By
the end of my freshman year at AC, I still had no idea what my academic
focus would be. Pre-med? Haha….no. Business left me wanting more.
Communications? Not my bag baby. English? I suppose, but ehh. That
first year I pretty much majored in tennis and beer.
Then I
took a class in the fall of 1989 on American foreign policy during the
Cold War. AC had an actual course of study that combined polysci,
economics, history, foreign language, and a study abroad. No more
searching for me. This would be my thing.
Now its thirty years
later and that International Relations (IR) professor from 1989 is
writing novels. I can’t guarantee that his latest work will be as
thrilling as taking a Shelton Williams
IR course as the Berlin Wall is literally falling, but crazier things
have happened. Such as me taking a Shelton Williams IR course as the
Berlin Wall is literally falling.
Get yourself a copy of his latest work if you have not already done so.
=================================
West Texas can be a fairly quiet place, where communities are small and
conflict is often resolved with a handshake. However, when an isolated
West Texas college gets wrapped up in national politics and ethnic
tension, the simmering pot can become a powder keg.
Covey Jencks
of Odessa, TX receives a distressed phone call from his old Austin
College buddy Cooper Dix. Cooper informs Covey that he may be a suspect
in a murder case. Once the life of the party during college days in
Sherman, Dix is now a Director of Development at Baker College in West
Waverly, TX. Like Austin College, Baker College is Presbyterian
affiliated. That’s where the similarities end.
Like most
religiously affiliated institutions of higher education, Austin College
was established as a school to train teachers and preachers. That
changed dramatically for schools like AC in the 1960s and 1970s; many
transformed into national liberal arts colleges dedicated to law,
medicine, business, and a wider variety of educational experiences. In
“Covey and JayJay Get Educated,” the political backlash against this
transformation takes root at Cooper Dix’s Baker College.
Months
after that phone call, Dix himself is found murdered at Baker College.
Covey and his partner JayJay Qualls make the trip to West Waverly to
insert themselves into the Baker community and investigate the murder of
their friend. They find a college where religious primacy and ethnic
nativism have found a fertile feeding ground. Covey and JayJay slowly
unravel the tangled web, and stumble upon a plot against an American
hero in the process.
If you enjoyed “Covey Jencks,” the first
book in the murder mystery series by Dr. Shelton Williams, then the
sequel “Covey & JayJay Get Educated” is a must read. The chapters
are short and focused, and the narrative moves quickly with frequent
twists and surprises. If you are familiar with Dr. Williams, you might
also recognize some character similarities to actual individuals from
the past. Overall, yet another great read. Highly recommended.
