Early in Booth's fine fifth mystery featuring Branson, Mo., sheriff Hank Worth (after 2020's Fatal Divisions), Hank finds his wife, Maggie, an ER doctor at the local hospital, waiting for him in the police department parking lot. Maggie is worried. Over the past month, 10 tourists, all 65 or older, have checked into the hospital with various serious ailments. Maggie, who's kicking herself for not getting better information about the patients such as the hotels they were staying at, wants Hank to investigate. As Hank and his deputies begin to ask questions, a body turns up by the side of a highway. The victim is a real estate agent who had been quietly buying up properties in and around Branson and had recently segued into time share sales. Meanwhile, unrest within the sheriff's department is surging with harassment from recently fired officers turning violent. Hank must not only solve a murder and protect the resort town's vital tourist trade but battle ugly dissension within the ranks. Booth's complex characters drive the plot, and Branson provides a colorful yet subtly dangerous background. Regional mystery fans will be well satisfied. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (May)

In the fifth Hank Worth mystery, it's Hank's wife, Dr. Maggie McCleary, who instigates a new investigation for his Branson, Mo., sheriff's department. She's seen a rash of senior citizens, tourists over 65, in the hospital's emergency room. They're coming in suffering from dehydration and diabetes spikes, and they've all been on tour buses to the breakfast shows at local theaters. Hank's investigation of possible elder abuse collides with another case; the victim of a hit-and-run wasn't killed at the scene. While Hank handles both cases, Chief Deputy Sheila Turley deals with the fallout after firing insubordinate deputies. Her problems with the jail jeopardize her new deputies, and Sheila herself. The small group that reports to Sheriff Worth are forced to juggle an enormous amount of trouble in a short time span. VERDICT The latest in Booth's Hank Worth series (following Fatal Divisions) balances well-developed characters and dry humor with a solid police procedural. Readers who appreciate the teamwork in Steven F. Havill's "Posadas County" books or Linda Castillo's Kate Burkholder mysteries should catch up with the sheriff's department in Branson.--Lesa Holstine

A murder is only the latest of Sheriff Hank Worth's problems. Sheriff Hank and his deputy, Sheila Turley, are hopeful that the latest crop of trainees will fill the shoes of the staff he had to fire for refusing to comply with the county's recent no-overtime policy. Luckily, Ray Gillespie, Austin Lorentz, and Amber Boggs show a surprising amount of poise on their first days on the job. Amber in particular seems unrattled by the rude comments directed at her by Bubba Berkins, who escaped firing but still sided with his overtime-abusing colleagues. But the newbies are soon tested, first by an investigation Hank launches at the prodding of his wife, physician Maggie McCleary, into why so many elderly tourists are being brought to the emergency room after attending shows in nearby Branson, a country-music hot spot. While he probes the mystery of the sick seniors, Hank also has to deal with the murder of a prominent businesswoman. Vivian Gillam, who made a fortune buying up properties to house the high-end stars performing in Branson, seems to have been in the midst of a spate of questionable property acquisitions when she was killed. Murder and mayhem should be enough for any law officer, but soon Hank and Sheila are hit with a lawsuit by the fired officers, who charge them with unlawful termination. Fighting battles on so many fronts takes determination, ingenuity, and a little bit of luck. Many moving parts ultimately reward the reader's attention. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

In the fifth Hank Worth mystery, elderly people in Branson, Missouri, are being rushed to the hospital, apparently the victims of mistreatment during a vacation tour. The tour operator says, hey, it isn't the tour's fault, but Sheriff Worth isn't so sure. Meanwhile, back at the office, there's a revolt brewing after the firing of several deputies. Chief Deputy Sheila Turley is doing her best to keep things peaceful, but violence seems inevitable. The mistreatment of the elderly--the main theme of the book--can be a hot-button issue for some readers, but it would be a mistake to give up on this one. Booth knows exactly what she's doing, and she makes sure the story has a solid, plausible, and deeply satisfying conclusion. Hank is, as always, a very engaging protagonist, the kind of guy you know you can count on to do the right thing and to keep digging until he unearths the truth. Another fine entry in a series that deserves a much wider fan base.