16+.
This is the first in a series of books. Love's prose is simple yet very descriptive; you can actually envision the surroundings. She does a good job drawing you into the era and the characters are relatable. Dreams, disasters, choices, secrets, and prejudices are interwoven in the prose which is easy to follow. There are multiple lessons and truths found in the text.
"Things got easier once a man accepted the life he had, instead of mourning the one he'd lost."
February 22, 2026
Dorothy Love captures the rhythms of 1950s Texas with details that will make you feel as if you are right there. The mystery is gripping. The relationships are believable. Hutch is steady with integrity. Ruth is relatable and resilient, raising her teenage son on her own. And she had me hooked with the dog Friday! This is a thoughtful, beautifully written story that balances suspense with tenderness.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews