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Reviews

Machatas
5.0 out of 5 stars
Delightful, authentic page turner!
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2020

A seriously good book. I was awed by writing- nothing was forced. The author set the scene cleanly and the characters came alive in a real North Carolina. This police procedural mirrors how law enforcement really works- one clue at at time adding up to a theory of how the crime was committed. Mr. Garvin's description of a trailer park pleasure palace where a hot tub, alcohol, drugs and sex could be had for a price penciled in a bit of Americana. The love interest back drop felt just right complete with the trepidation, desire, and regret. The bad actors were portrayed with sensitivity. A Dredging in the Swann is filled with an emotional sensitivity uncommon in mysteries, whose protagonists too often echo the false image of the soul less American tough guy. Mr. Garvin fills his pages with compassion for all from the PTSD singing group to the sceptical black daughter of the deceased. The book painted a wonderfully nuanced slice of life that just happened to be a murder mystery. An emotional journey exploring mistakes, guilt, redemption and hope. I can't wait to read Tim Garvin's Sep Creek Mystery #2!

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Lagoon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Exceptional. Just what the genre is about.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 29, 2020
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The quality of the writing shines through in what I hope is the first of many mysteries for the very likeable Seb Creek. Investigating a suspected murder as well as the disappearance of three stinger missiles, such disparate cases do tie together but not in a neatly wrapped up and put to bed sort of way.

As with an increasing number of new crime fiction releases, PTSD is a prevalent feature of the story and in Seb’s case, he uses singing to ‘slow things down’.

Each chapter is named; which I have always found to be a thoughtful touch. By doing so, I feel the author is going that extra mile and creating personalised self-contained sections of the overall story rather than just inserting breaks for the sake of pacing.

The settings are striking; none more so than when describing the hog farm.Together with fly traps, this is another example of the author combining very diverse topics and doing so with a passion.

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Michigan Grandma
5.0 out of 5.0 stars
So much more than an action/adventure book.
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2020
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So much more than an action/adventure book. I would take this to my weekly book group where we read more serious books to discuss. There are many paragraphs I have saved that add a depth to the characters, the descriptive locations have given me a mini vacation in the Outer Banks during this "stay at home quarantine time." Thank you. I will keep this book for a reread, and look for other books by Tim Garvin.

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Naomi Murphy
5.0 out of 5 stars
This an excellent book
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2020
Verified Purchase
My biggest disappointment is that it is the first in the series. So I have to wait. What can I say? It is a detective story…but is is so much more. The characters are wonderful, all of them, within the context of the story. The writing brings the characters, as well as the location, alive. And Seb’s Pass the Salt singers? Oh wow. It is heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. Brilliant.

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Anniejc
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent story and characters you really care about!
Reviewed in the United States on April 15, 2020

One of the things that really pulls me into a book is good character development--where I not only know but have strong feelings one way or another about the characters. That happened, big time, as I read The Dredging of Swann. The main character, Seb Creek, is likable on so many levels and I look forward to meeting him again when Tim Garvin publishes his next book. The story is an absolute page turner, and, at the same time, Tim Garvin responsibly and compassionately weaves in issues of race, the residual trauma from war, environmental assaults and more. In this time of the Coronavirus pandemic, authors and other creative sorts struggle to launch their work. If you can swing it, I strongly urge you to buy the hardcover version of this book, rather than the Kindle version, to do your part in supporting the arts. Or, buy both--read one on your Kindle and give the book to a friend.

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