Mrs. Meade feels the facts don't add up. But why won't the accused defend himself?
Mrs. Meade is not the only one in Sour Springs who is shocked at the news when Clyde Renfrew is accused of a drunken assault on a woman. Clyde, a sober, steady young rancher, seemed the last person likely to do such a thing. Between an emphatic witness and Clyde's own apparent reluctance to defend himself, the case seems open and shut. But Mrs. Meade-who seems to have a knack for being just across the hall when things happen-has a few ideas of her own... "The Parting Glass" is a novelette, approximately 12,500 words long.
If you're a fan of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple and Anna Katharine Green's Miss Amelia Butterworth, you'll love this quick trip back to the mountain West of the Edwardian era, with a shrewd lady sleuth to apply her wits to its puzzles.
Autorentext
Elisabeth Grace Foley (that's Elisabeth with an s) is the author of numerous works of historical fiction and historical mystery set mostly in the American West. She is a three-time Peacemaker Award finalist, winning the award in 2025 with her short story "Valiant-For-Truth," and her historical mystery novel Land of Hills and Valleys was voted one of Readfree.ly's 50 Best Indie Books of 2021. When not reading or writing, she enjoys gardening, crocheting, digging further into her family tree, cheering for underdog European football teams, and watching old movies. Visit her online at www.elisabethgracefoley.com and http://secondsentence.substack.com.