Why Forgotten Towns Make the Best Mysteries
- haleyn4
- Apr 18
- 2 min read
Fiore’s settings are more than lonely landscapes. They’re psychological spaces, representing the towns that time—and truth—left behind.
In The Screaming Tunnel, the townspeople carry just as much silence as the place itself. The murder Smyth investigates isn’t just brutal—it’s buried under generations of fear and folklore.
These are places where:
Everyone knows the story—but no one tells it
Justice hasn’t visited in decades
And ghosts (real or metaphorical) are part of daily life
It’s in these locations that Frank plants the seeds of suspense—and lets them grow into gripping, slow-burn crime stories that grab you by the collar.
The Western as a Mirror
What makes Fiore’s take so compelling is that he doesn’t romanticize the West—he interrogates it. The dusty towns, the haunted tunnels, the stoic men—they all serve as mirrors reflecting real, unresolved history.
Frank’s version of the Western isn’t about cowboys vs. outlaws. It’s about:
Truth vs. legend
Silence vs. confrontation
The past vs. the present
And in the middle of it all, you find Jonathan Smyth—a man who doesn’t just investigate crimes, he peels back the myths that protect them.
What’s Coming Next
Frank has hinted that each book in the Cowboy Sleuth series will take place in a different shadowed frontier town—each with its own secrets, legends, and long-forgotten sins.
Think:
A ghost-infested boomtown where no one dares sleep in the old hotel
A prairie village that vanishes from maps every 20 years
A mountain community built on sacred ground with blood in its foundation
And always at the center: Smyth, trying to pull justice from a place that’s trying to forget.
Conclusion: When Towns Keep Secrets, Smyth Digs Them Up
Frank F. Fiore has created a series that isn’t just about solving crimes—it’s about solving communities.In his stories, the land remembers. The buildings whisper. And the legends are never just stories—they’re warnings.
With Jonathan Smyth Cowboy Sleuth, you’re not just reading another Western. You’re entering a mystery where the past isn’t past—it’s hunting you from every shadow.
So ask yourself:What if the crime you’re solving isn’t just about one person—but an entire town’s buried truth?
📚 Grab the book and find out what the tunnel is hiding.🔗 Buy it on Amazon
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