Review: Desperate Crimes: A Bill Travis Mystery by George Wier

For Bill Travis everything revolves around family. His eight-year-old daughter, Jennifer, is supposed to give a piano recital on Saturday. Unfortunately, her piano teacher, Todd Landry, has gone missing. Jennifer is very upset and worried and she wants daddy to find him. Normally, Bill Travis gets involved in things to be paid so he can pay for things like piano lessons.

Money is important, but it is not everything. His daughter’s happiness means more than just about anything else does. His little girl is heartbroken and her tears are a powerful thing. He agrees to look for Todd Landry despite the fact that he has a really bad feeling about things.

He also knows who to call for help and does so. He calls Hank Sterling, a good friend who is also a freelance investigator. As it happens, Hank is already on the case of the missing Todd Landry. He is also very concerned though he has very different reasons for why he is worried. 

Bill and Hank team up and take eight-year-old Jennifer with them on the road to search for the missing Todd Landry. They as well as Jennifer’s pet ferret, Morgan Freeman, hit the road headed to Elysium, eighty miles west of Austin, Texas as they follow their first lead. They will all spend a lot of time in the car together working a case that is complicated and not easily solved.

Desperate Crimes is the 11^th book in the Bill Travis Mystery Series that began with The Last Call. Personal relationships, humor, and observations about the Lone Star State have been hallmarks of this running series. They are very much present here with characters that continue to evolve, references to past books, and more. A mystery that is far more complicated than it first appears is also present in this latest read.

If you are new to the series by Texas author George Wier, you could easily start here. While there are a few references to earlier books, they are not so detailed as to ruin previous reads in the series. Those readers that have read the preceding books will enjoy this one a bit more as the Travis family continues to add members and age. Part of the fun of this series is to see what is now going on with the family. Either way, Desperate Crimes: A Bill Travis Mystery is another solidly good read in a very good series.

Desperate Crimes: A Bill Travis Mystery

George Wier

http://www.billtravismysteries.com

Flagstone Books

March 2016

ASIN: B01DHM1EUM

eBook (paperback available)

131 Pages

$4.99

According to Amazon, I picked this up back last July to read and review. I believe I did it by way of the Author’s free read promotion.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2017