A Murder in God's Country by R. J. Figura
- Mar 4
- 3 min read
The First Will Patterson Northern Michigan Mystery
Peril in Paradise: Retired Local Lawyer Debuts Northern Michigan Murder Mystery
Traverse City, Michigan—When terror strikes a tranquil town, retired lawyer Will Patterson becomes a small-town sleuth, helping Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mark Barnett’s team solve a murder mystery set amidst the northern Michigan woods. Going from legal professional to retirement to supporting law enforcement wasn’t the career switch of Patterson’s dreams, but he still had a passion for protecting their small town’s peace—even as trouble hit paradise.
A Murder in God’s Country is not just R. J. Figura’s debut novel, but also serves as the opening installment to the Will Patterson Northern Michigan Mystery series. Throughout this story, he expertly ties together his love for murder mystery novels and small-town living to show readers that bad things are unescapable even in “God’s Country.” Highlighting the murder of a resident, it follows Patterson as he navigates quirky characters and complicated clues to solve this case alongside the local police department.
The Art of Law
As someone who spent 53 years representing governmental officials, Figura is rediscovering his artistic voice after a long career in law. This book, which he began in the mid-90s, was put on hold until his retirement in 2023. He was finally able to employ his skills of finding humor and empathy in small-town courtrooms to create complex and curious characters that mystery lovers will enjoy.
With A Murder in God’s Country being Figura’s first book, it didn’t come without its obstacles.
“The most challenging part was coming up with the plot and all its details. Meeting that challenge was most rewarding,” noted Figura. “I hope they enjoy the plot and the humor in it.”
Advanced Praise
“Dick Figura knows the law and knows his countryside. With exacting detail, the reader is led through a frustrating search by Sheriff Mark Barnett and his helper Will Patterson, for a killer in the woods outside the small towns surrounding Traverse City, Michigan. It’s a good story, well plotted. Anyone could have murdered the very much disliked Harry Miller! The characters slowly expose backstories that could incriminate any of them. I congratulate Dick Figura on his skill in making a story I looked forward to returning to.” — Fleda Brown, author of The End of the Clockwork Universe
“Figura has written a classic murder mystery: a homicide that shocks some and delights other members of an otherwise peaceful community; multiple suspects whose defenses will keep you guessing; two sleuths whose investigations are rife with finger-pointing and dubious claims of innocence; and an ending that will elicit either ‘I knew it!’ or ‘I'm surprised!’” —Richard VanDeWeghe, emeritus professor of English; author of the historical fiction Traverse City State Hospital Series
Now that he’s finally reached the relief of publication, Figura has dug straight into writing the next book of the series that follows Will Patterson as a dynamic, semi-retired detective.
The Author
R. J. Figura was born in 1943. He is a retired lawyer who spent more than fifty years representing local government units such as cities, villages, townships, and counties, many in Leelanau and Benzie counties in northern Michigan. He practiced municipal law in Flint, Michigan, from 1969 to 1998, and in Empire, Michigan, from 1998 until his retirement in 2023. His retirement has permitted him to spend much of his time writing personal essays and fiction. Having "cut his teeth" reading all of Agatha Christie's mysteries, he reads and now writes cozy mysteries.
He and his wife, Ellen, celebrated their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary in December 2025. They live in the Cordia Retirement Club in Traverse City, Michigan; Figura jokes that it’s like residing in a five-star hotel with a Road Scholar program. He and Ellen have four children and three grandchildren.
The Book
A Murder in God’s Country: The First Will Patterson Northern Michigan Mystery
R. J. Figura,
258 pages, 6 x 9 inches, B/W
Mystery & detective / Cozy / General, Legal, Small Town & Rural
ISBN: 978-1-968761-21-9, $24.95 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 978-1-968761-22-6, $17.95 (Softcover)
Copies are available for preorder at Bookshop.org, Amazon, and other online retailers.
On its 06/09/2026 publication date, it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold.
For information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at rjfgura@gmail.com.
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