SleuthSayers: Bill Crider Rides Again

SleuthSayers: Bill Crider Rides Again: Bill Crider Having a few health issues in recent months like throwing arterial fibrillations aka AFibs and finally had ablation surgery to ...

Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder in Four Parts by Bill Crider

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder in Four Parts by Bill Crider

Happiness Is A Book: Too Late to Die by Bill Crider

 Happiness Is A Book: Too Late to Die by Bill Crider

The Rap Sheet: News of a More Salutary Sort

 The Rap Sheet: News of a More Salutary Sort

Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder Among the Owls by Bill Crider

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Murder Among the Owls by Bill Crider

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Death by Accident: Bill Crider

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Death by Accident: Bill Crider: The Sheriff Dan Rhodes series by Bill Crider is set in a small town in Blacklin County, a fictional county in Texas. It is a cozy series; Sh...

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Romantic Way to Die by Bill Crider

 Lesa's Book Critiques: A Romantic Way to Die by Bill Crider

Lesa's Book Critiques: A Ghost of a Chance by Bill Crider

 Lesa's Book Critiques: A Ghost of a Chance by Bill Crider

Lesa's Book Critiques: Death by Accident by Bill Crider

 Lesa's Book Critiques: Death by Accident by Bill Crider

Lesa's Book Critiques: MURDER MOST FOWL BY BILL CRIDER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: MURDER MOST FOWL BY BILL CRIDER

FFB Review: Evil at the Root: A Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider

 

Recently Lesa Holstine reviewed Evil at the Root by Bill Crider at her Lesa’s Book Critiques. Seemed like a good time to blow the dust off of my October 2008 review.

 

 

Christmas has come and gone, but there is still a wedding coming. Sheriff Dan Rhodes is finally going to marry Ivy Daniel in just a few days. And he hasn't even thought about where to take her for the honeymoon.

 

Of course, he has had other things on his mind. For one, he and just about everyone in the department as well in county government is being sued for a million dollars piece. A former inmate has gotten himself a hotshot lawyer and is claiming neglect and bad jailhouse conditions. The neglect charge is ridiculous. The jail is very old and not in the best of shape so the conditions allegation might have some merit before the right jury. The lawsuit will stir up the politicians and Rhodes knows that as sheriff, he will be blamed no matter what he did.

 

The sheriff also gets blamed for all crime. Especially murder. Weird things have happened before at the Sunny Dale Nursing home, but nothing like this. Somebody stole Lloyd Bobbit's false teeth. Sheriff Rhodes first clue that they were missing was when he met the man on the porch at the home who kept shrieking "ain't got no teef" (p.1) Initially amusing the case quickly becomes deadly as Lloyd Bobbit is silenced once and for all.

 

This fifth novel in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series released in hardback back in 1990 is another comfortable read. Rhodes, Ivy, Hank, Lawton and all the rest have become old friends and folks one looks forward to. The mysteries are always complex and not obvious and that certainly is the case here. The action and dialog are always realistic and then there are the traces of humor that bring a chuckle here and there.

 

Much like what Philip R. Craig did for the Vineyard, author Bill Crider has done for East Texas. There is that same straight story telling style with a cast of recurring characters that are as real as your family and plenty of mystery in each and every book. If you haven't read his work, you are missing a real treat. 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3XLx8A3

 

Review copy provided by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System in Plano, Texas.

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2008, 2024

Lesa's Book Critiques: EVIL AT THE ROOT BY BILL CRIDER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: EVIL AT THE ROOT BY BILL CRIDER

Lesa's Book Critiques: DEATH ON THE MOVE BY BILL CRIDER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: DEATH ON THE MOVE BY BILL CRIDER

Lesa's Book Critiques: CURSED TO DEATH BY BILL CRIDER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: CURSED TO DEATH BY BILL CRIDER

Lesa's Book Critiques: SHOTGUN SATURDAY NIGHT BY BILL CRIDER

 Lesa's Book Critiques: SHOTGUN SATURDAY NIGHT BY BILL CRIDER

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Murder Most Fowl: Bill Crider

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Murder Most Fowl: Bill Crider: Dan Rhodes is the sheriff of Blacklin County, Texas; he only has a small crew to work with, himself and his deputy and a couple of people in...

Short Story Wednesday Review: Death’s Brother: A Top Suspense Story by Bill Crider

From the massive archive….

 

Professor Jon Cline always tried to help his students. Such was the case with Dana Randall. He taught Romantic Poetry at the University and Dana was in one of his classes. He soon learned as he tutored her outside of class that she was bored and soon to be wealthy once her inheritance come him. As things progressed, she started providing the very lonely and single Professor Cline her own brand of personal tutoring in her bedroom.

The middle-aged Cline can’t believe the 20 something Dana wants to be with him. Sure, over the years, he has heard all sorts of stories of nubile woman who got involved with their professors. He never believed it would happen to him and she can’t get enough of his help.

Far different than his Sheriff Rhodes series, this dark and twisted short story is a good one. Populated with characters that may annoy some readers and an overarching sense of doom and futility, this is a far different type of read that his other series work. It also contains quite a few twists all the way to the bitter end.

 

Material was recently purchased using funds from my Amazon Associate account for my use in an objective review.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013, 2022

Review: That Old Scoundrel Death: A Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider

This is a case where reading the book and writing the review is more than a bit difficult. I considered Bill Crider a good friend though we never met. Years ago when my world rocked with news of Sandi’s cancer diagnosis, Bill was one of several people who reached out to me to provide support. His wife, Judy, was fighting the same fight against one of the two types of non hodgkins lymphoma Sandi had. 

As the months passed we traded tips, advice, and more as our spouses fought with everything they had. Sandi and I cried at the news Judy passed. Then, more than a few months later, Sandi left. Bill kept telling me afterwards one could survive the worst thing possible. He had and served as an inspiration. Especially in those darkest early days when everything was blur and tears. It wasn’t long after Sandi passed that Bill passed after his own fight against prostate cancer. 

My hope is that somewhere Bill and Judy are hanging out with Sandi talking about books and how odd Sandi’s husband is. I also hope that Angela Crider can find a way to pick up this series and keep it going. I have quietly suggested a couple of ideas to her so who knows? I remain very good at suggesting ideas for others to pursue in a book…

It isn’t a good thing to come across a man with a gun. Especially when the man with the gun is tweaking on meth. It is a hot August day in Blacklin County, Texas and while Rhodes is sweating because of the heat and having a gun pointed at him; the meth head is sweating and shaking because of the meth.

Some sort of road rage incident just happened before Rhodes came by in his patrol car. When all was said and done, the meth head decided to put a real scare in the other driver to teach him one heck of a lesson. Then Sheriff Rhodes went and showed up making things very complicated in the mind of the meth head known to one and all as Kenny Lambert. He has a history with local law enforcement going back a few years so Rhodes knows the man is not terribly bright on a good day. This is not a good day.

Rhodes also knows he screwed up by not figuring out what was going on fast enough and getting backup headed to them. He is on his own and things do not look good. That is until Kenny Lambert gets distracted by the victim. His action allows Sheriff Rhodes to get the gun and arrest Kenny.

All things considered, the victim is relatively okay and introduces himself as Carl Stinson.  He plans on going home and cleaning himself up. He promises to come by the jail later and do the paperwork to bring charges against Kenny. Charges that Kenny will get along with the ones Sheriff Rhodes plans to bring because of having a gun pointed at him.

While it is not exactly normal procedure to let a victim go home and change before coming by the jail later to do the paperwork, Carl Stinson did promise to come by and should be in town for a while as he said he had plans to go look at the old school building nearby in Thurston. Some of the locals are pushing hard to finally bring the old building down before it comes down and maybe kills somebody in the process. The place is not very safe. Stinson says he is in town to see it as his grandmother went to school there. With another promise to appear at the jail, Sheriff Rhodes agrees and Cal Stinson drives off.

Sheriff Rhodes will come to regret that decision.

He is never seen alive again. Instead, he is soon found very much dead in the old school building. His name was not Cal Stinson either. Who he was and why he was shot in the back of the head are just two of the questions that Sheriff Dan Rhodes must answer in that That Old Scoundrel Death: A Dan Rhodes Mystery.

As one would expect, this is billed as the final installment of the great series. The book features all the usual characters that readers have enjoyed for so long. At work, as has been the case for many years now, is a primary mystery, a couple of secondary ones, a dash of humor, plenty of Texas wisdom and scenery, and the occasional Dr Pepper with the real sugar reference. Stir all that together under the able touch of author Bill Crider and you have another very good read. If That Old Scoundrel Death: A Dan Rhodes Mystery is to be the final installment of the series, it ends well and in a very good place. One can’t ask for more than that. 

That Old Scoundrel Death: A Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Minotaur Books (Thomas Dunne Books)
http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com/
February 19, 2019
ISBN #978-1250165633
Hardback
288 Pages

$27.99

My very special thanks to Angela Crider Neary who provided an ARC of her Dad’s final book.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

Review: Dead, To Begin With: A Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider

After a problem at the nearby beauty shop resolved, Sheriff Dan Rhodes learns of a far more serious problem as Dead, To Begin With begins. Jake Marley has been found dead on the stage at the Clearview Opera House. The building dates back to the oil boom days in the early 1900s and, like the rest of the former bustling downtown area, has seen hard times and disrepair. That was going to change thanks to Jake Marley. 

Grandson of one of the local men that had gotten very rich during the oil boom all those decades ago, Jake Marley suddenly took an interest in the Clearview Opera House. Known as an eccentric recluse for years, he lived a life of isolation until he suddenly bought the place and started renovations. Suddenly, he was active in the community and that was a good thing, as his money would really help the town of Clearview and the surrounding area. Nobody wanted to ask him about his reasons or his plans as just about everybody was afraid he would change his mind and take his money away. All anyone has known these past few weeks is that he planned to restore the opera house to its full glory and establish some kind of community theater. The theater’s first performance was to be some sort of Texas based vision of the classic, A Christmas Carol.

What the death of Jake Marley means for the local economy is one thing and not something that Sheriff Rhodes can do anything about at all. Mr. Marley is very much dead and Sheriff Rhodes can’t change that either. What concerns Sheriff Rhodes is the fact that there are some signs that Mr. Marley had some help shuffling off this mortal coil.

Found by real estate agent Aubrey Hamilton, who had been summoned to a meeting by the deceased, she doesn’t know what happened or why he wanted her to come by this morning. She assumed it was a real estate issue of some type considering the nature of their business relationship. While the Sheriff has heard rumors about Jake and Aubrey, she denies all of it. According to her, beyond the age difference between the two of them that would be a huge hindrance, they were not even friends, and only had a business relationship.

Maybe he did just fall from the overhead grid deck above the stage. That obviously could have happened. However, if he did that, it would not explain every detail of the scene. Seepy Benton may believe the theater is haunted, but Rhodes does not think supernatural forces were involved either. Sheriff Rhodes has plenty of questions as his investigation begins in Dead, To Begin With.

The latest in the long running series featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes and a host of characters is another good one. As usual, the secondary characters, the humor, the observations of small town life in Texas, are just part of an overarching mystery. Dead, To Begin With first and foremost is another solidly good mystery filled with plenty of misdirection, intrigue, and a few clues. Another very good read by Bill Crider who simply can’t write a weak book. If it isn’t already clear, Dead, To Begin With is a highly recommended read. 

Dead, To Begin With: A Dan Rhodes Mystery

Bill Crider

http://www.billcrider.com

A Thomas Dunne Book (Minotaur Books)

http://www.thomasdunnebooks.com

August 8, 2015

ISBN #978-1250078537

Hardback (also available in e-book form)

272 Pages

$25.99

ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2017

Don Coffin Reviews: Dead, To Begin With by Bill Crider

Don Coffin Reviews: Dead, To Begin With by Bill Crider