Murder in Mayberry: Greed, Death and Mayhem in a Small Town

By Jack Branson and Mary Kinney Branson

Book Overview

As seen on America's Most Wanted.

It was christened "The Best Town on Earth."

One visit to Madisonville, Kentucky, and you'd swear you'd stepped into the fictional town of Mayberry. It was a friendly and traditional churchgoing Southern community. Everyone called each other "neighbor." No one locked their doors. Crime was unheard of. Then town native Ann Branson was found dead in her basement, with ninety-seven stab wounds and massive blows to the skull. In Madisonville, where there hadn't been a murder in twenty years, this crime was unimaginable.

But every town and everyone has secrets.

With no clues, no DNA evidence, and no apparent motive, Ann's nephew Jack, a retired federal agent, refused to let the case die, even when he came to a terrifying realization: the killer he was hunting was a member of his own family--a suspect now on the run who would become one of the FBI's Most Wanted and would lead investigators on a twisting road to justice.

But for Jack, the greatest shock was still to come: the reason Aunt Ann had to die...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425226328
• ISBN13: 9780425226322
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.3" x 6.8"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

S. Mccrady, Hanson, Ky.

Murder in Mayberry is a great book and a real page turner. What a terrible fate for such a well respected lady. Congratulations to Jack and Mary Branson for a job well done.

Great Book

This book truly shows the amount of damage that a tradegy of this magnitude can inflict upon a family. Especially when the scum that did it turns out to be a relative. well written and riveting.

Murder in Mayberry - From Madisonville, KY

I am a resident of Madisonville, KY, and I had known Ann Branson. I also know Jack and Mary, the authors of the book. I thought the book was very well written, in content and in detail. I commend Jack and Mary, I am sure it was difficult to put all of this in writing, but they did a very commendable job. Once you start reading this book you don't want to put it down. I highly recommend this book as a very intriguing work that captures the author and her husbands deep love for Mrs. Branson. Our prayers go out to them and thank them for sharing such a personal part of their lives with their readers. Nancy and Murf Adams

Heartfelt and Heartbreaking

I am originally from Kentucky so this book really hit home. I read the book and immediately made sure all of my doors and windows were locked. You can never really trust anyone anymore. This book was well written and a real page turner. I am selective about what I use my time to read, but this is one read I would not miss!

Riveting story!

I received this book in the mail yesterday and stayed awake until 3 am to finish it. What a fascinating story! We usually read the headlines and experience the media frenzy when a crime occurs and then pick up the story again when the accused finally comes to trial. "Murder in Mayberry" gives us a behind-the-scenes view of the drama in between. As I read this book, I got a real feeling for the realities of a murder investigation from the point of view of the victim's family. I was completely engrossed from the shock of the murder to the horrible realization that a beloved family member was the murderer and then through the struggle to bring the murderer to justice. (I learned a lot about the problems of extraditing criminals from Costa Rica in the process, too). I really admire the way the author manages to keep the melodrama to a minimum while still managing to convey the real feelings of herself and her family throughout the 4 year ordeal. "Murder in Mayberry" is a great read. I recommend it wholeheartedly.