In a passionate rage, Phillip ‘Dutch’ Cleland kills Vicky Murdock, a woman he had an affair with a long time ago, but he knows the law will come after him. He runs away without bothering to cover his tracks. The crime sets off an investigation by the Willow River Chief of Police, Charlie Benson. Gordon Murdock, a convicted serial rapist, comes to town looking for Vicky and her murderer, trampling on people along the way. The chase leads everybody to a snowbound log cabin deep in the woods, resulting in a shootout. In the confusion, Dutch slips away.

With Things in Ditches, Jimmy Olsen takes the reader into a convoluted murder mystery and a bungled investigation that involves a cast of real characters behaving like people usually do in a small town. The story isn’t polished, and people make mistakes, but this is where Jimmy Olsen shines. In the real world, things are seldom neatly wrapped up. The book is an interesting excursion into the minds of simple townsfolk who are caught up in a murder committed by one of their own. The ending is interesting, and will bring a smile to the reader.