The Fields

In her U.S. debut, Young (who UK readers know as historical fiction author Robyn Young, author of the “Brethren Trilogy”) takes on the thriller. Sergeant Riley Fisher is the lead investigator of a murder in her Iowa hometown. She is determined to solve the case, but her home life and personal connections to the victim cloud her focus. As she digs deeper, more victims are found. Young has created a great contemporary crime mystery that incorporates several mainstream topics such as the buying power and political influence of Big Agriculture and the stresses and ethical dilemmas of police officers and others in power. It’s complete with descriptive writing (some of the murder scenes are graphic) and surprising plot twists. AudioFile’s 2021 Golden Voice narrator Soneela Nankani does a great job, offering many dramatic, accented voices.