Maryann Johnson

Murder and Meth in Arkansas Maryann Johnson

A mixture of murder and methamphetamine manufacture in Arkansas brings together an array of persons with different agendas in this story written by first time author, MaryAnn Johnson. The richness of the rural characters portrays the down to earth nature of life in Arkansas in contrast to the bustling activity in the metropolitan Washington D. C area. The two cultures come together through the main character, Nurse Practitioner Carol McMahon as she takes on an unexpected role in assisting in a Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) investigation. Carol receives a phone call that her older brother, Bobby, has died in a bizarre drowning incident, and the funeral was to be that afternoon. Her suspicion index kicks into high gear. Why bury him so soon before the family could get there? Carol makes it to the funeral just in time. While speaking at the funeral, Carol refers to the close relationship she shared with her brother and the numerous phone calls from him over the past few months. Those comments are the impetus to make her a person of interest in a DEA Task Force Investigation. They approach her to help them with their drug investigation and promise to help her find out what happened to Bobby. Carol agrees to help. Over the next few weeks, Carol is traveling back and forth between Virginia and Arkansas and keeping up with life in both areas by phone, but feels very fragmented. Her husband, Johnny is very understanding, but dismayed at Carol?s stubborn, persistent nature and knows she will stop at nothing to get the mystery of Bobby?s death solved. Frustrated by the DEA Agents, Tom Baker and Bruce Hillman not sharing with her all they know in the investigation of her brother?s death, she places her life in peril by intently seeking to find out answers herself. As people are dying around her in Arkansas, Carol may very well be next. Carol continues to have clashes with her new supervisor in the large regional jail she works in. This results in a sub plot revealing the inside activities of a large jail and with Carol demonstrating medical skills to help the people she serves there and the people she works shoulder to shoulder with. The conflict with her supervisor is resolved in a surprising climax.