Lesa's Book Critiques: The Curious Poisoning of Jewel Barnes by Terry Shames
Showing posts with label Samuel Craddock series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Samuel Craddock series. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
Monday, September 30, 2024
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Friday, October 20, 2023
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Review: "A Deadly Affair At Bobtail Ridge: A Samuel Cradock Mystery" by Terry Shames
As A Deadly Affair At Bobtail Ridge
opens Samuel Craddock is awakened by a pounding at his door. His neighbor, Jenny
Sandstone is on his porch and very upset. Her mom, Vera Sandstone, apparently has had a
stroke and has been rushed to a hospital in nearby Bobtail, Texas. Jenny needs
to get to the hospital and wants Samuel to call Truly Bennett to take care of
her horses. Despite his aversion to horses, Samuel takes care of them himself
and before long he is at the hospital.
Once there he comes upon an obvious confrontation of
some sort in the hallway near Vera’s room between Jenny and some guy who has
gone so far as grab her arm. Chief of Police Sheriff Samuel Craddock inserts
himself in the situation and learns the man is named Wilson Landreau. He is a
public defender and Jenny refers to the whole incident as politics. Jenny makes
it clear that not only is there nothing to talk about, she does not want Samuel
Craddock involved in any way. One wonders how she would characterize Vera’s
cryptic warning to Samuel Craddock just a few minutes later about Jenny being
in danger.
Good thing he also knows a thing of two about police
work while living in this South Texas rural area located in the middle of the
triangle formed by Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. He has been Chief of
Police for Jarret Creek before and while he did not really want the job again
he is very good at it. It does not take long for Craddock to come to the
conclusion that Vera may have been right in her warning. Jenny is clearly in a
world of trouble on multiple fronts and refusing any and all offers of help. Who
is messing with her and why are just two questions that need to be answered as
things escalate. How current events link back to an unspoken horror from more
than a decade ago drive the majority of this book.
That is not to say that the various secondary
storylines present in earlier books do not continue here. They do which is why this excellent series
should absolutely be read in order. Like any real good series, characters grow
and evolve, relationship dynamics change, and people age as the books move
forward in time. Of course, you could read this fourth installment in the
series first, but you really need to go back to the beginning with the award
nominated A
Killing At Cotton Hill.
A Deadly Affair At Bobtail Ridge: A Samuel Cradock Mystery
Terry
Shames
Seventh
Street Books
April
2015
ISBN#
978-1-63388-046-7
Paperback
250
Pages
$15.95
Material requested and received for my use in an
objective review via the Amazon Vine program.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers: BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TERRY S...
Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers: BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TERRY S...: Award-winning author Terry Shames writes the best-selling Samuel Craddock traditional mystery series. The fourth in the series, A Deadly ...
Monday, March 30, 2015
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Senior News Book Review Column--- April 2014
For several years now I have been writing a monthly
book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior
News is aimed to the 50 and over readership with news relevant to
seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among other
things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and can be
received by mail via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions across
the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in each
edition.
My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore the books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.
Below is/was my April 2014 column ……
My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore the books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.
Below is/was my April 2014 column ……
The
Last Death Of Jack Harbin: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
Terry
Shames
Seventh Street Books (imprint of
Prometheus Books)
ISBN# 978-1-61614-871-3
Paperback (also available as an
e-book)
250 Pages
Back in the day just before the first Gulf War, Jack
Hardin was quarterback of the Jarrett Creek High School Panthers and he was the
man. He wasn’t when he came home after serving in the first Gulf War. Blind,
crippled and confined to a wheelchair, abandoned by his mom and many others,
Jack primarily relies on his father Bob Harbin to take care of him. The same
Bob Harbin who just died of an apparent heart attack on the street in front of
his house in the opening pages of The Last Death Of Jack Harbin: A Samuel
Craddock Mystery by Terry Shames.
Bob Harbin’s death is just one of the many events
going on in this second book of the series. As he was in A Killing At Cotton Hill
Samuel Craddock, retired police chief, is the only real person around with
actual law enforcement experience and training. The past may have been buried,
but it coming back to life and taking a heavy toll on the town folk of Jarrett
Creek, Texas in so many ways and Samuel Craddock might be the only one who can
figure it out and stop those responsible.
Crochet
One-Skein Wonders: 101 Projects From Crocheters Around The World
Edited
by Judith Durant & Edie Eckman
Storey
Publishing
ISBN#
978-1-61212-042-3
Paperback
(also available in e-book format)
288
Pages
As the subtitle 101 Projects From Crocheters Around The
World makes clear, variety is very much at work here in this nearly 300
page book. The projects are divided up into seven categories reflecting the
weight of the skein. The explanation of those weights can be found in the
glossary as are explanations of the techniques needed, abbreviations used, and
other helpful information. Instead of
being at the front of the book as usually happens that informative stuff is at
the back so that Crochet One-Skein Wonders begins immediately with the projects.
Featuring project diversity and variety in skill
levels, the 101 projects in Crochet One-Skein Wonders are sure
to work for you as well as your family and friends. The projects selected by
editors Judith Durant and Edie Eckman can be made for recipients of all age
levels and would be treasured gifts.
Kevin R Tipple ©2014
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Senior News Book Review Column--- March 2014
For several years now I have been writing a monthly
book review column for the Senior News newspaper. The Senior
News is aimed to the 50 and over readership with news relevant to
seniors regarding various issues, humor pieces, and my review column among
other things. The newspaper is a giveaway at doctor offices, stores, etc. and
can be received by mail via a paid subscription. There are multiple editions
across the state of Texas and therefore there is some fluctuation in content in
each edition.
My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore the books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.
Below is/was my March 2014 column ……
My column every month focuses on books of interest to the Texas audience. Therefore the books selected for the column, fiction or non-fiction, are written by Texas residents, feature Texans in some way, or would have some other connection to the Texas based readership. At least two books are covered each month in the short space I am given.
Below is/was my March 2014 column ……
A
Killing at Cotton Hill: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
Terry
Shames
Seventh
Street Books (imprint of Prometheus Books)
ISBN#
978--61614-799-0
Paperback
(also available as an e-book)
245
Pages
Former Chief of Police Samuel Craddock knows he
should have done far more when he hears that Dora Lee has been murdered in her
home in Cotton Hill. According to Rodell Skinner, the current Chief of Police
for Jarrett Creek, Texas, the grandson Greg did the crime as he wanted her
money. While Rodell is sure it is an open and shut case, Craddock has met the
kid before and is pretty sure Greg didn’t do it. Relying on Rodell to figure
his way out of this case means Greg is on his way to death row. Craddock isn’t
about to let that happen as he figures he owes it to Dora Lee to find out what
is really going on in this complex tale of murder, greed, and art.
A
Killing at Cotton Hill: A Samuel Craddock Mystery
by Terry Shames is a very good book.
First in a series that has been followed by the recently released The
Last Death Of Jack Harbin one is put in mind of the excellent Sheriff
Rhodes series by Bill Crider. Small town Texas where people have known each
other all their lives and still don’t know all the secrets until a murder comes
along to shake things loose in more ways than one.
Perfect
Pies & More: All New Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s
Pie-Baking Champion
Michele
Stuart
Ballantine
Books (Division of Random House)
ISBN#
978-0-345-54419-3
Hardback
(also available for the Kindle)
256
Pages
Perfect
Pies & More: All New Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s
Pie-Baking Champion is exactly as promised by the
title. Plenty of recipes with few pictures are found in this over 240 page
book. Broken into nine chapter sections the recipes run the gamut and feature
varying amounts of prep time and difficulty.
Filled with recipes for pie toppings and crusts,
cookies, cakes, and more as well as plenty of suggestions to make things come
out right, the book is a textual and visual feast. Using her experience winning
27 first place awards in the “National Pie Championship Awards” author Michele
Stuart’s cookbook is amazing. Lots of good ideas in Perfect Pies & More: All New
Pies, Cookies, Bars, And Cakes From America’s Pie-Baking Champion
featuring plenty of variety not only in terms of ingredients but also in terms
of skill levels.
Kevin R Tipple ©2014
Saturday, February 01, 2014
Lesa's Latest Contest
Read and reviewed both of these very good books. Go enter....
This week, I'm giving away mysteries featuring Texas lawmen, Bill Crider's Compound Murder and Terry Shames' The Last Death of Jack Harbin. Details on my blog, http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.
This week, I'm giving away mysteries featuring Texas lawmen, Bill Crider's Compound Murder and Terry Shames' The Last Death of Jack Harbin. Details on my blog, http://www.lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com. Entries from the U.S. only, please.
Lesa Holstine
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