Author Sandy Moffett book signing March 30 in Fairfield

Sandy Moffett, author of The Ghost of Craven Snugg: A Midwest Murder Mystery, comes to Fairfield for a book signing and reading on Thursday, March 30 at 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Public Library, 104 W. Adams Avenue.

The event, sponsored by Kim Andersen of Walnut Neighbors, is held in memory of long-time Jefferson County resident Marjorie Van Winkle. The event is co-sponsored by Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc.

Moffett’s novel is a humorous, satiric murder mystery and ghost story with a serious commentary on Iowa’s industrial livestock system.

Portraits of three major meat corporation CEOs and the governor mysteriously vanish. The CEOs are found murdered, and a terrified governor pulls the state’s entire criminal investigation department to protect him.

A small, understaffed sheriff’s office is left to solve the mystery with a single clue – an ancient pickup truck owned by the late Craven Snugs, a fierce opponent of industrial livestock facilities. Suspects include the three clueless CEO widows and two activists, one of whom is helping the sheriff solve the crime.

This is Moffett’s first book. The whodunit author is a professor emeritus at Grinnell College where he teaches acting, directing and American theater. Moffett writes short stories, songs, performs with the Too Many String Band, and is a devoted conservationist.

The event honors the memory of Marjorie Van Winkle, an advocate of traditional, independent farms, fearless opponent of CAFOs, member of Walnut Neighbors, and a friend of JFAN.

“Marj loved the library and would have loved this book – its humor, character names, the reality for rural Iowans, and the hope in the end,” says Andersen.

Andersen is donating a copy of The Ghost of Craven Snuggs to the Fairfield Public Library in Van Winkle’s name.