First to Fall by Carys Jones

Take one big city lawyer transplanted to a small sleepy town, add a capital murder case and stir with a cast of local characters who will do anything to protect one of their own, and you have a rolicking good thriller. 

This was an interesting book. The author did a good job of capturing the flavor of a small town and the tendency of locals to close ranks against outsiders.
The town's determination to protect a local football hero was especially believable. 
While this is a thriller, it is also a study in small town dynamics.
Like any town, some of the inhabitants are nice, likeable people and some are just nasty folks. 
There are a few cliches in the book, and a few of the characters could have been better developed, but that does not detract the reader from enjoying the book. 

The only truly negative aspect of this book was the use of English phrases and language clearly not spoken in America. The author is from England and there are several phrases and words used that are obviously not commonly used in America. While not a major detraction, it is annoying to find language and words that are not correctly used for the book's setting. A good editor should correct this.
I look forward to reading more by this author. 

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.