Mexia: The Memoirs of J.C. Mulkey: A Novel

As a young boy, JC Mulkey discovered a murder in his hometown of Mexia, Texas. As he grows and develops, he and his sidekick, Scout, find others, and JC starts on a quest to find the killer to bring them to justice. JC is a compelling character, as is the plethora of citizens of Mexia. From the county sheriff to JC’s alcoholic brother, Roland, each character is well developed, engaging, and entertaining to meet. While the murders weave in and through the story, they aren’t the driving force; it is the personalities and situations that JC interacts with that keep it flowing.

Mexia is written in a way that allows the reader to see JC go through the events in his life at the time, and also watch him as he grows and develops. His relationships with the women in his life are complicated, yet what relationships aren’t? When he eventually does solve the murders, the resolution isn’t as clean and tidy. Yet again, how often does anyone get a prettily wrapped ending? A well-crafted novel of life, loves, and growth, along with a colorful background of a “sleepy” Texas town, and the residents who live there.