Critical Praise

An absolute tour de force! Both a superb murder mystery and a gripping examination of the suffering of returning soldiers.

—Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling autho

Explor[es] the inescapable legacies of soldiers come home, including a crushing burden of imagined, and unimaginable, guilt.

—Kirkus Reviews

In the hands of a lesser writer, this novel would not fly, but Spencer-Fleming carries it off and concludes with a believable resolution. Outstanding.

—Library Journal (starred review)

Julia Spencer-Fleming is a rarity in this business, a risk taker and a writer of deep feeling. Few others could deliver a high-concept thriller that so perfectly captures the subtle sufferings of soldiers home from combat. A story of greed, betrayal, and wounded love, ONE WAS A SOLDIER left me entertained, satisfied, and a shade wiser about the cost of war.

—New York Times bestselling author John Hart

This is a surefire winner, taking the linchpin Fergusson --- Van Alstyne relationship to a new level, probing the personal lives of other members of the town's police department, and personalizing the toll taken by war. Spencer-Fleming's fans who have been waiting eagerly for her latest won't be disappointed; this series, as intelligent as it is enthralling, just keeps getting better.

—Booklist (starred review)