Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Murder is an easy thing to hide along old country section roads.”

My first read from Mike Murphey was a hit; a solid blend of mystery meets romance meets crime thriller, with a brilliant cast of characters and a plot to keep you guessing. I love finding hidden gems like this and really hope it reaches so many more readers! I’m so happy to be sharing my review for Section Roads!

About the book

When attorney Cullen Molloy attends his fortieth high school reunion, he doesn’t expect to be defending childhood friends against charges of murder…

In a small town on the high plains of Eastern New Mexico, life and culture are shaped by the farm roads defining the 640-acre sections of land homesteaders claimed at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Cullen and Shelby Blaine explore first love along these section roads during the 1960’s, forging a life-long emotional bond. As junior high school band nerds, Cullen and Shelby fall under the protection of football player and loner, Buddy Boyd. During their sophomore year of high school, Buddy is charged with killing a classmate and is confined to a youth correctional facility. When he returns to town facing the prospect of imprisonment as an adult, Cullen becomes Buddy’s protector.

The unsolved case haunts the three friends into adulthood, and it isn’t until their fortieth reunion, that they’re forced to revisit that horrible night. When a new killing takes place, Cullen, Shelby and Buddy find themselves reliving the nightmare. Murder is an easy thing to hide along old country section roads.

The beginning

The sound of a school reunion always makes my ears prick up. I’m not sure why really, but there’s something really satisfying about the awkward interactions of the peers that once were, the gossip of years gone by, the change in character. And at the start of this book, we get a sprinkling of all that. It was so easy to become hooked! I loved the differing timelines – one of these being in the 1960s, introducing us to Cullen and Shelby’s high school love and how they first met Buddy Boyd, their ‘protector’ when it came to the bullies who targeted them. Another was in the early 2000s where we see Cullen, Shelby and their schoolmates all grown up, preparing for their high school reunion. These timelines were really well put together. I already loved the development of the characters and felt they each brought so much to the story. Buddy Boyd, aka, Hezekiah, was a very interesting character to follow. Because, back in high school, he killed his classmate. I was intrigued from the very start and felt so excited to dive into this book. I already had so many questions!

“Shelby grinned, pointed at her eyes, magnified behind her glasses. You and me, we’re freaks. Freaks gotta stick together. It’s kind of an obligation we have.“

Whenever a new character was introduced, they got the same treatment as all the other characters. We hear their backstories. experience their quirks, get to know their personalities, as well as learn how they connect to the characters we’ve already met. It’s clear the author had a lot of fun with them! There’s a light sprinkling of humour in all the right places which I loved, and it brought everything to life that little bit more. I really liked the exploration of Cullen and Shelby’s relationship in the past, but it was Buddy whose story I was most engrossed in. After a prank goes wrong, we finally see how the accidental death of a schoolmate changed his life forever. It felt so easy to place myself in the shoes of everyone affected, both in the past and present day timelines. Everything aligned so well. It was also good seeing how Cullen and Shelby had stayed connected over the years, even when they strayed apart, got into other relationships, moved away. That bond was an important factor in this story and it felt great!

The middle

The story shifted into a kind of mystery/whodunit which was a pleasant surprise. A gun is found in Buddy’s late mother’s house, the gun that was used to kill Christy Hammond, their classmate all those years ago. How on earth did it get there? And now, who had used it, then planted it there? How had another person related to Christy ended up dead? These characters all come together to look over this new murder and to hopefully prove Buddy’s innocence, but it soon gets a hell of a lot more complicated. It was a fun journey as we dip in and out of the past. These characters look at every possible scenario, every culprit. I didn’t expect to become so involved in finding this killer, but there was something very addictive about it. Certain details are revealed quite quickly, and it was pretty comical seeing how the actions of certain characters had made the whole thing so much more complicated for them. It felt like such a unique way to write a book like this and it really worked!

“The old courtroom was a cavern decorated with dark woods and darker expressions of various court personnel, setting the somber, silent tone of a place where grave decisions were made, harsh fates dealt.”

I became so engrossed in these characters searching for clues, treading where they probably shouldn’t be treading to find answers. The author’s writing seemed to get better and better with each chapter I read! These characters really felt as though they were in their element, and even though they were in dangerous territory, it was worth it for the evidence and information they discover. Every new detail in this whole case just felt so satisfying and had me eager to get to the truth. I loved how the tables had turned, how once, back in high school, Buddy had been Cullen’s protector. But right now, years and years later, Cullen is returning the favour by clearing his name and doing everything he can to keep him and his other friends out of trouble. It seemed the more they found out about the shooting back in the 60’s, the more didn’t make sense. Something wasn’t right. It felt exhilarating to explore all this in such detail!

The end

Even though I’d been enjoying the different timelines, it felt like these eventually got a little confusing at times. Not only do we go back and forth in years, but also in single days too. It sure gives the brain a workout though which is never a bad thing in my eyes! As the truth about what really happened both in Christy’s murder and the new murder come to light through different character perspectives, the tension had me holding my breath. It was unpredictable and compelling, and had me wanting to race to the end. Cullen and Shelby’s story, even aside from all the contrasting mystery elements of the book was brilliant from beginning to end, especially when we revisit moments in the past. I loved that it was an ongoing theme throughout the entirety of the book. It felt so natural and it added a really great emotional side to things, especially towards the end. It must be difficult to perfect these differing genres, but it seemed no match for this author!

“I believe we are the sum total of our experiences and our influences – not just the good ones. All of them.”

The ending was quickly resolved and felt very neat and tidy. Sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing. But I mostly enjoyed it in this case. I would have liked it to have been drawn out a little more, with the mystery and all these characters’ finding to have been explored more deeply. But at the same time, was there a need for that? I wasn’t sure. Characters cleared the air, discussed their futures, and it was an overall happy finale, even though this was the first time I found Cullen and Shelby’s relationship to be bordering on too much. If I was Cullen’s current partner, Lori, I’m not sure I’d be so relaxed about it! The characters cleverly summarise events so that satisfying feeling came back, a feeling that everything had been resolved. It made me think of friends in years gone by, how we aren’t getting any younger and how we should grab life with both hands. A really enjoyable book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

Overall thoughts

Section Roads is the perfect example of a multi-genre book that just works. It’s an easy read but still has all the elements a great mystery/romance crossover should have. Even though the timelines messed me up by the end, I loved visiting two very different times in these characters’ lives, and in doing so, it felt as though I’d known them forever. There are surprises around every corner which kept things fresh and exciting, the truth about two different murders so satisfying by the end. A well plotted book which felt addictive from start to finish. A great read!

Section Roads is out right now! You can grab your own copy over on Amazon, available in eBook, paperback and hardcover.

Looking for book reviews?

If you’re in need of reviews for your own book, do get in touch to get on my submissions list! All the information you need is on my book reviews page. If you enjoyed this review and would like to support my blog, you can buy me a coffee 😊