Caffeinated Reviewer | What the Fields Saw by Linda Norlander
23rd Mar
In What the Fields Saw by Linda Norlander, a high school reunion stirs up old grudges, long-buried betrayals, and a reckoning sixty years in the making. Narrated by Elizabeth Ashby, Sheriff Red Hammergren works to solve mysteries from the past and present.
What the Fields Saw
by Linda Norlander
Series: Sheriff Red Mysteries #3
Narrator: Elisabeth Ashby
Length: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Genres: Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 4.5 Speed: 1.5x
Decades of secrets surface when a high school reunion spirals into a deadly reckoning.
When Sheriff Red Hammergren welcomes billionaire Vance Judson back to Lykkins Lake for his high school reunion, his return stirs up more than nostalgia—it unearths old grudges, long-buried betrayals, and a reckoning sixty years in the making. At the same time, a young podcaster, drawn to whispers of an unsolved hit-and-run from the same era, begins asking questions—questions that cut too close to the truth and put a target on her back.
What begins as unease soon turns to fear when reunion attendees start turning up dead and the podcaster vanishes without a trace. Red races to untangle a mystery that refuses to stay in the past, knowing the next victim could already be marked. With help from her friends, she pieces together a history stained with privilege, silence, and revenge. Each bit of evidence brings her closer to the truth—but also closer to a killer who has already waited a lifetime to finish what was started.
In a town where loyalty is a dangerous currency, Red must determine who is paying for old sins—and who is collecting the debt.
While this is the third novel in the Sheriff Red Mysteries, I feel confident that each can be listened to as a standalone. The series takes place in Lykins Lake, Minnesota. A small rural town with its fair share of colorful characters and a small police force.
The town is buzzing, in particular the older population who are geared up for a high school reunion and a visit from their former classmate, billionaire Vance Judson. Red’s morning is filled with visitors. First, a local who is heading up security for Vance and insisting Sheriff Red needs to provide protection. Then, a stranger visits, a podcaster who asks questions about an unsolved hit-and-run from sixty-years ago. It’s a case that Red knows nothing about.
The tale that unfolded was a curious one, as the past seems determined to give up its secrets. When classmates from Vance’s graduating class turn up dead, Red realizes she will need to get to the truth, and fast.
Norlander does a splendid job of delivering an engaging murder-mystery while highlighting small-town life, politics, and the lush landscape of Minnesota. If you’ve read the series, you’ve gotten to know quite a few characters and their quirky personalities. As Red pieces together clues both past and present, it brings her ever closer to the killer, and the tension grew with each reveal.
What the Fields Saw is perfect for fans of small-town murder mysteries and light procedural novels. Elizabeth Ashby does a stellar job of bringing both the Sheriff and this small-town to life. Her narration captured the tone, quirks, and suspense of the story. I recommend grabbing your earbuds for this one!
About Linda Norlander
Linda Norlander is the author of A Cabin by the Lake mystery series including “Death of an Editor” (May, 2020), “Death of a Starling” (May 2021) and Death of a Snow Ghost (May 2022.) Before retiring to take up the pen as a mystery writer, Norlander published award winning books on end-of-life care as well as short stories and humor. A Cabin by the Lake series takes place in northern Minnesota among the pines and aspens (and in the summer, mosquitoes.)
About Elisabeth Ashby
Elisabeth Ashby is a seasoned character actor and singer with over two decades of stage experience. Having loved audiobooks since she was a little girl checking cassettes out from the local library, she is thrilled to have found a way to combine her love of performing with her lifelong passion for the written word as a narrator. Originally from Upstate New York, she now lives in Central Virginia with her husband and two cats.
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
