Donn Taylor is one of my favorite mystery writers, and he won me over again with Lightning on a Quiet Night. 

In the years following WWII, Lisa Kemper moves to the tiny town of Beneficent, Mississippi with her widower father, but what she really wants to do is go back to college. Nothing in Beneficent pleases her, and she feels trapped.

Veteran Jack Davis sees no wrong with the town that supported him during his military service and the death of his parents. He is working hard to repay a loan on his farm and bring his dreams for the land to reality. He is a stalwart citizen of what he views as a perfect town.

Then, a cheerleader is murdered in this perfect town, where everyone believes evils are committed only in other places by other people. Surely no one in Beneficent is capable of committing such a heinous crime!

Secrets unravel, truths unfold, and opinions change in this powerful historical romance/mystery. Written with wit and an understanding of the human heart, this novel should be in the hands of every reader.