Children of the Valley is the third book in the Sheriff Lucian Wing series.

Children of the Valley is a fast paced mystery set in rural Vermont. In this third installment we follow Sheriff Lucian as he sets of to find and protect two runnaways that have fled into his backwoods jurisdiction.

As I previously stated, Children of the Valley is the third book in this series but could easily be read alone. Personally I read this book first and was able to be fully involved with the story and its characters. I do think reading in order would have the benefits of seeing the full character and setting development however the story is written in such a way that its not necessary to do so.

Children of the Valley is over all a quick and enjoyable read. There is no slow burn or deep dark mystery to solve. It's straightforward and the action is fast and right in your face. I really enjoyed Lucians quirky character and look forward to seeing more from this character. Children of the valley did a wonderful job blending thrills with humor and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

If you are a lover of crime/mystery/ suspense but are looking for a somewhat more light-hearted read then I highly recommend you give this series a look!

Special thanks to Random Things for having me on this book tour. I received this book in exchange for an honest review

An enjoyable tale of a Sheriff who puts his all into maintaining the law and order in his corner of the world. And all the ways how turmoil continues to thrive. The little things and big happenings that he has to tend to and put out all the fires. All the characters, including Big John, were adorable!

A gripping and entertaining story with a great cast of characters and the right touch of humour.
I liked the well developed characters and the solid mystery.
It's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I received this book for free from Netgalley. This did not influence my review.

I just finished Children of the Valley by Castle Freeman, jumping right into it after finishing Old Number Five.

When reading books in series that I love, I’ve found that extraordinary books are often followed by books that don’t excite me as much. Unfortunately, that’s the case here. Children of the Valley is an entertaining mystery/thriller. It would work fine as a standalone. In fact, it probably would work better as a standalone. I liked it less because, as a follow-up to Old Number Five, it’s disappointing.

Lucian Wing remains the same brave, dogged, but slow-motion law enforcer, the sheriff of a rural Northern Vermont county. An indeterminate amount of time has passed since the last book, which can be judged somewhat by the aging of Lucian’s mentor, the previous sheriff, Wingate. The current dilemma is that Lucian’s county is playing host to two runaway teenagers, a local boy who made good as a high school football player and a young rich girl named Pamela, who’s gone AWOL from boarding school. Pamela’s stepfather sends a few New York City goons to retrieve her. One of them, a slick lawyer-type, tries to enlist Lucian to locate the girl for them. (There is some question as to the intentions of the stepfather and some hints of abuse.) Lucian finds the pair, but rather than turn them in, he helps them to hide. Lucian’s usual pals (Homer, Cola, and Wingate) join in the fun. Things get violent.

The plot is a bit uneven but holds together well enough. Lucian’s voice and folksy wisdom are as enjoyable as ever. (And by that, I mean very enjoyable.) As an individual book, this is enough to recommend it.

The problem I have is that there’s no continuity to the series. Issues raised in the previous book are not merely swept under the rug; they don’t exist. Lucian’s mother with Alzheimer’s and overbearing brother? Absent. Not even a passing reference. Also, Lucian seems to be chronically looking for a decent deputy. In each of the previous books, we were introduced to wonderful characters, potential new deputies that I would love to have seen more of. They’re gone without a word. Still, if the core cast of characters is maintained without the addition of new long-timers, I can let go of newbies even if I liked them. And minor plot threads, like the declining mother, don’t have to be woven into the next instalment. That wasn’t my main objection.

The thing that disturbed me was that bombs were dropped at the end of the last book. One reason I picked up book three right away was to see how the author would sweep up the mess. Now I’m not sure how to interpret the ending of Old Number Five. Maybe Lucian’s betrayal of his own code of behavior wasn’t really a big deal to him. Which is sad because, for me, it really lessens the impact of the book. And are he and his wife simply settling down as an old married couple? Were they were just joking around at the end of the previous book? It could just have been a joke that I didn’t get. Or maybe it’s just that Lucian is doubling down on the philosophy that whatever the problem, it’s better to do nothing than to do something. I guess it would be consistent with his character to do his best to ignore a problem and hope it sorts itself out, but that’s not always satisfying for the reader.

Children of the Valley by Castle Freeman is third in the Lucian Wing series. Another entertaining read with a touch of humor, mystery, suspense and a unique cast of characters. At the heart of it is the down to earth sheriff, Lucian Wing. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Children of the Valley is the third book in this series featuring Lucian Wing, sheriff of a backwoods county in Vermont.

A lawyer of one of New York's wealthy and powerful, visits Lucian to explain that the man's stepdaughter has gone missing and is suspected to be in the area. Heavy hints of a pay-off if Lucian lets the lawyer know first. Also, when Lucian doesn't respond as expected, hints that his own men will be looking.

Lucian is kind of comforting, he is backwoods country and plays on the stereotype, but he's no dummy. There a couple of times I found myself re-reading a passage for the humor and his laidback outlook.

As Lucian finds the runaways and begins trying to keep them safe, the novel alternates suspense/quirky characters/ and humor. I may have to go back and pick up the first book. :)

NetGalley/Farrago
Police Procedural/Humor. Dec. 10, 2020.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Farrago Books for a review copy of Children of the Valley, the third novel to feature Sheriff Lucian Wing, set in rural Vermont.

Lucian is approached by Carl Armentrout, fixer to New York millionaire Rex Lord who is looking for his runaway teenage stepdaughter, Pamela deMorgan. Lucian doesn’t like Armentrout’s strong arm tactics and likes even less the muscle he brought with him and wonders about their motives.

I enjoyed Children of the Valley which is the first novel in the series that I have read. The plot is fairly straightforward, protect Pamela and sort out the bad guys, but Lucian cannot control the vagaries of rural life, like a rampaging Big John and several eccentric locals. It’s interesting and even laugh out loud funny in parts. There is, however, one slight catch to the novel for me. I know nothing about rural life and even less about Vermont so I thought some of the characters seemed caricaturish. It may well be that I’m wrong but I have no points of reference.

On the other hand I like Lucian Wing and I thought that his depiction of life as a rural sheriff, chronically underfunded, ignored or looked down on by the state police and relegated to policing minor crime, rang true. I haven’t quite worked out his relationship with his wife which seems decidedly volatile so I’ll have to read the other novels in the series.

Children of the Valley is an entertaining and undemanding read, ideal for a spot of escapism.

Castle Freeman's Children of the Valley is about a local Vermont sheriff, Lucian Wing. When his quiet little town becomes home to two runaways he had to choose between doing his job and turning over the children or assist them in staying hidden. This book was a fast entertaining read. Even though it left me with a couple of questions. What was the children's motive for running away, why did the guys shoot at the children if they wanted to return them home, and lastly was the step father the bad guy or the lawyer? There are more but it would give away the book! I enjoyed the plot and Freeman’s writing style, I just felt like there was a lot left out that would have helped the reader understand the book better. Overall, I give it a 3.5 out of 5 starts! An entertaining story but be ready to be upset with all the open endings! It is a series so maybe they will be answered next time!

Children of the Valley is the third instalment in the Sheriff Lucian Wing series, set in rural Vermont. Having been called to the scene of a disturbance where a man named Rhumba is holed up keeping his wife and four kids inside and apparently brandishing a gun, Lucian talks to him to try and diffuse the situation, which works like a charm. Returning to his office at the sheriff's department recently relocated from the county courthouse to the old District 4 school in South Cardiff, he is greeted by a man in his fifties dressed in a sharp pin-stripe suit. The patronising Carl Armentrout is a Special Assistant, aka lawyer on retainer, at Lord Enterprises in New York and has been sent to visit Lucian by his employer, Rex Lord, whose 17-year-old stepdaughter, Pamela, has been missing for four days. Having been attending St Bartholomew's boarding school near Boston, Massachusetts, she had agreed to spend her summer vacation with her father, but when his driver had gone to collect her she was nowhere to be found and no one has heard hide nor hair of her since. Through sources, her father believes her to be in the Vermont area and that she may have run off with protector, football player Duncan March due to a troubled relationship with Rex.

Lucian drives out to South Devon to speak to retired lawyer Addison Jessup, who is familiar with both Duncan and Rex Lord's estranged wife, and Pamela's mother, Carlotta Campbell. Pammy was the product of Carlotta and State Department Diplomat Roger DeMorgan's marriage. It appears that Rex Lord is a ruthless criminal but with so much wealth and power, he is seemingly allowed to act with impunity. Can they find the girl and work out why she disappeared before Rex has his underworld connections put pressure on Lucian? This is a compulsive and addictive thriller filled with action and intense drama. I loved the refreshing storyline and the way it is written pulls you into the story and refuses to let you go from the very beginning. I adored the snarky humour throughout and the well-drawn cast of characters, most of whom are highly unlikeable, are engaging. Lucian and his colleagues are hard done by local cops who are forthright and no-nonsense. It's a richly woven tale, which is more complex and convoluted than it initially appears, and the pressure to find the girl, due to those who are on Lucian's back, adds an extra element of tension. A thoroughly enjoyable read and one I highly recommend.

Nice little gem of a book. Freeman’s writing reminds me of James Sallis. Heartfelt, rough, at times funny. Beautiful prose. Hardscrabble characters. The third in the Lucian Wing series, CHILDREN OF THE VALLEY follows the sheriff and a cast of rich characters on the trail of a local boy, Duncan, and a young girl from his boarding school. It appears as though the girl’s rich stepdad has done her untold harm, causing her to run off with protector Duncan, and now has sent some henchmen to bring her back. I say appears because something else altogether may be happening. The ride to find out isn’t a long one but it is enjoyable.