Of All Sad Words

Blacklin County, Texas is a fairly, quiet place most of the time which is how Sheriff Dan Rhodes likes it. His idea of a citizens' Sheriff's Academy had seemed like a good idea at the time in that it would teach folks about the department and generate some good publicity. Now he is getting flack over it from some, most notably county judge Jack Parry. Parry is convinced that some who went through the academy recently are vigilantes. There is more to his complaint but it boils down to the universal idea of politics and micromanagement. Sheriff Dan Rhodes is finally saved from the county judge by a call about a trailer house explosion. The Crawford brothers, who have a bit of a reputation around the area, may have been inside when it blew. There had been accusations that the Crawford's were running a meth lab, something not uncommon these days in the East Texas woods. Rhodes never caught the Crawford's selling anything-not even Amway. And while one brother has survived the blast, another has not and it quickly becomes clear that it was a murder. A murder that in the minds of some was caused by politics. Murder, that in the eyes of some others was caused by alleged drug dealing. No matter the cause, Sheriff Dan Rhodes intends to find out and isn't gong to let small town politics over a variety of matters stand in his way. I'm ashamed to admit that this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, is my first Bill Crider novel. It puts me in the mind of the J. W. Jackson series penned by the late and missed Philip R. Craig. True, Sheriff Rhodes doesn't offer any recipes and is clearly not set anywhere near Martha's Vineyard. But, there is that same slow comfortable way of story telling that gradually spins the novel out while detailing the real world characters that live in the Dan Rhodes world. Instead of starting with an abrupt bang, this is the kind of book that slowly begins and allows the reader to get to know the people just a little bit before presenting the problem. The result is a 265 page read featuring a steady hero who knows his limitations. This is a character, as well as many of the minor characters, that have universal appeal on one hand and are clearly Texan on the other. Dogged in his pursuit of justice Sheriff Dan Rhodes follows a trail with grace under pressure and a reserved calmness most of the time. Along the way, he deals with a variety of events and people from all walks of life who may or may not have his best interests at heart. And he hooked a new reader. Kevin R. Tipple © 2008

I always look forward to the next Bill Crider book and I am never disappointed. He has written many good books about some great characters but Dan Rhodes is my favorite of all of them. The folksy charm of rural Texas is evident in every one of the Sheriff Dan books. This latest installment is as good as any in the series. The sheriff has to deal with lots of oddball characters while trying to solve a murder and in the meantime the sheriff has become somewhat of a celebrity. It seems a book has been written that is loosely based on his life and the authors are in town for an autograph signing party with Dan as the guest of honor. This is a very enjoyable read from a wonderful Texas author.

Sheriff Dan Rhodes seems like such a nice guy! It's a shame that some rather nasty murders keep happening in his home territory of Blacklin County, Texas. This time, he's called to investigate an explosion that destroyed the Crawford twins' home. Did the propane tank let loose? Why was Terry, one of the twins, found dead in the backyard? Did the moonshine still in the nearby woods have anything to do with the tragedy? And who owns that black pickup truck that tried to run Dan down while he and Deputy Ruth Grady were scrutinizing the property? As usual, in Dan's busy life as the main lawman, he has countless other things to draw his attention away from the murder investigation -- the discoveries of a donkey in the car wash and possums in an attic; the interference of several self-important politicians; a second murder; the return of some of Blacklin County's most nefarious ne'er-do-wells; and oh yes, and the release of "Blood Fever," a new book by authors Claudia and Jan, who used Dan as a model of sorts for their protagonist, Sage Barton. With so many distractions, it's a wonder Dan ever gets any time to himself to puzzle out and lure out the current set of culprits. Avid fans will enjoy catching up with Dan, wife Ivy, and county employees Hack and Lawton. The dialogue contains lots of that dry, tongue-in-cheek Texas humor that we've come to expect of the sheriff and the local residents. And while the episodes in this series follow the tradition mystery novel pattern, complete with two murders to solve, the third mystery is always the same: Will Dan come up with the murderer's identity in time, without exposing himself to ultimate harm in the process?

When C.P. Benton moved to Clearview, Texas he never expected his neighbors to run meth lab. Irate he informs Sheriff Dan Rhodes that his neighbors the Crawford brothers are cooking meth in their home. Besides doubting the accusation, Rhodes is busy with a homicide investigation, but promises Benton he will act on his complaint as soon as possible. Rhodes cannot put it off any longer when the Crawford trailer explodes, killing of the siblings. The sheriff investigates only to find the brothers were cooking bathtub hooch not meth in the trailer. The surviving Crawford blames his late brother, but Rhodes arrests him anyway. However, when a second illegal still surfaces, Rhodes wonders what is going on that has turned Clearview into the crime capital of the Lone Star State. The latest Sheriff Dan Rhodes police procedural is a superb small town amusing mystery. The fun in the tale is with the eccentric townsfolk whose antics keep Dan hopping as he mumbles humorous asides to the crime wave that is devastating Clearview. Bill Crider captures the essence of a tiny Texas town using irony and humor dryer than a martini to the delight of readers. Harriet Klausner

Of All Sad Words by Bill Crider is his newest book (#15 in this mystery series) featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes. The title comes from a couplet that Sheriff Rhodes recalls from his school days-"Of all the sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest of are these: `it might have been'." The sheriff though thinks that the saddest might be "It seemed like a good idea at the time." This phrase is particularly relevant to the Citizen's Sheriff Academy. There are concerns that the academy is breeding vigilantes. The concerns become sharper when a trailer home blows up and a body is found, especially since the trailer belonged to brothers who members of the academy suspected of running a meth lab. The story moves briskly from that point, introducing the reader to a plethora of quirky small town characters, all of whom have their own idea of what Sheriff Rhodes should be doing. Thus while organizing the investigation into explosion and murder, the sheriff also deals with web sites, UFOs, possums-and a book signing for a new novel which details the life of a "handsome crime-busting sheriff," based very loosely on Dan Rhodes-not to mention the members of that Citizen's Sheriff Academy who all seem to have their own interest in the case. Bill Crider has produced a story that is an even mix of humor and action. There are characters from previous novels, but the book is quite readable without having read the previous Sheriff Dan Rhodes stories. I especially like the way that the people in the novel interact. Dan's relationship with his wife is a delight. This will be a series that I go back to find the earlier novels to learn more about these people. While the title is Of All Sad Words, I am not at all sad to have picked it up. Armchair Interviews says: Sheriff Dan Rhodes can be counted on to bring a good story.