Charlotte Hinger
Novelist and Kansas Historian
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The Lottie Albright Series
Book Four--Fractured Families was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award.
Is there is a killer who can outsmart the Albright twins?
Editorial Reviews:
PW-- "The diary of a severely handicapped child proves both riveting and pivotal."
Kirkus-- "Hinger does a wonderful job connecting a young boy’s grim life with a horrific crime spree and the knotty problem of for-profit prisons."
Library Journal-- "VERDICT Featuring a crime spree and a murderer, both as cold as the Midwestern winter setting, this whodunit will burn like frostbite."
Barnes & Noble-- "As she follows the heartbreaking words penned by a desperate, shunned child of stunning inner beauty and strength, his observations provide the key—at a terrible cost."
It's definite change of setting for historian-turned-undersheriff Lottie Albright. She tries to cope with a deadly Kansas winter while launching the Northwest Kansas Regional Crime Center. Bizarre murders pile up, and her twin sister Josie's authority is challenged by a rogue psychologist determined to dominate the investigation. She has unexpected assistance from her husband Keith's aunt Dorothy Mercer, a best-selling mystery writer who is thrilled to be included in the investigation.
Click on the Books tab to discover more mysteries and to learn about Charlotte's historical publications.
Hidden Heritage
Book Three
I was so thrilled when Hidden Heritage received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and was then selected as one of the Best Fiction Books of 2013 and one of the Best Mysteries.
Kirkus Reviews--this third case for Lottie (Lethal Lineage, 2011, etc.) is filled with surprising historical information, social commentary, romance and a strong mystery. A nasty murder pits the local police against the state police.
Publisher's Weekly--Lottie draws on her knowledge of Kansas history when Victor [the victim] turns out to be related to an old land-owning family. Frustrated by her part-time job in law enforcement, Lottie considers quitting, but not before she finds Victor’s killer
Booklist--draws on Lottie’s other occupation—historian—to tell a story in which a modern-day crime connects with mysteries from the past. The author adroitly juggles the primary story with a subplot concerning the effects Lottie’s secrecy about her assignment are having on her family.
Library Journal--Lottie Albright works undercover after murder fouls the Carlton County Livestock feed yard, where bull wranglers and Mexican immigrants may be engaged in something illegal. Her ploy? Calling for the Mexican families whose ancestors helped colonize Kansas to tell their stories.
Lethal Lineage
Book Two
I'm very partial to Lethal Lineage because it's my one and only locked room mystery. They're the pits to write and I was nearly done with the first draft before all the pieces came together.
Kirkus Reviews--Lottie’s second case is a worthy successor to Deadly Descent (2009). Deftly drawn characters and a complicated but believable mystery leave you yearning for more.
Publisher's Weekly--A whodunit that will keep the reader turning the pages until the dramatic conclusion.
Booklist--Hinger draws readers into the small-town atmosphere of rural Kansas with an intriguing tale that links current events to old rivalries. Readers will be waiting for Lottie's next case.
Library Journal--The complex threads of the investigation and the viciously mean-spirited actions of the Deal family add to the electrically charged atmosphere and create drama in this unusual and well-written sequel to Deadly Descent.
Deadly Descent
Book One
When my very first mystery, Deadly Descent, won the AZ Book Publisher's Award I couldn't believe my good fortune. I was already so very lucky to be published by Poisoned Pen. And to cap it off, I received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews.
Kirkus Reviews--Historical research is anything by dull in Hinger's debut, which hold your attention every exciting stop of the way.
Publisher's Weekly--A whodunit that will keep the reader turning the pages until the dramatic conclusion.
Booklist--The western Kansas setting is fresh, and the use of the historical record to solve an old murder proves fascinating. .