Murders on the Ridge: Mystery in Briar County

Andrea Smith

Jul 2020 · MEATBALL TASTER PUBLISHING, LLC · Narrated by Alexander Cendese

About this audiobook

Eight bodies were found in less than four hours in Briar County, Ohio . Every significant member of the Hatfield family of Briarton, their ages ranging from 16 to 44, were shot execution-style inside of four different homes not far apart.

Local, Federal and State law enforcement officers have swarmed the community, interviewing more than 50 people and combing the wooded areas surrounding the crime scenes. Sheriff Charles Ridley called the investigation one of the largest in Briar County history.

Ohio Attorney General Nick Devlin said the massacre was “pre-planned” and “sophisticated.”

A wealthy Ohio businessman out of Cincinnati, Ohio offered a $25,000 reward to anyone with answers.

But when the answers started to come, they only raised more questions. Fingers began to point, family conflicts grew, and before this crime was solved, one more local would be found dead.

*This novel is fictional, but based on true events that happened in Pike County, Ohio, in April of 2016.

Ratings and reviews

Gosh, I absolutely loved this short murder mystery, a bit of a segue from my normal romance reads. Big city guy, Dalton Edwards has fun and games with the locals in Briar County as he tries his best to uncover the goings on in this small hill billy town where everyone knows everything, but no-one says anything. 8 bodies found dead, murdered execution style, and Dalton is determined to get to the bottom of it, the question is, who to trust? The fact that the story was based on real life events in Ohio in 2016 made it even more intriguing. I listened to the audio version with Alexander Cendese, who may now be a new favourite for me. I loved his voice and his accents, add in too, his singing voice (it was only a few lines, but still). I would love more of the same from both author and narrator. A great addition to my audio library.

Excellent Story & Narration🎧 Riveting & Superbly Written! Murders on the Ridge Mystery in Briar County By: Andrea Smith Narrated by: Alexander Cendese This is an excellent crime drama murder mystery. I am a huge fan of Andrea Smith’s work, she is a gifted author, I enjoy her writing style and the stories and characters she creates. This book shows another side of her creative mind and I must say she did a superb job writing a novel in this genre. It is fiction based on true events and I just love how she keeps it all real. Dalton Edwards next undercover assignment takes him to Briarton, a small town in Briar County, Ohio. It is believed that there are illegal activities going on, possible links to drug cartels. Posing as a drifter he applies for and gets a job at the East Fork Ranch. His investigation is grabbing some intel which he relays back to his handler but only a month in he stumbles on the scene of a mass murder, 8 members of the Hatfield family, one whom he worked with and befriended. When the investigation he is working on gets halted he continues to stay on with is job working with the McCoys, whom happen to be rivals of the Hatfields. He is hoping to get to the bottom of everything including the murder case. Not trusting local law enforcement he is pretty much on his own, though he does find an unexpected ally or two amongst the locals. This story is cleverly plotted and detailed, it keeps you wondering what is going on, how will Dalton get what he needs to uncover the truths of not only the murders but what they are up to on that ranch. It has been a while since I enjoyed a crime drama murder mystery and it is definitely a winner, I could see this story become a blockbuster movie, with a great leading man playing Dalton’s role. Andrea Smith, thank you for another awesome book! I listened to the audiobook edition, Alexander Cendese is a fabulously talented narrator and voice artist. He was perfectly casted to bring these character to life, giving each their own distinct voice and personality. His portrayal of the characters is spot on, sounding just as I picture them to sound, especially Dalton, he fell into his role with natural ease. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the awesome listen.

This was a very well-written book and the narration was top-notch!