A twisting tale of murder, secrets and coming home to face the music, Real Bad Things will keep you guessing and surprise you with its emotional depth and honesty. Kelly J. Ford has crafted a stimulating story that’s part crime thriller, part psychological exploration and part social commentary.
Twenty-Five years ago, Warren Ingram disappeared. It was the latest in a string of male disappearances in Maud, Arkansas. And despite people believing he got drunk and drowned, Warren’s stepdaughter Jane Mooney had confessed to murdering him. With no body and no evidence, Jane was released and left town. Now Warren’s assumed remains have been found after the river floods. Jane comes back to Maud to await her imminent arrest. But what really happened on that night twenty-five years ago? As the investigation unfolds, secrets thought long buried come to the surface and the truth – for better or worse – will finally come to light.
Real Bad Things tackles several intriguing topics through the lens of a murder investigation – adolescent development and loss of innocence, domestic violence, being LGBTQ+ in the rural south, small town living and gossip, protecting those you care about, the haves vs. the have nots, and the pressure of keeping a secret. All these themes seamlessly come together in a suspenseful whodunit story that makes you root for some characters to find peace while praying others get what’s coming to them.
Engaging and fast-paced with compelling characters, Real Bad Things is a superb and thought-provoking entry in the southern noir genre. It may have been my first Kelly J. Ford novel, but it won’t be my last.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Real Bad Things
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
