Veteran Southern Standard Crime and Courts reporter Duane Sherrill will release his fourth novel Monday as Murder U makes its world-wide debut with a book release event at Magness Memorial Library.
The event is scheduled from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Monday, upstairs at Magness Library on Main Street and is open to the public. Signed copies of Sherrill’s new murder/mystery along with his other books – Red Dog Saloon, Average Joe and Friday Night Frights - will be available for purchase. There will also be door prizes, refreshments and a Q&A session with the author. Sherrill will also be speaking about the formation of a McMinnville-Warren County Writer’s Guild.
Sherrill describes his new book as a continuation of his twisting, who-done-it style, seen in his other books, but with a quirkiness brought to the table by his main character.
“In Murder U, college professor Clark Miller is accused of killing his estranged wife and her lover, who happens to be the coach of the university’s football team, in a fit of jealous rage,” the author revealed. “Just about everyone, including the police, believe Clark is innocent. Therefore, the nerdy professor is forced to try and prove his own innocence even as police draw nearer to charging him with a crime he did not, or least, thinks he did not commit. His quest becomes a race against time as the killer is determined that he doesn’t get to the truth, even if it means Clark’s life.”
Just as Sherrill used Warren County for the setting in his first two books, Murder U is also set in the Upper Cumberland.
“The book is set at a college I refer to only as Tech and in a city called Cooperstown,” Sherrill said of his inspiration for the book. “Now, I’m a Tennessee Tech graduate and Tech is in Cookeville so you make your own conclusions about where the book is set. Also, the book cover, done by MTSU graduate Seth Wright, is in Tennessee Tech’s colors.”
Sherrill noted that for Murder U, he wanted a more non-traditional hero.
“I think you’ll find Clark Miller is not your normal hero.” Sherrill said of the twisting suspense thriller. “He is neither brave nor cunning but, as I’ve heard before, heroes often aren’t made – they’re cornered.”
The release of Murder U comes on the heels of a successful year for Sherrill’s other work which saw Red Dog Saloon hit the 18th most downloaded murder/mystery book on Kindle in the world on a single day this past March.
Sherrill’s books can be purchased at the Southern Standard or online through Amazon. The digital version will go online July 27 on Kindle. Sherrill writes under the pen name R.D. Sherrill. All of his works including some unpublished short stories can be found at his website RDSherrillbooks.com.
