Customer Reviews

Contrary Blues

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The Contrary Blues is such a page-turner that you might not realize until you reach the end how cleverly it is constructed. Humor, colorful West Virginia colloquialisms, and poignant characterization make this book a lot more interesting than the average mystery.

John Billheimer's first Mystery novel, Contrary Blues, leaves you feeling satisfied and wanting more. Fans of Rick Boyer, Bill Crider, and Bill Tapply will recognize the sure fire formula that made their writing a success. A fast moving plot taken to sudden and unexpected turns, characters who jump out of the pages into your living room, and an unassuming hero that Mr. Middle America can relate to. Billheimer tells his story in a quick but enjoyable pace, giving the reader a glimpse into everyday life in a region of the country most of us have never stepped foot in, and with the subtle humor and true to life street dialog that show his respect for his characters and his reader alike. This one is sure to be enjoyed.

Billheimer's impressive debut tells a funny, sometimes touching story about governmental bumbling and Appalachian poverty and resourcefulness. National Department of Transportation investigator Owen Allison,a West Virginia native, is assigned the unwelcome task of completing an audit begun by a colleague who met with a fatal "accident" in the little town of Contrary, West Virginia. Contrary, Owen quickly discovers, has been the recipient ofunintentional governmental largesse: an extra zero on grant application turned Contrary's initial request for two busses into a request for 20! The mistakenly awarded grant, with continuing funding for support,has turned Contrary into a contented town---except for Hatfield McCoy,a disabled citizen who keeps firing off disgruntled letters about Contrary's bus service. Contrary's attempts to retain the funds are guided by its folksy mayor, Purvis Jenkins, and his sister, town belle Mary Beth. Well-developed subplots include Mary Beth's coal-mining ex-husband's battle with alcoholism and black-lung disease. Owen's struggle with his political boss and a sheriff with a yen for Mary Beth and nasty plans for Owen. Owen's future as a sleuth is uncertain at story's end, but Billheimer's writing prospects seem assured.

Especially after having met John Billheimer, I am in awe over his initial offering into the world of mystery fiction. CONTRARY BLUES wonderfully captures the essence of small-town West Virginia life and what goes on in ingenious yet simple minds over the incursions of modern-day life. This is a great first effort and if you are like me, you'll be captured into reading the next four of his Owen Allison series. An easy read, a page-turner of exceptional quality and a real sense of West Virginia everyday life brought to you by someone who 25 years ago called West Virginia home.

A SEASON TO INVESTIGATE FIRST-TIME NOVELISTS - Boston Globe. A fine beginning, funny, irreverent, written with an ear well-tuned to authentic West Virginia dialogue and an eye for small, accumulating scenes...Billheimer unfolds his wry tale steadily, with just the right mix of humor and menace, and his Department of Transportation investigator-auditor, Owen Allison, is convincing and likable.

John Billheimer is off to a great start here with a first novel that includes another first, a transportation thriller. It features a good plot that keeps moving at all times, some fresh material for those of us who can't stand another serial killer, and sense of humor. Not everybody could get a good weekend read out of the misadventures of a federally subsidized bus company in West Virginia, but Billheimer certainly can and does.

First Line: "I didn't reckon on no killing."

When National Department of Transportation investigator Owen Allison goes to Contrary, West Virginia, to complete an unfinished audit, he finds that an extra zero on a federal grant application has given the small, struggling mining town the extra funds it needs to keep vital services in place.

Everyone in town government doesn't consider keeping the money and using it for good to be fraud or cheating. In fact, the only person who seems to be unhappy with the current situation is a disabled citizen, Hatfield McCoy, who keeps firing off hate mail to Washington, D.C. about the town's bus service. When McCoy turns up dead, everyone's favorite suspect seems to be Allison, and he knows he has to work fast to clear his name. There's more in Contrary that's not adding up than just that extra zero.

I loved the quiet humor in this book, the delightful duplicity of many of the characters, and the twisty plot that resembles the switchbacks on a narrow mountain road. However, The Contrary Blues isn't just about cornpone humor and corrupt government officials. There are some strong subplots, such as the one concerning a coal miner with black lung who's desperately trying to keep his son above ground and away from mining. Billheimer's humor will entertain you, his plot will give your brain cells a workout, and your heart will be touched.

I've set a goal for myself to read mysteries set in each of the fifty states, and this is what led me to John Billheimer and The Contrary Blues of West Virginia. I'm glad I turned down this road because I've just found another excellent mystery series with which to spend some quality time.