A rural county sheriff responds to a bloody suicide. As a married man, Joe Stokely feels genuine compassion for the grieving widow. Still, he's got a job to do: ruling out homicide. He calls for his best detective, Troy Hicks, to help piece the story together.

As each minute passes, the sheriff feels more uncomfortable with the scene. Did this widow try in vain to save her husband from certain death? Or send him along to the other side herself? 



This short story takes place in the same universe as the forthcoming novel, Blue Ridge Repose (release date 9/1/22), and introduces readers to some of the characters of the Blue Ridge Mysteries series.

"Cuts"

by Joe Palkovic