This is the fictional story of the 1994 Murders in Vinton, Virginia

221 Pages that will capture your interest from beginning to end

This novel is the build-up to the crime and beyond

Softcover 6" X 9"

Blain Hodges, Teresa Hodges, and their two young daughters were brutally murdered in their home in Vinton, Virginia in August 1994. Earl Bramblett was arrested, tried, convicted and executed for the crime. Author Douglas Chandler Graham is convinced Bramblett was framed and is on a mission to find justice for Bramblett.
Smoke And Murders is a fictionalized account of the crime. Many of the characters are sketches of people close to the case. Except for the murders, much of the story is made up. Graham has included all the ingredients of a first rate, hard boiled mystery. From the crime scene on we meet corrupt cops, drug dealers, a careless medical examiner and a long list of intriguing, believable characters.
It is set in rural Virginia in a small town where the haves avoid the have-nots and gossip and speculation is the favorite pastime. The town elite demand a conviction and for the problem to go away. A State Police investigator has hand picked his suspect and quickly brings the mayor and local cops onside.
Graham draws on his considerable research of the evidence and knowledge of the case to form a plausible theory as to what he believes really happened. His hypothesis is played out in this fast paced, enjoyable read. He brings together all the players and cleverly sets the tone for the sequel, leaving the reader wanting more.
I highly recommend Smoke And Murders to fans of True Crime and Murder Mysteries and I look forward to the sequel, "Three Trailers Down" (November 2009).
Reviewed by WR Potter for Reader's Choice Reviews.

Smoke And Murders 5 Stars

BOOK REVIEW FROM AMAZON
By E. Chan
As a self-proclaimed mystery buff, I am always searching for interesting and suspenseful mystery novels that pull readers right into the plot and sadly, most of the mysteries that I read fall flat of this standard. But not this novel. In Smoke and Murders, Douglas Graham has crafted an intriguing and tense storyline centered around the generic small town. Once I started the novel, I couldn't put it down.

Graham begins his mystery by describing the gruesome murder of your typical family, a father, a mother and two children, the horrific event which draws the corrupt local cops in to investigate. In the small town portrayed in the novel, where neighborly gossip and knowing everyone who lives in the town is common, it doesn't take long for the police to name a scapegoat responsible for the murders, a suspect in a previous case. From there on, we see how desire to shut the case quickly and to calm the townspeople propels corruption by skewing the truth.

Although this novel is a fictionalized story of the true life murder of a rural family, Graham delivers his message clearly; he believes in the innocence of the man who was wrongfully convicted and wishes to show readers this. A well-written mystery recommended for anybody who likes suspense.

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Douglas Chandler Graham
was born in Roanoke, VA and known
by his middle name, Chandler, until he enlisted in the Army Air
Force in 1948, at which time they required him to use first name,
     middle initial and last name. therefore, everyone he made acquaintance
      with after that time knows him as Doug. That is the reason for
all three names on the novel.
Growing up in Roanoke County near an amusement park, he and his friends were fortunate to work in the park when they became twelve years old. One of the perks of this job was free access to the huge park swimming pool, reputed to be the largest swimming pool in the South at that time. Chandler became an outstanding swimmer.
After being honorably discharged from the Air force, Graham took a job delivering paint until he was old enough to apply to the police forces in the area. The Virginia State Police responded first but the Police Chief of Roanoke convinced him the Roanoke Police Force was the one he should join. The shift work he found was not conducive to his idea of family life after his first daughter was born and took a position as assistant manager of a finance company staying that for seven years. While doing this he supplemented his income as a real estate salesman.
The combined hours caused Graham to look for a better job with less hours. That job was a radio advertising salesman, a job at which he excelled. Seven years later he was ready to try something else and went into specialty advertising for the next several years.
Deciding to try something entirely different, Graham then went into selling new automobiles and worked for three different dealerships for the next several years. He applied to the post office and was hired s a rural mail carrier until an opening came up in the Roanoke Post Office and he worked at a couple of the branch offices until he was eligible to retire.
After retiring he became certified as a Virginia Private Investigator and later a bodyguard. Graham moved to Florida in 2000 and became active in community theater as actor, prop maker, and set designer.

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