Crime in Corn-Weather

William Breen, hard-hearted banker of Keedora, Iowa, is shot by an unknown assailant whose identity remains a mystery until the very end. This is a perfect murder because there is no corpus delicti and no real clue—only a deserted Buick with blood on the back cushions. The reason for the murder and how it was committed and concealed come out gradually as the story unfolds and the little village fills with newspaper men and curiosity seekers. Unlike most murder stories, Crime in Corn-Weather is given depth and richness by its realistic portrayal of the effect of the murder on the lives of the community. It is not only a first-rate mystery but a remarkable novel as well—vivid, fast-moving, with living characters and complete reality. ('Library Column,' Williamsburg, Iowa, Journal Tribune, 1935) Crime in Corn-Weather was first published in 1935.