Of All Sad Words: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider. St. Martin's Minotaur/Dunne, $23.95 (272p) ISBN 978-0-312-34810-6
Crider's winning 15th Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery (after 2007's Murder Among the OWLS) pits the wry Texan against a local drug ring. Skeptical when Clearview, Tex., newcomer C.P. Benton complains that his neighbors, the Crawford brothers, are cooking meth, Rhodes finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation when the Crawford trailer explodes, leaving one of the brothers dead. But instead of finding evidence of meth, Rhodes stumbles on a still with a fresh batch of old-fashioned hooch. The remaining Crawford brother plays dumb, blaming his sibling for the illegal operation, but Rhodes doesn't buy the act. The discovery of a second still complicates matters, and Rhodes must ignore his bickering deputies and a whiny county commissioner to get to the bottom of Clearview's crime wave. Crider expertly evokes this small Texas town and its eccentric cast of characters, and his dry humor will satisfy longtime fans of this popular series. (Feb.)
10 comments:
Sounds right up my alley, Bill.
Terrific cover and title.
I like the cover a lot, myself.
It's not exactly hillbilly noir, Patrick. More like Cen-Tex goofy.
We're all waiting with baited breath.
You're on autoship already. I still need to read "O.W.L.S."
Autoship. I like the sound of that.
Oh, I dig Texas goofy, too. Charles Portis' NORWOOD is one of my all-time favorite novels.
Mine, too. I've read it three or four times. In fact, I've read all of Portis' novels. Great stuff!
Not me, Benjie, I'm waiting with bated breath. Can't stand the taste of minnows and worms.
I trust my free review copy will be here toot sweet, Bill.
And yes, that cover is the best yet.
I knew an old Moop like you would like it.
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