Review
Reviewed by - Readers' Favorite
In Death Under the Steepleby Ruben D. Gonzales, the third book in the Black Mountain Mystery series, Pastor William Bennett is found dead at Living Waters Church in Black Mountain, North Carolina. He has a gunshot wound to the head, but the weapon is missing. Emma Shaw, a local photo studio owner and an amateur private investigator, studies the case. Her father, Logan, is a suspect because he had a heated argument with the young pastor right before his death. Emma can see through people, reading their auras. It's a unique gift she inherited from her Cherokee grandmother. But the more Emma learns about the pastor and Living Waters Church, the more puzzling the case becomes. What is Logan hiding from her? And is it possible that the pastor took his own life?
In Death Under the Steeple, Ruben D. Gonzales brilliantly describes a drama that unfolds in a little mountain town. The hidden motives of Black Mountain's community members create captivating intrigue. The quick-paced narrative is character-driven and reveals the characters in depth. Emma is a no-nonsense woman. Her business skills are impressive, yet she is insecure when it comes to her love life. Ruben offers an interesting metaphor regarding a fireplace, which Emma craves but still hasn't finished in her apartment. It makes us wonder whether Emma lacks emotional warmth in her life. Logan, Emma's father, is a secondary character, yet he stands out. Logan is stubborn and has a dark past. But he loves the Word of God and reveals his surprising side in a delicate situation. The descriptive element is excellent. We can feel the chill in the crisp air when Emma walks her dog, Blue, early in the morning. I like the author's expressive writing style and highly recommend this gripping mystery that will appeal to fans of mystery, detective novels, crime dramas, and books with leading female characters.
Reviewed by Nino Lobiladze - Readers Favorite Reviews
*****
In his THIRD mystery set in his Black Mountain Series, DEATH UNDER THE STEEPLE, Ruben Gonzales does not disappoint.
Emma Shaw, photojournalist and now photography shop owner, feels compelled to once again stick her unwanted nose into a police investigation. A well-loved, charismatic preacher is found dead in the church baptismal with a bullet wound in his head, and since Emma's father and the reverend had had a disagreement, the inept sheriff is determined to pin the murder on him and refuses to look for other suspects.
Determined to prove her father innocent, Emma enlists the help of her sort-of boyfriend, Jeff and sets out to find the real killer or at least another suspect.
Though she's threatened and physically attacked on more than one occasion, she doesn't give up even when her father hides, not only from the police, but from her, too.
Will Emma be successful in finding the right killer, so an innocent man doesn't have to pay for a crime he didn't commit?
-- Agnes Alexander, prolific writer of over 50 books in the mystery, romance, and western genres including the recent, THE FRIENDLY CREEK - 5- Book Series.
All of her books in print can be found on Amazon.
From the Author
In Death Under the Steeple, we join Emma Shaw as she investigates the suspicious death of a local preacher in her hometown. When the church cleaning committee find Pastor Bennett dead at the bottom of the baptismal font, the local Sheriff looks to Emma's father, Logan Shaw, as a prime suspect. Now, in addition to running her new photography business she must investigate the mystery before her father is arrested. Will her gift of aura reading be enough to find out who is lying? Join Emma as she weeds through suspects and motives under the shadow of Black Mountain.
From the Inside Flap
A feisty heroine, a mountain community with colorful characters, and a twisty mystery make Death Under the Steeple a compelling read.Emma Shaw has solved murders using her ability to see auras, but this time the main suspect is her father. Was the young preacher murdered, or did he commit suicide? The future of the church, as well as the land, depends on the answer, an answer Emma has to find to clear her father's name.
In this third installment of the Black Mountain Mysteries, Ruben Gonzales once again fills his story with a wealth of detail, bringing to life the people and the world of Black Mountain.
-- Jane Tesh, author of the Mountain Lodge Mysteries.
From the Back Cover
DEATH UNDER THE STEEPLE by Ruben D. Gonzales transports readers back to the picturesque town of Black Mountain in western North Carolina to solve another murder. In this book, as in the others in the series, Gonzales has created well-developed characters with intriguing backgrounds, as well as numerous suspects with believable motives. Its protagonist, Emma Shaw, is someone readers will root for—she's intelligent and independent and makes good use of the keen observational skills she's developed as a photographer. Her family connections to the town allow her to access relevant clues while also providing a strong motive for her amateur sleuthing. Another great entry in the series, this book can easily be read as a stand-alone. Lovers of traditional mysteries who enjoy realistic depictions of small-town life, intriguing plots, and well-crafted characters should definitely check out DEATH UNDER THE STEEPLE.
-- Victoria Gilbert, author of the Blue Ridge Library Mystery, the Booklovers B&B, and the Hunter and Clewe mystery series
About the Author
Ruben was born and raised in East LA. After college he was with the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching elementary school in a small African village by day and reading and writing by candlelight at night. Before he retired from full time work, he was in Business Development. Now he writes full time and teaches part-time with the local community college system. His first novel, The Cottage on the Bay, a historical Civil War family saga, was published in 2018 and his second book, Murder on Black Mountain, the first in a mystery series, came out in 2020. The second book in his Black Mountain Mystery series came out in 2022, and the third book in the series came out in June 2023. Look for his newest book, a Mystery/Thriller to come out in 2024.
