Suspicious Finds

Odyssey is up for Best Small Town in America, and a secret inspector could arrive any day - so suddenly every stranger in town looks suspicious. Bart Rathbone decides a visitor named Dan Daventry is the man, and soon the whole town is fussing over him: free telephones, a private Shakespeare play, a fake-rustic Electric Palace with the support beams ripped out. At Whit's End, Connie posts rules for constant smiles and compliments, until greeting one customer by three different names shows how silly the act has become. Then Dan drops his bombshell... he's the county health and safety inspector, and Bart's missing beams and Edwin's blocked fire exits land them in serious trouble. Whit reminds Connie that kindness should be for every day, not a performance for a judge - and the town proves it by welcoming Dan back even though he can't vote for them. The real inspector finds Odyssey charming, and the town makes the finals. But Dan finds crumbling ground beneath Whit's End, and the beloved shop is condemned.

Found on The Best Small Town Album 50 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

1 of 2 0626 Life, in the Third Person Feeling invisible in her fractured family, Mandy tries to outrun her parents' separation on her bicycle - but some things can't be escaped.

2 of 2 0627 Life, in the Third Person While a broken leg lands Mandy in the hospital, her fractured family is forced to stop hiding from the hard conversations they've been avoiding.

1 of 2 0628 The Highest Stakes After six months away, a father returns to Odyssey believing his debts are paid and hoping to win back the family his gambling destroyed.

2 of 2 0629 The Highest Stakes When his estranged father comes back into his life, a boy who shares a treasured secret must decide whether trust and forgiveness are worth the risk of being hurt again.

0630 Chip off the Shoulder New foster kid Kelly and a still-simmering Connie collide when a school project goes missing at Whit's End, forcing both to face what it really takes to trust and forgive.

0631 A Capsule Comes to Town When a national radio program asks whether Odyssey is stuck in the past, the search for a century-old time capsule puts the town's memory - and its heart - to the test.

0632 Suspicious Finds When a magazine nomination for Best Small Town in America sends Odyssey scrambling to impress a secret inspector, the townspeople's frantic makeovers threaten to undo the very charm that earned the honor.

0633 License to Deprive the Washington family signs on to portray frontier settlers at a restored historic homestead, only to learn that living history is far harder than performing it

1 of 2 0634 Accidental Dilemma When a blog post blows Jason Whittaker's cover as a government agent, an old enemy with a score to settle sets a trap in Odyssey.

2 of 2 0635 Accidental Dilemma When the trail of a shadowy criminal leads straight back to Odyssey, Whit and his friends must outwit the Whisperer on their own home ground - where the price of victory may be higher than anyone expects.

0636 A Class Reenactment A pompous theater impresario is hired to dramatize Odyssey's founding for radio, but his flair for spectacle keeps colliding with the town's true story.

0637 The Forgotten Deed With Whit's End on the verge of reopening, a dispute over a time capsule uncovers a question about who really owns the land beneath it - and whether the shop can keep its faith at its heart.

1 of 2 0638 The Triangled Web A hometown reunion turns tangled when three old friends each plan a heartfelt conversation with the same woman on the same night.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 7 more roles

7 supporting roles

Pat Evelyn (actor) Perry Browning Jimmy Weldon Jill (b) Actor Unknown Sammy Actor Unknown Will Dean (actor) Electric Palace Customer (a) Actor Unknown Dan Daventry Phil Crowley

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Nathan Hoobler Writer · Director Marshal Younger Writer · Producer Christopher Diehl Sound Designer Bob Hoose Producer Dave Arnold Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 2 min

Perry Browning, a senior editor at Home and Country magazine, announces that Connie's audio documentary has earned Odyssey a nomination for Best Small Town in America. A secret inspector will visit before the magazine selects two finalists. The news excites the town, but it also makes nearly every unfamiliar visitor seem suspicious.

Bart Rathbone decides that Odyssey must be made more rustic and identifies a visitor named Dan Daventry as the secret inspector. Dan playfully confirms Bart's guess and asks him to keep it quiet. The supposed secret immediately spreads, giving businesses time to prepare special treatment for the wrong man.

Connie creates rules requiring everyone at Whit's End to smile, offer compliments, avoid arguments, and show constant respect. She directs a thorough cleanup and tries to remove anything she considers unattractive. Whit and Eugene wonder why the town should manufacture a welcome that ought to be genuine every day.

Bart removes support beams and adds rust to make the Electric Palace look rustic. He offers Dan a free telephone and tries to guide his inspection. Edwin Blackgaard invites Dan to a private Shakespeare performance, complete with the best couch in the theater, but Dan falls asleep during the play.

At Whit's End, Connie tries to prove that the staff knows every visitor by name. The plan fails when she, Whit, and Eugene greet the same person with three different names. Their effort to appear naturally welcoming has become strained and ridiculous.

Dan finally reveals that he does not work for Home and Country. He is Campbell County's health and safety inspector. Bart's dangerous missing beams and Edwin's blocked fire access and faulty stage equipment earn serious criticism. What they intended as favors and improvements instead exposes the harm of changing reality merely to influence a judge.

Whit tells Connie that Jack Allen is preparing for the competition simply by opening his antique shop at its normal hour. Whit's End has been unusually pleasant under Connie's rules, but respect, manners, and kindness should guide ordinary days, not a performance for an inspector. Whit posts the list as a permanent reminder.

When Dan returns, everyone welcomes him even though they now know he cannot vote for Odyssey. He appreciates their sincerity but brings terrible news: damage beneath Whit's End has weakened the foundation, probably because of the old tunnels and past collapse. The building is unsafe, and he condemns the shop.

Elsewhere, the true Home and Country inspector reports to Perry Browning. She has found Odyssey charming, friendly, and filled with lovely people, in sharp contrast to Rusty Gordon's attacks. Odyssey becomes a finalist even as Whit's End is forced to close.