"Just because you found somebody new" Chuck Berry

This story will appeal to fans of the small town life and of legal dilemmas.

Written in 1942, I felt as if the novel was as if the author took the cast of the old Andy Griffin show and scattered them in and around the courthouse of a town named Childerstown.

We read of a judge who knew the various characters and could tell of their histories, as if Andy Griffin was right there on the judge's seat. After the events of the trial end each day, we then observe what is going on with the families of the attorney and other characters, even that of the accused.

There was a murder of a man who dealt in drugs. Two suspects are immediately caught and we revisit the crime through their eyes and that of one of their friends. The reader observes the family of the suspects and how that relates to the community.
Intermingled with this we have the story of an attorney who took advantage of a well off young widow and abounded with her money. The woman actually moved in with the judge's family and the husband and his wife spent much of their time attempting to track down the missing culprit. In this manner, we see how history and justice come together.

The characters are well drawn but I felt that it was the town itself and the simple life of the townsfolk that was the main character. How could people of such faith in their fellow man, do such a mean hearted acts to a widow..