Johnny Earl was a star athlete in high school but he hasn't accomplished too much since. His attempts to play professional baseball fizzled. He got involved with illicit drugs. He went to prison. And while he was incarcerated he made the mistake of letting his gigantic neo-Nazi cellmate know about the stash of drug money that he had hidden away before they locked him up.
After Johnny Earl was released he planned to return home to Steubenville, recover his ill gotten gains, then get the heck out of town. Of course we can make all the plans we care to make but the reality of what actually follows is usually a bit different than we could have hoped.
Robin Yocum sets his novels in eastern Ohio. In this one he has created a cast of characters who are all a bit flawed. This is a crime novel. There's a murder. The man who is killed becomes the "welcome murder" of Yocum's title. The murder victim was a thoroughly nasty fellow. Nobody really liked that guy.
The best thing about this story is that the author has allowed himself go wild in a quite entertaining fashion. There's a madcap aspect to this tale that is rather hilarious. If you like your crime novels with some wit and a few chuckles you should check this one out.
The Book Nook on WYSO is made possible by five local library systems in southwest Ohio: the Greene County Public Library, Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, and Wright Memorial Public Library.
