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The Cumberland Killers: A Kentucky Mystery
A reporter sets out to track down his friend's killer only to discover murder of another kind in the Appalachian mountains. Russell Ray Teague's bad day takes a turn for the worse when he discovers his friend, a TV news photographer, has been murdered. Clues lead to the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky where increasing numbers of residents report bad drinking water from their wells. Russell recruits his childhood friend, mechanical genius Tom Gabbert as they make their way into a region not always friendly to strangers. When another dead body turns up, Russell realizes they are searching for a needle in a haystack. But the haystack is the size of a mountain range, and the puzzle soon takes on mountainous proportions. Fans of Ron Rash, Ivan Doig, Craig Johnson, and Elmore Leonard, will likely enjoy this historical mystery, set in 1985.
256 pages, Paperback
Published September 9, 2018
7 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
James Aura
3 books87 followersJames Aura writes historical and environmental mysteries and climate fiction.
He grew up in farming country north of Clifton Hill, Missouri; a town with a barbershop and a population of 212. Later, after college and the army, he covered public servants and Pharisees, civil rights marchers, and the Klan, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, corporate bigwigs, Amish house-movers, snake handlers and strip-miners from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast. In other words, he was in the local news business. James Aura lives in the woods near Raleigh, NC with his wife and a very opinionated cat.
He is the author of 'When Saigon Surrendered, a Kentucky Mystery' is a story about ordinary Americans in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1717881262?
'The Cumberland Killers' is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky with the onset of mountaintop removal mining in the 1980's. Some of the same characters inhabit both novels.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
'The Hurricane Code' is a story of North American climate refugees in the year 2099.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J1SK814/
All books are available in print, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
Follow the author on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/james_aura
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/whensaigonsu...?
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Medium:
https://medium.com/@james_aura
He grew up in farming country north of Clifton Hill, Missouri; a town with a barbershop and a population of 212. Later, after college and the army, he covered public servants and Pharisees, civil rights marchers, and the Klan, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, corporate bigwigs, Amish house-movers, snake handlers and strip-miners from the Midwest to the Atlantic Coast. In other words, he was in the local news business. James Aura lives in the woods near Raleigh, NC with his wife and a very opinionated cat.
He is the author of 'When Saigon Surrendered, a Kentucky Mystery' is a story about ordinary Americans in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1717881262?
'The Cumberland Killers' is set in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky with the onset of mountaintop removal mining in the 1980's. Some of the same characters inhabit both novels.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
'The Hurricane Code' is a story of North American climate refugees in the year 2099.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J1SK814/
All books are available in print, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.
Follow the author on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/james_aura
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/whensaigonsu...?
https://www.facebook.com/thecumberlan...?
https://www.facebook.com/The-Hurrican...
Medium:
https://medium.com/@james_aura
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
April 27, 2020
I enjoyed this historical mystery for several reasons.
The narrator was refreshingly original, not your typical stereotyped bigoted, ignorant Kentucky
redneck. He was educated, inquisitive and vulnerable. For a young college-educated male in the year 1985, he struck me as enlightened, except maybe when it came to women. The story is decades ahead of the 'me too' movement.
The historical detail was very well done. Having traveled through some of the economically depressed Appalachian coal towns years ago, I found his description of Hazard's main street
realistic and detailed. The strip mining scenes were very well done and the elderly mountain people were portrayed with colorful detail and humor. I thought the depiction of the mountaintop explosion was vivid, and I had to wonder if the author had ever personally witnessed such environmental destruction.
I'll have to disagree with one reviewer who stated that methamphetamine has a short shelf life. I can say for a fact that meth manufactured in the 1940s, stored in a dark dry place, would be quite potent and dangerous in 1985. (minor in chemistry)
I thought the farmer who came to the logging camp and met with a sad fate was sympathetically portrayed, although he was set up as a suspect initially, and the landlady and her odd sister turned out to be quite a surprise. The mystery was interesting and I found the depiction of the road trip into the mountains in a 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado, a 'muscle car' to be enjoyable.
The participation of a deaf teenager in unraveling the last remaining thread of the mystery was the icing on the cake for me. I will watch for more efforts from this author.
The narrator was refreshingly original, not your typical stereotyped bigoted, ignorant Kentucky
redneck. He was educated, inquisitive and vulnerable. For a young college-educated male in the year 1985, he struck me as enlightened, except maybe when it came to women. The story is decades ahead of the 'me too' movement.
The historical detail was very well done. Having traveled through some of the economically depressed Appalachian coal towns years ago, I found his description of Hazard's main street
realistic and detailed. The strip mining scenes were very well done and the elderly mountain people were portrayed with colorful detail and humor. I thought the depiction of the mountaintop explosion was vivid, and I had to wonder if the author had ever personally witnessed such environmental destruction.
I'll have to disagree with one reviewer who stated that methamphetamine has a short shelf life. I can say for a fact that meth manufactured in the 1940s, stored in a dark dry place, would be quite potent and dangerous in 1985. (minor in chemistry)
I thought the farmer who came to the logging camp and met with a sad fate was sympathetically portrayed, although he was set up as a suspect initially, and the landlady and her odd sister turned out to be quite a surprise. The mystery was interesting and I found the depiction of the road trip into the mountains in a 1980 Oldsmobile Toronado, a 'muscle car' to be enjoyable.
The participation of a deaf teenager in unraveling the last remaining thread of the mystery was the icing on the cake for me. I will watch for more efforts from this author.
April 26, 2020
Rapacious, environmentally-destructive mining companies, shady cops, an alcoholic military vet who goes around burning billboards, and two amateur detectives who seek to find his killers. Definitely not your garden variety mystery. I enjoyed the vivid writing on every page and hope the author continues the series just to see what the main character gets into next. I hope his MacGyver style mechanic buddy shows up again too.
April 16, 2020
The story is set in Kentucky, spring of 1985. A disastrous farm depression is going on, interest rates are sky high, and a young newspaper reporter has just been laid off. Later that same day, he discovers a good friend has been murdered upstairs in his own rooming house. A melancholy trip to the funeral ensues, and a budding romance sputters when the girlfriend takes a job some distance away. The local police are either incompetent or uninterested in solving the crime, and the now- jobless reporter rounds up another childhood buddy and the two of them set out to find their friend's killer.
My favorite part of the novel is probably the descriptions of the Appalachian mountains, the communities ,and some of the backwoods residents. They meet one elderly gent this way:
"If there were nursing homes for horses, this one would have been a candidate. I reached out and patted its nose. A gravelly voice, which sounded like the horse looked, came from behind a tree.
“Well if the horse likes you, I reckon I won’t shoot you, then.”
To me, the writing had overtones of Mark Twain and North Carolina author Daniel Wallace. Occasional humor with some very dark undercurrents. I was glad to see some carry over of characters from the first book in the series, as well.
My favorite part of the novel is probably the descriptions of the Appalachian mountains, the communities ,and some of the backwoods residents. They meet one elderly gent this way:
"If there were nursing homes for horses, this one would have been a candidate. I reached out and patted its nose. A gravelly voice, which sounded like the horse looked, came from behind a tree.
“Well if the horse likes you, I reckon I won’t shoot you, then.”
To me, the writing had overtones of Mark Twain and North Carolina author Daniel Wallace. Occasional humor with some very dark undercurrents. I was glad to see some carry over of characters from the first book in the series, as well.
April 25, 2020
I really enjoyed this book set in 1985 about a small-town Kentucky newspaper reporter who traipses all over the state trying to track down the killers of his friend/photographer. It's interesting that authors writing books set in the present bend over backwards to avoid including cultural elements that may make the book age too quickly but when writing about a time even a few decades in the past, the writer will salt the story with any reference they can that will help lock in the time setting. For me, I found all I needed to do that in the first chapter when Russell gets laid off by his newspaper. I wish there was a way to tell him how lucky he was. I was laid off from my job as a reporter in 1985 and time has since shown that that was a career path that I was better off out of.
Bottom line: This was an enjoyable blast from the past made more poignant by the death of John Prine while I was reading it. Every time I come across a reference to Muhlenberg County in this book, Prine' song Paradise starts running through my brain. I definitely recommend this book and plan to read the other books in his series.
Bottom line: This was an enjoyable blast from the past made more poignant by the death of John Prine while I was reading it. Every time I come across a reference to Muhlenberg County in this book, Prine' song Paradise starts running through my brain. I definitely recommend this book and plan to read the other books in his series.
August 23, 2022
3.5 stars rounded up
It does fall into the "journalist solves the case" trope, but I enjoyed it anyway. It kept my attention, and I loved the setting. The descriptions of the small mountain towns and people in Appalachia are wonderful. It seemed well researched. I don't know much about Appalachia, but I do know Saint Louis, which is included in this story. The Saint Louis places and publications mentioned in the book are accurate. Even though it wasn't quite a 4 star read for me, it was entertaining and I'm glad I read it.
It does fall into the "journalist solves the case" trope, but I enjoyed it anyway. It kept my attention, and I loved the setting. The descriptions of the small mountain towns and people in Appalachia are wonderful. It seemed well researched. I don't know much about Appalachia, but I do know Saint Louis, which is included in this story. The Saint Louis places and publications mentioned in the book are accurate. Even though it wasn't quite a 4 star read for me, it was entertaining and I'm glad I read it.
July 10, 2023
This was an interesting book that captured the political winds blowing in the 1980s that gave us what we have here in America today. Done in a very entertaining way through the recollections of Russell Ray Teague, who walks a very fine line between legal and shady when he attempts to solve a murder. Just some of the scenarios in this story: Big box stores wiping out small town business firms, the farm depression, mountaintop removal mining, water pollution, media takeovers, and women in journalism. I found the murder mystery fascinating as well.
September 30, 2018
The author obviously did extensive research regarding the Cumberland Mountains and industries in the area. That particular mountain setting was woven along with very believable and colorful characters into a murder mystery that made you feel a part of the story. As events unfolded, the book became increasingly hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.
May 15, 2020
Book review of The Cumberland Killers: A Kentucky Mystery by James Aura
Publisher: Amazon
Published: September 7, 2018
Print Length: 258 pages
Language: English
ASIN: B07H6Q2ZPM
Blurb:
A reporter sets out to track down his friend's killer only to discover murder of another kind in the Appalachian mountains.
Russell Ray Teague's bad day takes a turn for the worse when he discovers his friend, a TV news photographer has been murdered. Clues lead to the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky where increasing numbers of residents report bad drinking water from their wells.
Russell recruits his childhood friend, mechanical genius Tom Gabbert as they make their way into a region not always friendly to strangers. When another dead body turns up, Russell realizes they are searching for a needle in a haystack. But the haystack is the size of a mountain range, and the puzzle soon takes on mountainous proportions.
Review by L. G. Cullens:
Billed as a historical mystery set in 1985, I wasn't really in the mood for another whodunit at the moment. But, clicking through the preview a quote on the title page caught my eye.
“When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river poisoned, then you will see that you can’t eat money.” -- Alanis Obomsawin
Yes, a bit cliche, but curious about the author, I saw that he espouses writing environmental fiction. That being a primary interest of mine, I picked up a copy.
An eclectic reader for three quarters of a century, I can't claim that the writing was far above average in my view — few are, especially these days with 'optional' professional editing. What I can say, is that the book was engrossing enough that I read it over only three days. Had to be to encroach on my nap-times :-)
What made the difference to me was the thread of realistic environmental consciousness throughout the story — an ample depiction of how in part we got to the dire straits we're in today. Something I see too little of in the quagmire of published writings these days.
An interesting enough whodunit, together with its realistic environmental consciousness, makes this a book I genuinely recommend.
“Literature is a process of producing beautiful lies that tell more truth than any facts.” ~ Julian Barnes
Publisher: Amazon
Published: September 7, 2018
Print Length: 258 pages
Language: English
ASIN: B07H6Q2ZPM
Blurb:
A reporter sets out to track down his friend's killer only to discover murder of another kind in the Appalachian mountains.
Russell Ray Teague's bad day takes a turn for the worse when he discovers his friend, a TV news photographer has been murdered. Clues lead to the Cumberland Mountains of eastern Kentucky where increasing numbers of residents report bad drinking water from their wells.
Russell recruits his childhood friend, mechanical genius Tom Gabbert as they make their way into a region not always friendly to strangers. When another dead body turns up, Russell realizes they are searching for a needle in a haystack. But the haystack is the size of a mountain range, and the puzzle soon takes on mountainous proportions.
Review by L. G. Cullens:
Billed as a historical mystery set in 1985, I wasn't really in the mood for another whodunit at the moment. But, clicking through the preview a quote on the title page caught my eye.
“When the last tree is cut and the last fish killed, the last river poisoned, then you will see that you can’t eat money.” -- Alanis Obomsawin
Yes, a bit cliche, but curious about the author, I saw that he espouses writing environmental fiction. That being a primary interest of mine, I picked up a copy.
An eclectic reader for three quarters of a century, I can't claim that the writing was far above average in my view — few are, especially these days with 'optional' professional editing. What I can say, is that the book was engrossing enough that I read it over only three days. Had to be to encroach on my nap-times :-)
What made the difference to me was the thread of realistic environmental consciousness throughout the story — an ample depiction of how in part we got to the dire straits we're in today. Something I see too little of in the quagmire of published writings these days.
An interesting enough whodunit, together with its realistic environmental consciousness, makes this a book I genuinely recommend.
“Literature is a process of producing beautiful lies that tell more truth than any facts.” ~ Julian Barnes
April 23, 2020
For Russell Ray Teague, a spring day in the mid-1980s was going to be a memorable day. It began, as the novel opens:
...I woke up and walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and didn't even know it. A scream, just one scream, pierced the bedroom around 4:00 a.m..
Since it was an important day at the local newspaper and he was already running, he didn't delay leaving the boarding house where he resided. The newspaper had been recently sold and all current employees were required to attend a morning meeting. Shortly after he arrived, he discovered that he was no longer employed as an investigative reporter. Returning to his boarding house, he discovered that Jimmy Bartholomew; fellow rooming house boarder, high-school classmate and close friend, was the scream he heard in the early morning hours. He had been murdered with an ice-pick. Fearing that the local police would not make much effort in finding the killer because Jimmy was not well liked by local chief of police having run-ins in his role as a television news photographer, he decides to use his investigative skills and retrace Jimmy's recent assignment which lead him into the Cumberland Mountains in eastern Kentucky. He is assisted with another friend, the third of their "Three Musketeers Gang", Tommy Gabbert.
Although there were moments that interested me in this book, including Tommy's James Bond-like Toronado, which was armed with devices to deter vehicles riding his bumper, the best review I can give this book is "it was okay." The characters appeared were stereotypical with little depth. As indicated above, The novel began with a trope. The author peppered the novel with so many metaphors that I began losing myself in the prose by looking for the next trope. As I said, it was okay; but nothing special to separate it from the others in the mystery/thriller genre.
...I woke up and walked through the valley of the shadow of death, and didn't even know it. A scream, just one scream, pierced the bedroom around 4:00 a.m..
Since it was an important day at the local newspaper and he was already running, he didn't delay leaving the boarding house where he resided. The newspaper had been recently sold and all current employees were required to attend a morning meeting. Shortly after he arrived, he discovered that he was no longer employed as an investigative reporter. Returning to his boarding house, he discovered that Jimmy Bartholomew; fellow rooming house boarder, high-school classmate and close friend, was the scream he heard in the early morning hours. He had been murdered with an ice-pick. Fearing that the local police would not make much effort in finding the killer because Jimmy was not well liked by local chief of police having run-ins in his role as a television news photographer, he decides to use his investigative skills and retrace Jimmy's recent assignment which lead him into the Cumberland Mountains in eastern Kentucky. He is assisted with another friend, the third of their "Three Musketeers Gang", Tommy Gabbert.
Although there were moments that interested me in this book, including Tommy's James Bond-like Toronado, which was armed with devices to deter vehicles riding his bumper, the best review I can give this book is "it was okay." The characters appeared were stereotypical with little depth. As indicated above, The novel began with a trope. The author peppered the novel with so many metaphors that I began losing myself in the prose by looking for the next trope. As I said, it was okay; but nothing special to separate it from the others in the mystery/thriller genre.
April 11, 2020
I thought this was quite entertaining, especially like the author, I have little use for corporate chain stores, coal mining, or billboards. If you like those, then this is probably not the mystery for you.
A TV news photographer is stabbed to death in a Kentucky rooming house and two amateur sleuths set out to find their friend's killer. This leads to a road trip into the Cumberland range of the Appalachian mountains (an area I know well), discovery of polluted well water and then, the real reason behind the title 'The Cumberland Killers.'
I enjoyed the mystery, but especially liked the snapshots of the 80s, including the farm depression, the apparent stirrings leading to 'Farm Aid', cameos by Willie Nelson and Neil Young, women preachers -heaven forbid- wearing pantsuits, and the nostalgia about the newspaper business.
I thought this was a better book than the author's first one, and hope he writes more in this series.
A TV news photographer is stabbed to death in a Kentucky rooming house and two amateur sleuths set out to find their friend's killer. This leads to a road trip into the Cumberland range of the Appalachian mountains (an area I know well), discovery of polluted well water and then, the real reason behind the title 'The Cumberland Killers.'
I enjoyed the mystery, but especially liked the snapshots of the 80s, including the farm depression, the apparent stirrings leading to 'Farm Aid', cameos by Willie Nelson and Neil Young, women preachers -heaven forbid- wearing pantsuits, and the nostalgia about the newspaper business.
I thought this was a better book than the author's first one, and hope he writes more in this series.
February 18, 2023
This was quite a story. I liked many aspects, and it's hard to say which I liked the best. The mystery was absorbing, but I think the moment they blow up the mountain was a sort of climax for me. This line: "Then came the wail of a siren across the valley, and then because light travels faster than blood, we saw an explosion, and a second later we felt it and heard the ear-splitting blast. The molecules in the air made the hairs stand up on my arm."
I think that imagery will stay with me for awhile.
-----
A little bit of a spoiler below......
The Cumberland Killers turns out to refer to killers of mountains, as well as the murderers they were tracking. It was a great yarn, with some appealing characters and I did so enjoy the descriptions of the old folks living high in the mountains. I am already looking forward to this author's next story.
I think that imagery will stay with me for awhile.
-----
A little bit of a spoiler below......
The Cumberland Killers turns out to refer to killers of mountains, as well as the murderers they were tracking. It was a great yarn, with some appealing characters and I did so enjoy the descriptions of the old folks living high in the mountains. I am already looking forward to this author's next story.
November 30, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. A bit of an environmental mystery, some ironic weaving through history and a road trip into the Appalachian mountains. The environmental damage from mountaintop removal mining is huge and the story touches on this in a poignant, graphic way. I also enjoyed the main character, a young reporter dealing with what would become the first wave of big media mergers and job loss. A tale well told, overall.
April 30, 2020
The Cumberland Mountain setting was woven along with believable and colorful characters into a murder mystery that made you feel a part of the story. As events unfolded, the book became increasingly hard to put down. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery.
The story is more than just good guys vs bad guys, as some of the murder suspects turn out to have had tragic lives. I also found the historical detail from 1985 fascinating.
The story is more than just good guys vs bad guys, as some of the murder suspects turn out to have had tragic lives. I also found the historical detail from 1985 fascinating.
September 21, 2018
This was an absorbing mystery but I was particularly struck by the graphic depiction of the damage wrought by a coal company blowing up a mountain. The story opens with a mysterious scream
in a boarding house, the later discovery of a murder, and the plot then takes us through the bluegrass country and high into the Cumberland mountains.
The main character, a young newspaper reporter, manages eventually to crack the mystery in an unusual way but not before he and his friend are subjected to some hardship and danger. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly an elderly Appalachian couple, and the descriptive
narrative made me feel I was tagging along on the road trip.
in a boarding house, the later discovery of a murder, and the plot then takes us through the bluegrass country and high into the Cumberland mountains.
The main character, a young newspaper reporter, manages eventually to crack the mystery in an unusual way but not before he and his friend are subjected to some hardship and danger. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly an elderly Appalachian couple, and the descriptive
narrative made me feel I was tagging along on the road trip.
September 22, 2018
If the The Cumberland Killers was a movie, it would suit both my husband and me- a fast paced whodunit with bad guys, guns, explosives, muscle cars and moonshiners for him and lovely characters, gorgeous scenery, and social issues for me.
These sleepy eastern mountains have always seemed to be more than scenery-they lure one to stop and snuggle in a fold, to rest in filtered sunlight, eat a piece of pie, and listen to a story. James Aura understands that- the land is one of the main characters in The Cumberland Killers; it seemed to be alive and the description of it's destruction was as heartbreaking.
These sleepy eastern mountains have always seemed to be more than scenery-they lure one to stop and snuggle in a fold, to rest in filtered sunlight, eat a piece of pie, and listen to a story. James Aura understands that- the land is one of the main characters in The Cumberland Killers; it seemed to be alive and the description of it's destruction was as heartbreaking.
February 21, 2025
If you're a fan of Raylan Givens and the 'Justified' TV series set in Kentucky, you might enjoy this book. I thought the characters, the historical details, and the plot were very engaging.
Really enjoyed the many music references from the 80s as well.
Really enjoyed the many music references from the 80s as well.
November 21, 2019
Great read by a new author. I love books set in the Appalachia’s.
April 1, 2020
There were several reasons that I picked this up. It’s set in Kentucky, my home state, in Appalachia, during the glorious eighties (1985 to be exact). The mystery aspect was a bonus as it is generally not my go to genre. Once I got started, I knew I was going to like this one. James Aura’s writing and story telling meanders around these small KY towns just like the blue roads he describes as back road driving. The main character, Russell Ray Teague, is a small town journalist who writes stories for the local city issues. He lives in a boardinghouse where one of the tenants, Jimmy Bartholemew, a cameraman for the tv station and his childhood friend is found murdered. Russell takes on the task of trying to find out what happened to Jimmy. The investigation takes him deep into the mountains where he uncovers new interesting puzzles and dead bodies.
This story sheds light on quite a few topics that were big news stories in the 80’s such as mountaintop removal mining, water well pollution, big box stores wiping out small town mom and pop stores, women in journalism, job layoffs, environmental concerns from mountaintop removal, as well as big media mergers. Very well done with excellent writing and story telling.
This story sheds light on quite a few topics that were big news stories in the 80’s such as mountaintop removal mining, water well pollution, big box stores wiping out small town mom and pop stores, women in journalism, job layoffs, environmental concerns from mountaintop removal, as well as big media mergers. Very well done with excellent writing and story telling.
December 6, 2021
I liked this a lot, the historical setting, the characters and the mystery. It was enjoyable seeing how the main character from book one, Russell Ray had matured. The plot is tagged with trends that were happening in the 1980's that had a lot to do with the way the world is now. And the description of
the environmental destruction in Appalachia was unforgettable. I liked the character Nadine, too. Emergence of the modern career woman? I hope the author writes another one in this series. I'd like to see what comes next.
the environmental destruction in Appalachia was unforgettable. I liked the character Nadine, too. Emergence of the modern career woman? I hope the author writes another one in this series. I'd like to see what comes next.
December 11, 2021
I really enjoyed this story. The writing was so well done. I loved learning about a part of the US I really didnt know much about. Appalachia. I cant wait for the sequel to come out and I have already got the first one loaded on kindle. I followed the road on the link with the map and it was so cool to see the topographical view of the country. I also went to Youtube and listened to the music.
May 3, 2019
James Aura weaves current events with human stories. Every one of his books is outstanding. He tells how government actions or lack of actions affect real people.
May 27, 2021
Well researched and well written
Lay-offs, economic difficulties, and drugs provide the backdrop to the mystery that Russel (the young rural newspaper reporter) wanted to solve because his friend was stabbed. Several people seem possibly guilty for much of the story while others do not but maybe are, making it an exciting read. Strip mining, a still unresolved issue causing polluted well water, information is interwoven through the book which will help inform the public about this problem.
This book has a Facebook page with photographs of the area. There is a soundtrack on a YouTube page with popular songs of the era.
I started with book 2 which is a stand-alone read, but I’m looking forward to both books 1 and hopefully 3. I could not put this book down.
Some romance so we stay interested, some music, some sleuthing, some humor, some hard work (literally) trying to find clues, and the hero is captured in a scary scene. Very enjoyable read!
Lay-offs, economic difficulties, and drugs provide the backdrop to the mystery that Russel (the young rural newspaper reporter) wanted to solve because his friend was stabbed. Several people seem possibly guilty for much of the story while others do not but maybe are, making it an exciting read. Strip mining, a still unresolved issue causing polluted well water, information is interwoven through the book which will help inform the public about this problem.
This book has a Facebook page with photographs of the area. There is a soundtrack on a YouTube page with popular songs of the era.
I started with book 2 which is a stand-alone read, but I’m looking forward to both books 1 and hopefully 3. I could not put this book down.
Some romance so we stay interested, some music, some sleuthing, some humor, some hard work (literally) trying to find clues, and the hero is captured in a scary scene. Very enjoyable read!
November 28, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, although it is as much a road trip period piece, as it is a mystery. The author describes some of the places in Kentucky so well, I made a brief list and then followed along on Google Earth; places like Sandgap and Varney and Hazard. One of the towns is fictitious but all the rest are real. The main character, Russell Teague is the narrator and the same person who was featured in the first book, 'When Saigon Surrendered' but he's now ten years older and a bit more worldly. He still has his problems with the ladies... or does he? As a detective, his shortcomings are generally outweighed by his talents. The descriptions of the newspaper and TV news people were entertaining and I really enjoyed his side story about women preachers wearing.. horrors... pantsuits. The mystery is in two layers and I won't go into those except to say they were both unorthodox and absorbing.
October 9, 2018
The author says this is an environmental puzzle wrapped in a mystery and indeed it was. I liked the descriptions, the writing and the characters. The mystery was very absorbing although most readers probably would have a pretty good idea about the murderer(s) by two thirds through. This was a sequel to the first book from three years ago. Now the narrator is ten years older and more mature. I thought the portrayal of the main character was interesting.
In the book he is a reporter and he did indeed sound and act like a news reporter. I liked the cultural references, things that were happening in the 1980's and as for the environmental puzzle, I'll just say it was devastating, and leave it at that, to avoid a spoiler. I would think most Kentuckians would really enjoy this book, as well as most mystery fans.
In the book he is a reporter and he did indeed sound and act like a news reporter. I liked the cultural references, things that were happening in the 1980's and as for the environmental puzzle, I'll just say it was devastating, and leave it at that, to avoid a spoiler. I would think most Kentuckians would really enjoy this book, as well as most mystery fans.
September 30, 2018
The Cumberland Killers is a great sequel to When Saigon Surrendered. Russell is back ten years later, along with a few of his buddies, and the mystery starts in Chapter 1. Lovely meandering through the Appalachians, multi-layered characters and lively action sequences make this a page-turner. I liked the easygoing depiction of rural life, the casual pace, and the grim acceptance of the destruction of their homelands. Local news and small businesses, the anchors of a strong community, are at risk, along with the mountaintops. Like Russell and Tommy cruising the highway with the radio blasting, this is a thoroughly enjoyable ride whose ending may surprise you.
February 9, 2023
We catch up with Russell Teague ten years after he and his friends take down a sex-trafficking ring in the first Kentucky Mysteries series. Russell has graduated from college and is now working as a newspaper journalist. The book opens with Russell being laid off from his job, and at the same time, he learns that one of his best friends, a tv news photographer, has been murdered. Russell joins forces with another close friend, Tom, to track down in the killer. In the process, Russell encounters several intriguing threads in the mystery, among them two more related murders, contaminated well-water in rural areas, and a trail that leads back to coal mining operations.
The great strengths of this historical fiction set in the 1980s are those story aspects that mystery fans really love: lots of clues, including some false clues, unique and compelling characters, and gripping suspense that comes along with the unraveling of murder mysteries. Looking at this through the bigger picture of the emerging eco-fiction genre, we enjoy a lyrical description of the beautiful, ecologically sound ecosystem of the Appalachian Mountains. At the same time, this is contrasted dramatically with the horrendous destruction perpetrated by the coal-mining companies’ technique of mountain-top removal to uncover seams of coal.
"The Cumberland Killers" is a great read. Don’t miss this thought-provoking mystery-suspense story!
The great strengths of this historical fiction set in the 1980s are those story aspects that mystery fans really love: lots of clues, including some false clues, unique and compelling characters, and gripping suspense that comes along with the unraveling of murder mysteries. Looking at this through the bigger picture of the emerging eco-fiction genre, we enjoy a lyrical description of the beautiful, ecologically sound ecosystem of the Appalachian Mountains. At the same time, this is contrasted dramatically with the horrendous destruction perpetrated by the coal-mining companies’ technique of mountain-top removal to uncover seams of coal.
"The Cumberland Killers" is a great read. Don’t miss this thought-provoking mystery-suspense story!
April 28, 2020
Kentucky, the spring of 1985, is the place & time. A murder in a rooming house in “Eureka,” KY (Bowling Green?) sets off the action. The deceased (the “Torch Ranger”) is an arsonist, domestic terrorist & muckraker. Being a crusader is okay, torching billboards is not. So early on I didn’t much care about who killed him. The buddy of the deceased, Russell Teague, a local newspaper reporter for the Eureka paper is motivated to solve the case. One murder leads to another and another. Russell is sure they’re all related even though murders #2 & #3 took place in eastern Kentucky. All deaths caused by hard blows to the chest with a sharp, round weapon.
I was a little mystified as to why the book starts in western KY, then moves to eastern KY and returns back west. I think the writer wanted to tie together the big coal areas of Muhlenberg Co in the west with the coal country of the East, mostly the mts near Pikeville & the state line with W. VA. (Hatfield & McCoy country). This is the location of the Cumberland Mts. I’m guessing the writer was motivated to write the book as a rant against “Big Coal” and all the damage they have caused in the Blue Grass state. The book was also a rant against Wal-Mart. The writer wasn’t very subtle about it.
My favorite quote from the book was the line, “some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall” but that’s Shakespeare. Neil Young & Willie Nelson make an appearance at a Waffle House but depart mostly unnoticed in the Farm-Aid bus. John Prine & his song “Paradise” get a mention, an anti-coal riff. The 1985 Kentucky Derby is mentioned but is not part of the story. Spend A Buck won the Derby by destroying the field. Russell and his buddy, Tommy, tool around KY in a specially equipped 1980 Toronado, their General Lee w/o the confederate flag. Well, enough of my 1985 nostalgia trip, there is a murderer to catch.
The writer has “a thing” about women with tattoos, snakes and a past sex ring. Mountain men operating chainsaws & tripping on meth is part of the story. Meth and chainsaws is never a good mix. A mountaintop blows and slag floods the area. The good people of eastern KY are discovering poisons in their well water, probably a result of the work of the strip miners. This might have something to do with the homicides. Thankfully, there is a young deaf-mute who is always watching the rooming house (murder location) and he finally gets the attention of Russell. Russell & Tommy, both unemployed, continue to work hard to solve the case. Why have a police department when Russell the reporter & Tommy the mechanic are on the job? There are a couple of blooming romances taking place during the hunt for the murderer. I liked the women in the book excluding the rooming house sisters. With about 25 pages to go I had a great idea on how to end the book but it didn’t happen my way. Didn’t think it would. Why should it?
This is a murder mystery so I should say no more. If you’re interested in taking a trip back to 1985, don’t like coal or Wal-Mart, enjoy a bit of romance, and would enjoy a road trip across Kentucky with two 28 yr old amateur sleuths following homicide leads, then this might be the book for you.
Notes: Early in the story a wiretap on Russell’s rooming house phone is mentioned. In 1985 (and probably now) the state of KY did not have wiretap laws. The Feds in KY could apply for a wiretap order but not the local or state police. In my twenty plus yrs enforcing the federal drug laws I never once encountered or heard of a seizure of the stimulant pill Pervitin. Yes, it was manufactured in Nazi Germany in the 30s & 40s and was used during the war by soldiers & pilots. An old stash of Pervitin (if it still existed in 1985) smuggled from East Germany in 1985 would be 40 yrs old. Think shelf life. On a self defense note, Russell’s uncle mentioned that he had rounds for a revolver stashed in a pocket. No good. The rounds need to be in the revolver and the revolver readily available. A good old boy from KY would know this. One cannot rely on an ill-tempered goat for defense. I was told by former makers of bootleg whiskey in Tennessee that the term moonshine is not used in the business. It’s referred to as whiskey or corn whiskey. I don’t know.
I was a little mystified as to why the book starts in western KY, then moves to eastern KY and returns back west. I think the writer wanted to tie together the big coal areas of Muhlenberg Co in the west with the coal country of the East, mostly the mts near Pikeville & the state line with W. VA. (Hatfield & McCoy country). This is the location of the Cumberland Mts. I’m guessing the writer was motivated to write the book as a rant against “Big Coal” and all the damage they have caused in the Blue Grass state. The book was also a rant against Wal-Mart. The writer wasn’t very subtle about it.
My favorite quote from the book was the line, “some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall” but that’s Shakespeare. Neil Young & Willie Nelson make an appearance at a Waffle House but depart mostly unnoticed in the Farm-Aid bus. John Prine & his song “Paradise” get a mention, an anti-coal riff. The 1985 Kentucky Derby is mentioned but is not part of the story. Spend A Buck won the Derby by destroying the field. Russell and his buddy, Tommy, tool around KY in a specially equipped 1980 Toronado, their General Lee w/o the confederate flag. Well, enough of my 1985 nostalgia trip, there is a murderer to catch.
The writer has “a thing” about women with tattoos, snakes and a past sex ring. Mountain men operating chainsaws & tripping on meth is part of the story. Meth and chainsaws is never a good mix. A mountaintop blows and slag floods the area. The good people of eastern KY are discovering poisons in their well water, probably a result of the work of the strip miners. This might have something to do with the homicides. Thankfully, there is a young deaf-mute who is always watching the rooming house (murder location) and he finally gets the attention of Russell. Russell & Tommy, both unemployed, continue to work hard to solve the case. Why have a police department when Russell the reporter & Tommy the mechanic are on the job? There are a couple of blooming romances taking place during the hunt for the murderer. I liked the women in the book excluding the rooming house sisters. With about 25 pages to go I had a great idea on how to end the book but it didn’t happen my way. Didn’t think it would. Why should it?
This is a murder mystery so I should say no more. If you’re interested in taking a trip back to 1985, don’t like coal or Wal-Mart, enjoy a bit of romance, and would enjoy a road trip across Kentucky with two 28 yr old amateur sleuths following homicide leads, then this might be the book for you.
Notes: Early in the story a wiretap on Russell’s rooming house phone is mentioned. In 1985 (and probably now) the state of KY did not have wiretap laws. The Feds in KY could apply for a wiretap order but not the local or state police. In my twenty plus yrs enforcing the federal drug laws I never once encountered or heard of a seizure of the stimulant pill Pervitin. Yes, it was manufactured in Nazi Germany in the 30s & 40s and was used during the war by soldiers & pilots. An old stash of Pervitin (if it still existed in 1985) smuggled from East Germany in 1985 would be 40 yrs old. Think shelf life. On a self defense note, Russell’s uncle mentioned that he had rounds for a revolver stashed in a pocket. No good. The rounds need to be in the revolver and the revolver readily available. A good old boy from KY would know this. One cannot rely on an ill-tempered goat for defense. I was told by former makers of bootleg whiskey in Tennessee that the term moonshine is not used in the business. It’s referred to as whiskey or corn whiskey. I don’t know.
June 5, 2021
The scenes in this book are so colorfully described that I felt like I was in the story, seeing the action and hearing the dialogue take place around me. Fascinating characters and an interesting plot that takes place in the mid-1980's. Really enjoyed the mountain adventure. The mystery unfolds at a good pace, with entertaining side trips along the way. Definitely a page-turner, and a strong environmental message, as well.
October 4, 2018
The Cumberland Killers
I could only give this 3 stars because it was so long winded. Although it had a good story line it seemed to take forever to get to the point.
I could only give this 3 stars because it was so long winded. Although it had a good story line it seemed to take forever to get to the point.
November 16, 2023
Author James Aura takes the time to breathe life into the setting. The reader inhales clean air, and then the dust of nature's destruction. The author brought me close enough to touch the trees, before I mourned them, and I wanted everyone responsible for the human and the environmental murders brought to justice. Although there are formatting issues on the first pages, I stayed with the story and discovered likeable characters and believable situations. Thank you, Mr. Aura, for hours of enjoyment.
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