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A retired newspaper editor, J. R. Lindermuth is the author of 12 novels, including five in his Sticks Hetrick mystery series and two in the Sheriff Tilghman series.
His short stories and articles have been published in a variety of magazines. He is a member of EPIC, International Thriller Writers, and the Short Mystery Society.
Since retiring, he has served as librarian of his county historical society.
The father of two children, he has four grandsons.
Reviewed by Karen Pirnot for Readers' Favorite
What an absolute gem! Continuing with his Sheriff Sylvester Tilghman stories, author J.R. Lindermuth takes us to the year 1898. In "Sooner than Gold," we find the Sheriff baffled by a murder in the local mine. Several suspects come to mind but none seems to quite fit the bill as the primary suspect. While Teddy Roosevelt leads his Rough Riders to attempt to extricate Cuba from the grips of Spanish control, Sheriff Tilghman weaves in and out of the lives of various townsfolk, all of whom seem to have motive for the murder of an indecent man named Petry. The man standing over the deceased with a bloody knife swears he is innocent and this begins a crafty tale which draws in one suspect after another.
I love the way Lindermuth weaves in and out of the lives of ordinary people, discovering secrets and clues along the way. He is a master sleuth with a mild-mannered character that takes potential suspects by surprise. There is a pregnant teenage girl, a female horse thief, a silent child, a mysterious runaway and other intriguing characters to keep the reader guessing about motive and means to the very end. It almost appears that the Sheriff stumbles upon clues when in reality, he is a clever, intelligent and colorful man who just happens to be more competent than many of his big-city peers. Though not a fan of Western literature, I found myself turning pages quickly and neglecting my daily chores just for more of Sheriff "Sly" Tilghman!
