Death Books a Return: A Scrappy Librarian Mystery (Scrappy Librarian Mystery series)

While researching for a local history, librarian Juanita Wills comes across the unsolved 1959 murder of a black teenager, Luther Dunlap, in her then all-white town. When her only witness is poisoned, Juanita fears that her questions have led to his death, but the more she learns about Luther, the charmer who was killed on the Wyndham High School track, the more determined she is to bring his killer to justice. [Second of the Scrappy Librarian mysteries] Mystery by Marion Moore Hill; originally published by Pemberley Press

sensitivity, Compassion, Mystery, And Suspense Abound In This Tale Of Unserved Justice In Oklahoma. Public Librarian Juanita Wills Makes A Distressing Discovery While Researching Local History: A Teenage Boy From The All-black Town Of Bryson's Corner, Luther Dunlap, Was Found Brutally Murdered On The All-white Wyndham High School Track Back In 1959. She Suspects Racist Motives, Both In Luther's Killing And The Failure Of The Police To Pursue An Investigation. As The Scrappy Juanita Prods For Facts The Townspeople Would Rather Forget, Her First Informant Is Poisoned, And She May Be Next. The Shame She Feels For Her Town Cements Her Resolve To Uncover The Truth And To Right The Terrible Wrong.

stacey Hayman - Library Journal

sole Librarian For The Small Northeastern Oklahoma Town Of Wyndham, Juanita Wills (bookmarked For Murder) Is In A Unique Position To Investigate The Town's History, But Her Dogged Pursuit Of Information Often Gets Her Into Trouble. In Her Latest Research, She Discovers An Unsolved Murder From 1959. The Victim Was A Black Teenager From The All-black Town Of Bryson's Corner; The Motive And Suspects Have Never Been Established. Was It A Racist Killing? Uncovering The Truth Becomes Juanita's Goal Even Though No One In Either Town Wants To Talk About The Case. Despite The Grim Nature Of The Crime, Hill Sets An Old-fashioned Cozy Mood: Juanita Dines Her Boyfriend, Det. Lt. Wayne Cleary, Ordering Sweetbreads, And The Couple, In Their Forties, Share Only A Few Kisses. The Mystery Is Cleverly Presented, And The Characters Are Endearing, But The Labored Discussion Of Racism In The Past And The Present Feels Forced, Like A Didactic History Lesson. A Good Choice For Libraries With Avid Mystery Readers And Plains History Buffs.

Juanita Wills, public librarian of Wyndham, Oklahoma, is researching for a local history when she comes across the 1959 unsolved murder of a black high-school student on the then all-white high-school track