Erin Roach, a Mississippi author from Yalobusha County, has just published her fourth mystery book, Ira Wakely, Last Will and Murder. Growing up in the small town of Oakland, Erin has drawn on the past of the town to help create the setting for her books, Oak Valley. Combining the towns of Oakland and Water Valley, she has created a peaceful, unassuming place but one that hides many secrets, including murder.
The main character of the books, Ira Wakely, is a mystery within the mysteries he tries to solve. In the first book, Ira Wakely, Murder in Oak Valley, Ira is almost the antagonist. He is dangerous, secretive, and at times he borders on the brink of being violent. However, as the fourth book unfolds, more of Ira’s past is revealed. He is called away to help an old friend who fears her husband has been murdered.
Ira is no stranger to murder, his own father was brutally killed when he was a child, something he did not know until years later. However, with the assistance of his close friend, Sergeant T.J. Goodrich, Ira embarks on a journey to Louisiana. Here he investigates murder and greed and reevaluates his own view on the importance of family and what length he would go to in order to protect them.
There are three books previously published in this series. Within them, Erin Roach has created a variety of characters, many with names of friends and loved ones. While drawing on real life people and places, she has also tried to revive the vintage feel of the 1930s mysteries.
“No forensics, no computers, nothing to help solve the mystery except good old-fashioned wit and determination.”
Erin Roach’s books can be found in paperback, eBook, and audiobook on Amazon.com.
