BROTHER'S KEEPER

A small town suffers a series of brutal murders but keeps quiet until a stranger arrives.

Scott Sharp wandered far and wide after the death of his wife. He comes upon the hamlet of Burdensville, which at first glance seems like a nice place, but his welcome sours at the local diner. Ronnie, the town’s violent drunk, staggers in and threatens a server (Denise, who figures big soon enough) with bodily harm. Scott attempts a chivalrous intervention, which goes largely unnoticed, except by Sheriff Darby, who unfairly arrests Scott for assault. Ronnie’s provenance and identity are often whispered about. He’s thought to be the brother of the town doctor, who is never introduced and never attempts to aid Ronnie. Sheriff Darby is more enabler than lawman, causing townspeople to grow suspicious about his obvious favoritism, which Darby tries to address: “I mean, Doc Smith don’t really have time for his own brother, so I feel an obligation to protect him.” Jail gives Scott plenty of time to connect the dots between Darby and Ronnie and to think about Denise (she brings Scott his meals), and they strike up a friendship after their meet-cute. Clark’s novel is competently written and contains few surprises. Some plot points are implausible: The author asks readers to believe that Darby exerts control over the entire citizenry. And the dramatic arc is more of a slight incline (the author leans heavily on exclamation points to add impact). Still, the small-town charm and the purposeful storyline ultimately satisfy. As for Scott, the do-little leading man, stopping in Burdensville might have been a very good thing.

Predictable and far-fetched but also fun.