lonesome song
Book 1 - Shep Harrington, Smalltown Mysteries
Imagine you’re in your late twenties. School is behind you. You have money, a beautiful wife, lots of friends. Everything you ever wanted is at your fingertips.
And then suddenly, it’s all taken from you.
Shep Harrington was a young, prosperous and happy lawyer, his bright future shining on the horizon like a beacon. But things that shine are not always what they seem. Contentment can be intoxicating, dulling the senses to the signs of change.
He and wife Anna were living their dream—together. And then they weren’t.
Shep was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and sent to prison. Anna, believing him guilty, divorced him. Both were victims of a system created and operated by an older generation that valued power and money over fairness.
Out of prison, disbarred and disillusioned, Shep must again contend with people who see truth in practical terms as he probes the death of Reilly Heartwood, a man whom he loved and who loved him.
A classic murder mystery set in a small town with secrets, Lonesome Song explores the challenges of surviving injustice and of doing the right thing.
REVIEWS
"fine regional amateur sleuth!"
"The most famous person from the Lyle, Virginia area was Reilly Heartwood who sang under the moniker of C.C. Hollinger, a legendary country music great. Recently Reilly committed suicide though disbarred attorney Shep Harrington finds discrepancies on what he has learned about the death of his mentor. He cannot understand why there was no autopsy, a relatively tiny medical report, and no police investigation. He also struggles with the question "why now" when Reilly finally promised to reveal a secret to him about Shep's father.
Jennie Weckelman
"a well written, readable mystery!"
"Excellent mystery, well worth reading. He treats his characters like real people, some likable, some not. He plays fair with the reader. I enjoyed it!"
Renee B. Feldman
"move over spencer, shep harrington's in town!"
"Elliott Light has developed a terrific new detective and a great cast of characters in Lonesome Song. A quick, yet satisfying, read, Lonesome Song is the wonderful introduction to Shep Harrington, a disbarred lawyer who returns to his hometown for the funeral of his dear friend. Along the way, we meet the quirky inhabitants of the poor farm, a string of townsfolk who can't forget the past, and of course, the beautiful reporter who forms a symbiotic relationship with Shep. In just over 200 pages, Mr. Light brings these characters to life, masterfully interweaving the elements of character, plot and lots of local color. I think Elliott Light and Shep Harrington are here to stay."
Carmen M.
"great read!"
"Really great, fun characters and a wonderful mystery... I read it in one weekend, I was so hooked and couldn’t put it down."
Morgan Swenk
"a great story!"
"Elliott Light is a great storyteller. He keeps your nose in this book from beginning to end and leaves you with a heartfelt concern for the main character, Shep and the members of the poor farm. Through this book, I feel as though Shep and I are now friends. I have genuine feelings for this fella. I want to know how he's feeling and if he's eating well! This Shep is one heck of a character and I hope he continues to do great things in small ways. He may be a small town guy, but he has a city boy's wit and intuition. Shep also has a bit of a heart, always trouble there. Read this book!"
E.L.
"loved the book!"
"Your characters,the setting everything. Very good. It holds you spellbound and you don't want to put it down. Can't wait to Read the next one."
Janet Savoie
"as if you were sitting on a rocker on a porch with a good friend swapping stories!"
"Elliott LIght writes in a conversational style that enables the story to flow naturally, as if you were sitting in a rocker on a porch with a good friend swapping stories. His characters develop as much through dialogue as narrative description to create a sense of reality about them. The dialogue is easy and realistic. While Shep Harrington is an intriguing character in his own right, Light also writes women well. One of my favorite passages in Lonesome Song is Cali's response to Shep's asking her to kiss his pain away (p. 143): "I'm tired and you smell like barf and disinfectant. Not to mention I don't know you as well as I know my mailman, and I'm not putting out for him either." I laughed out loud at that one. It's the kind of thing every woman wishes she could say in a moment and only a few have the presence of mind to do so. Good work! I look forward to the next installment in the Shep Harrington series.
S.S.