The year is 1956. As the tires on the family's ancient GMC pickup bang out a rhythm on the dirt road to his northeast Missouri farm, fifteen-year-old John Henderson surprises his father by telling him he wants to be a teacher-a decision that eventually leads him from a small farming community in Missouri to Arizona, where he begins his life's calling. Through an engaging format of attachments and emails, Henderson traces the evolution of his thirty-eight-year teaching career from its beginnings at Arizona State University as a graduate teaching assistant. Henderson chronicles his journey from an elite private boarding school in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a small religious-based college-and concludes with his thirty-four year stint with the Maricopa Community College District in Phoenix. By observing the joys, turmoil, agonies, and even the mundane day-to-day moments of a teacher, Henderson offers a personal yet practical sociological exploration of classroom culture that provides both contemporary students and novice educators with a real-life glimpse into the challenging and rewarding world of classroom teaching. ..". Essential reading for prospective teachers." -Eugene Munger, author of "Momma, Don't Ya Want Me to Learn Nothin'?"

The year is 1990, and the small town of Marble City is facing some big changes. Located in the region of Missouri affectionately known as Little Dixie, residents have become uneasy about the growing tourist population within the area-due in part to a newly constructed recreational lake and casino.

The locals' concerns are magnified by a climbing crime rate and escalating rumors of a sports scandal-and to make matters worse, a horrifying murder has shaken the small town to its core. It's now up to Sheriff Mulholland and investigative journalist Vicki Stillen to determine who is responsible for the violence.

Gripping and suspenseful from beginning to end, "Death in Little Dixie" takes an honest look at the issues faced by rapidly-changing towns in rural America, and makes this setting a backdrop for a thrilling murder mystery. From racism and prejudice to the struggles of young adults confronting a major trauma, the town of Marble City comes to life in a manner that is deeply emotional, sometimes disturbing, and always realistic.

Returning home after his brother-in-law's apparent suicide, a man quickly learns the small town he grew up in holds secrets no one wants revealed. When questions arise about the death, the town becomes a dangerous place where some will stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden. A thoughtful, compelling, and meaningful exploration into the lives of suicide survivors and the roles that community and family play, John R. Henderson's second book is a searing portrayal of the pain inflicted and the costs of death on those who remain. Jack Brace gets the call in the early morning: his brother-in-law is dead, ostensibly having killed himself with his deer rifle. It's why Jack is heading home to the small Missouri town in which he was born and raised-the same place it's always been, the same place it will always be. As Jack and his sister attempt to put the pieces of her family back together, the secrets that hold the town together begin leaking through the cracks and pretty soon discrepancies appear. When the local newspaper editor raises additional questions and the sheriff becomes involved, what seemed like the open and shut case of a man bringing his life to a premature end now looks like it could be a dangerous beginning. Racism and sexual deviancy provide the subtext as Henderson paints a portrait of rural and urban lifestyles and how rural identity affects one's ability to truly return home. You have changed. It hasn't. Deeply rendered characters elevate the mystery to unexpected levels of dramatic richness as the clues begin to unravel the truth of a small Missouri town. Drawing distinct lines between the power and resonance of suicide and murder, Silence is the Killer: The Products of Deceit is a powerful testament to our need as human beings for understanding and communication in order to stay connected with others.

The year is 1956. As the tires on the family's ancient GMC pickup bang out a rhythm on the dirt road to his northeast Missouri farm, fifteen-year-old John Henderson surprises his father by telling him he wants to be a teacher-a decision that eventually leads him from a small farming community in Missouri to Arizona, where he begins his life's calling. Through an engaging format of attachments and emails, Henderson traces the evolution of his thirty-eight-year teaching career from its beginnings at Arizona State University as a graduate teaching assistant. Henderson chronicles his journey from an elite private boarding school in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a small religious-based college-and concludes with his thirty-four year stint with the Maricopa Community College District in Phoenix. By observing the joys, turmoil, agonies, and even the mundane day-to-day moments of a teacher, Henderson offers a personal yet practical sociological exploration of classroom culture that provides both contemporary students and novice educators with a real-life glimpse into the challenging and rewarding world of classroom teaching. ..". Essential reading for prospective teachers." -Eugene Munger, author of "Momma, Don't Ya Want Me to Learn Nothin'?"