The Corn Bandits: We saw what you did, and you'll be sorry

by John D. Rutherford, Yvonne J Medley (Editor), Mary L Rutherford (Cover)

After spending nearly twenty-five years on death row in the Richmond State Penitentiary, Tommy Cleaves is finally executed for the murder of Kathleen Spencer. Mitch Armstrong, a private investigator and former police detective, is one of the witnesses to the execution. For most of his life, Mitch has struggled with a secret demon. He was only twelve years old, and hiding in the shadows at the scene of the crime on the night Kathleen was killed. He knows something that nobody else knows or ever wanted to believe. Now, it's too late and there is nothing that anyone can do. Justice is lost forever. Or is it? An unlikely source provides some blockbuster information to Mitch that causes him to reconnect with a long lost friend from his youth. The two of them, along with Mitch's wife, set out on a dangerous journey to uncover the hidden truth about Kathleen's murder. At the same time, the Old Man, the aging patriarch of a powerful crime family, is directing the plan to stop Mitch cold-stone cold. Will Mitch be able to avenge Tommy's execution, and bring justice to a decades old murder? Or, will power and money be able to build a wall too big for him to scale? And what price will he have to pay on the road to discovery?

332 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2020

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers.

The story is well written and good pacing. The MC is relatable and I found myself caring for him and his family more than I typically would.
The story flows and has enough surprises that I was captivated throughout the entire book. The scenery is vivid and I have been to some of the places mentioned in the book. The feel of southern MD is captured perfectly, but it could be any small town area. It's little details that tie the story together and are easily missed when done right but painfully absent when not captured correctly. This has it right. I could feel the seating in the diner/restaurant. I knew exactly what the waitress looked like, even without in depth descriptions. Just enough to let me hold the story or moment in my head as I journeyed with the Corn Bandits. I like how small toss away points were tied up. I read the final half of the book in a single sitting. Typically I am a kindle unlimited reader who catches a few pages at a time and short spurts while sitting in an airport. I have mixed emotions about finishing the book. Happy because it was a good story, and sad because I would've enjoyed this in an airport and plane ride. I would be home so quickly after cracking this open.

[RonQ. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mainly bought this book because it was written by my friend John Rutherford, who I've known for many years. Knowing John, I knew it would be a good read but I didn't expect how fun it would be to find that this story is set in and around my home town and other nearby cities I've spent a lot of time in.

The story line and plot kept me reading to the point I didn't want to put this book down. It has all the tell tall signs of a good read, suspense, intrigue, and conspiracy. As I came to the last page, I was happy to find that John left an opening for a sequel.

Way to go John

[Scott Rutherford · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy and enjoyable read.