Only the River Knows

For fans of Jess Lourey and William Kent Krueger, a propulsive Minnesota cold case mystery — the fourth Sheriff Red novel from Linda Norlander, where a community theater murder and a decades-old killing collide. A murder in the wings. A cold case resurrected. And a killer ready for an encore. “There’s so much to admire in Red and so much beauty in Norlander’s moody descriptions of the Minnesota landscape…” —Kirkus Reviews The curtain rises on Lykkins Lake’s community theater production of The Music Man—but the show turns deadly before the first line is spoken. During auditions, director Amanda Brodie spots someone on stage and bolts in fear. The next morning, her body surfaces in the dark waters beneath an abandoned railroad bridge. Sheriff Red Hammergren’s investigation quickly leads to a chilling discovery: decades ago, Amanda’s sister was murdered in an unsolved case that shook the town. Now, Red suspects the two crimes are connected—and someone in the tight-knit theater troupe knows more than they’re letting on. As the spotlight swings from center stage to long-buried secrets, Red races to uncover the truth. But the killer is already rehearsing their next move—and this time, the final act could be Red’s. ___________________ Praise for Linda Norlander: “…an undeniably compelling story for fans of Karin Slaughter and Laura Griffin.” —Booklist “…an exciting read with suspects galore…” —First Clue "…a gripping thriller that will chill you to the bone…Linda Norlander's well-crafted novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page." —Susan Hunter, author of Dangerous Habits "Readers will love Sheriff Red, and absolutely devour every layer of masterful misdirection in this twisty mystery." —LynDee Walker, author of Fear No Truth "…kept me hooked from start to finish…you won't want to miss this one." —Ava Roberts, author of The Perfect Boyfriend

Linda Norlander is the author of the Sheriff Red mystery series and A Cabin by the Lake mystery series. She is also the author of the Liza and Mrs. Wilkens mystery series beginning with The Death of Goldie’s Mistress. Norlander has published award winning short stories, op-ed pieces and short humor featured in regional and national publications. Before taking up the pen to write murder mysteries, she worked in end-of-life care. During her career in nursing, she published several award-winning books including To Comfort Always: A Nurse’s Guide to End of Life Care and Choices as the End of Life: Finding Out What Your Parents Want. Norlander resides in Tacoma, Washington with her spouse.