COVEY JENCKS
by
Shelton L. Williams
Genre: Mystery / Social Thriller
Publisher: Southern Owl Publications, LLC
Publication Date: February 10, 2018
Publisher: Southern Owl Publications, LLC
Publication Date: February 10, 2018
Number of Pages: 229 pages
Covey Jencks is a murder mystery with a social conscience. Set in West Texas with a cast of colorful and humorous characters, it follows a young lawyer from Washington, DC back to his hometown of Odessa, Texas. He wants and needs to solve a murder case from 1979 in 1993. The problem is that the Odessa Police Department has already found its man, and no one wants to re-visit the case of a black prostitute whose life was seemingly of no consequence to anyone. But Freddie Mae Johnson’s death matters to Covey and eventually he discovers an old flame, JayJay Qualls, who also knew and loved Freddie. Together they undertake an investigation that uncovers not only the truth about Freddie but also the secrets of Odessa’s south side, Mexican gangs, a Boston mobster, and the fallacy of unexamined assumptions. Finding out who killed Freddie is one thing, but preventing their own demise is quite another!
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What first impressed me with Covey Jencks is the straight forward, frank language. From the first line through the last, the writing is refreshingly honest. Julie and I were recently discussing great first lines (see our post here) and Covey Jencks starts out strong:
I never intended to come back to West Texas. It’s hot and dusty, yes, but that’s not the thing. … I like freedom. It’s why I am not married. It’s why I almost never wear a suit. It’s why, despite my long standing misgivings and intentions, I am in Odessa, Texas and not in Washington, D.C.
This first paragraph sets the tone for the whole book. And I was hooked immediately.
The characters in the novel are original and fantastically diverse collection of white, brown, black, straight, gay, and everything in between. Every one of the characters reads as realistic, from Covey and JayJay through Wild Bill, the Boston gangster, to the corrupt cops. There’s even a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the novel.
The main plot of the novel sets out as Covey trys to solve the murder of Freddie, the woman who plays a predominant part of Covey’s teenage years. I quite enjoyed following along with Covey and JayJay as they added or eliminated possible suspects. But even more, I was quite fond of the interactions between all of the characters. Some of the best scenes are the “house party” scenes where the characters are together, brain-storming on how to capture the killer.
I’ve never been to Odessa (that’s an eight hour drive from Houston!), but I really feel like Mr. Williams captures Odessa and the western portion of Texas. There is a great chapter (Chaos in the Universe) that describes West Texas as being a product of oil and water, how the presence of one (oil) precludes the presence of the other (water). That’s an amazing fact I really never thought about. Odessa is really like another character in this novel.
In addition to being set in Odessa, Covey Jencks is also set in 1995/1996. I think this is a great choice made by Mr. Williams. We see the beginnings of cell phones, AOL and the internet, and this great quote about Starbucks:
… while I nursed a coffee at a new Starbucks on 75. Why the hell is a small coffee called tall? Over time, they will no doubt fix that and almost certainly lower the price- if they want to stay in business.
Here we are more than 20 years later, still complaining about the same things at Starbucks. I totally chuckled at that line! And yes, I was drinking an iced tea from Starbucks while reading this section of the novel.
My only real complaint while reading Covey Jencks is that my attention to the plot and narration began to really waver towards the end of the novel. Once the plan to capture Freddie’s killer is put into action, the whole situation felt a bit too Scooby Doo-ish, foiling the mastermind’s evil intentions. I blame my gnat-sized attention span.
I fully enjoyed reading Covey Jencks. An altogether great read. 4 1/2 stars!
Thanks to author Shelton Williams and Lone Star Book Blog Tours for providing this opportunity to review Covey Jencks. I received the novel free in exchange for my honest review.
PRAISE FOR COVEY JENCKS:
I just love Covey Jencks and JayJay Qualls! They are a modern couple who remind me of Nick and Nora in West Texas. Characters, crimes, and social commentary leap off the page. Shelly can tell a story! —Deborah Crombie, author of the award-winning mysteries of Gemma James/Duncan Kincaid
I loved the story, the writing, and the prospects for future Covey Jencks adventures, but what I love the most, as an African- American author and documenter of human experience, is the proof that this work presents of the inextricability of Black and White lives in America. — Sharon T. Freeman, CEO of Gems of Wisdom Consulting, author of 24 books, and global development expert
A dead body and a miscarriage of justice? What is a West Texas boy to do? Well, Covey Jencks, an Odessa native who knows some secrets, spurns his job with a Washington, DC law firm, and heads back to his hometown to solve the crime. — Prudence Mackintosh, Contributing Editor, Texas Monthly, author of Thundering Sneakers and more
“I have unfinished business in Odessa, by God, Texas.” And with that, we are off on a wild ride with Covey Jencks as he tries to find out who killed Freddie Mae Johnson, a black prostitute, when Covey was a junior in high school. If you like your detectives to be misfits who chafe at the social rules, idealists who try to find the order behind apparent chaos, attractors of a cast of characters as contradictory as the detective is, you will grab hold of Covey and hang on until the end of the ride. When you get there, you’ll know for sure that you’ve been somewhere. — Carol Daeley, Professor Emerita of English, Austin College.
Shelton L. Williams (Shelly) is founder and president of the Osgood Center for International Studies in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and he taught for nearly 40 years at Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He has served in the US Government on 4 occasions and he has written books and articles on nuclear proliferation. In 2004 he began a new career of writing books on crime and society. Those books are Washed in the Blood, Summer of 66, and now Covey Jencks. All firmly prove that he is still a Texan at heart.
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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4/10/18
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Character Interview
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4/11/18
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Review
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4/12/18
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Excerpt
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4/13/18
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Review
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4/14/18
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Author Interview
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4/15/18
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Top 11 List
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4/16/18
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Review
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4/17/18
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Scrapbook Page
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4/18/18
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Notable Quotable
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4/19/18
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Review
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[…] check out the first two in the series. They are just as great as this one! (Read my reviews of Book #1 here and Book #2 […]
[…] do yourself a favor and check out both books! (Read my review of the first book in the series here.) I highly recommend Covey and JayJay Get Educated for anyone looking for some amateur sleuthing […]
[…] in audio. And we here at Chapter Break are always willing to promote audio books! Here’s my original review of the print book from February 2018. Definitely recommended in print or check out the audio! And […]
Seems like an interesting western story – don’t see what bestselling can be there, but definitely worthwhile reading, thanks for the recommendation
FABULOUS review! This makes me want to read the book NOW. I like how you said the city of Odessa is like its own character in the book. And what is this crazy talk as if being Scooby-Doo-ish is a bad thing? Ha! Thanks for the post.
It’s true, Kristine. Scooby Doo is pretty great!
Many thanks. Scooby did all right, so all is well!
Shelly
Thanks, Shelton!