COVEY JENCKS
by
Shelton L. Williams
Genre: Mystery / Social Thriller
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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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.
“I didn’t mean to be different. It just happened.”
Covey Jencks by Shelton L. Williams gives the reader a crash course in West Texas dynamics, from 1979 (the year of Freddie Mae’s murder) to the mid-1990s, when Jencks returns to Odessa, Texas, to set up a law firm and solve that murder that had already been “solved.” What happens next is an exploded can of worms that leaves the reader laughing out loud, cringing at the social and racial smacks in the face, wondering who actually “done it,” and turning the pages at a rapid pace because the story is that engaging.
I read most of the story on a long car ride, which my stomach wasn’t too happy about, but I plowed through the discomfort because I couldn’t stop reading Covey Jencks. The author’s ability to characterize and paint a scene is outstanding. Covey and JayJay and all the supporting cast come alive, and you feel you are right there in racially/socially divided Odessa, Texas.
Despite some grammatical and formatting bumps in the road, the overall story is well paced and well written, with the main plot switching occasionally back and forth from 1979 to the mid-1990s and out of Covey’s head and into the heads of a few others. Instead of becoming confusing, this switching provides the needed backstory and the occasional thoughts of others besides Covey so that the story can become richer and more informative for the reader. Despite what the main character might think or what he may want you to think, the story isn’t ALL about Covey Jencks.
An important note: Racial slurs can be difficult to read, but in Covey Jencks, they fit with the times, the specific characters, and the location. The slurs are ugly, but they are realistic, sadly. This story has them, but the racial slurs and references are not gratuitous or haphazard; they were/are the unfortunate reality.
Another aspect that provides food for thought is that nothing and no one are as they seem. Assumptions abound, just like in real life, and I love how the author keeps the reader guessing. In addition, the author handles a diverse list of characters with aplomb, because societies, even in West Texas, are rarely unmixed or static. Covey Jencks includes them all: straight, gay, white, black, brown, good ol’ boy, gangster, greedy, clever, inept, and just about anyone else you can imagine. Instead of being too much, this large, diverse cast fits well with the overall story.
As a side note, I love the references to AOL, because, believe it or not, I still use AOL and probably always will.
Covey Jencks is a West Texas snapshot of a time (1990s) when the Internet was taking hold and cell phones were becoming a necessity (or a perceived necessity). Solving an old crime makes life way more interesting and a lot more dangerous for Covey Jencks and his crew. The excitement as the plan to bring down the bad people unfolds will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.
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.
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VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
| 4/10/18 | Character Interview | Hall Ways Blog |
| 4/11/18 | Review | Chapter Break Book Blog |
| 4/12/18 | Excerpt | Texas Book Lover |
| 4/13/18 | Review | The Clueless Gent |
| 4/14/18 | Author Interview | The Librarian Talks |
| 4/15/18 | Top 11 List | StoreyBook Reviews |
| 4/16/18 | Review | Reading by Moonlight |
| 4/17/18 | Scrapbook Page | Missus Gonzo |
| 4/18/18 | Notable Quotable | Forgotten Winds |
| 4/19/18 | Review | A Page Before Bedtime |
Thanks very much. Your points are well taken on the bumps in the road, and I am working on them.
Those bumps don’t change the fact that this is a well-crafted story. Loved it!
Great review! This makes me want to get reading it right away.