Sharyn McCrumb

While vacationing in Sedona, Arizona last year, I had a conversation with a new friend about how much I love the author, Silas House. After describing his work, my friend replied that I might like the author, Sharyn McCrumb, as her books are set in the Appalachia areas of North Carolina and Tennessee. After my return home, she sent me this book. The story about Frankie Silver takes place in the 1830’s and is a true story. Frankie is the first woman hanged in North Carolina for the murder of her husband. The present day story is of Sheriff Spencer Arrowood who is invited to witness the execution of a man convicted of killing two college-age kids in the Appalachian Mountains. Spencer arrested and testified against the man 20 years ago.

As for the writing of the book, I really struggled to stay engaged for the first half. To be fair, that could have been my fault. I listened to this on audio and sometimes I can lose focus while driving to and from work as my brain wanted to think about work instead of the book. It could also have been that the book didn’t grab my attention as fiercely as I would have preferred. At first, I was enjoying the story, but I did get confused at times with the story going back and forth between past and present. About halfway through, something clicked for me and I was sucked into Frankie’s story. That story of tragedy and loss was really interesting to me. Near the last ¾ of the book, Sharyn did a nice job weaving the two stories together. She provided a realistic and emotional ending. Overall, I enjoyed the stories and look forward to starting the series at the beginning.… (mer)