Many people hated Judd for the Jerusalem artichoke scheme 30 years ago, which made him rich and others poor. Flowers likes to stir things up and see what happens. He enlists the aid of local sheriff, Jimmy Stryker, and becomes romantically involved with Stryker’s sister. Joan. There is a long list of suspects: George Feur, religious cult leader and drug dealer with a criminal past; Jessis Layman, Judd's illegitimate daughter; and even Stryker, the sheriff, whose family had been ruined by Judd's scheme 30 years ago. Everyone Flowers encounters has a motive or reason to be the killer. Flowers must find the perpetrator before there are more killings.

This is a suspenseful and compelling page-turner with an intricate plot. There is a solid cast of characters, all of whom are true to life. The story is a riveting one with many twists and turns during the investigation. The sense of a small town and its inhabitants is well developed. Flowers is a hero with wit, resourcefulness and a deprecating humor. A personal touch is his wardrobe of T shirts selected to suit his agenda for the day.

This is the first appearance of Flowers as an independent investigator. We can only hope that there will be more in the future.