Diamondback [Paperback]

Elizabeth Dearl (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2000

When novelist Taylor Madison discovers a mysterious letter among her late mother's effects, she heads for West Texas in search of her father's identity. Small, sleepy towns don't appreciate rude awakenings and Taylor soon finds herself up to her neck in rattlesnakes and long-kept secrets – a deadly combination.

Editorial Reviews

Review

" . . . a lesson in snakes, and in human behavior that Taylor Madison will never forget. . . . a fun read for anyone who loves mysteries. -- Thelma Jo Rogers for My Shelf Reviews 4/00

". . . a clever, laugh-out-loud mystery for which readers will give Ms. Dearl a standing ovation and a demand for an "Encore." -- Pamela Garza for Word Museum Reviews 5/00

". . . a rattling good mystery. Readers would do well to get on board an enjoyable ride with this first novel of Elizabeth Dearl." -- Patricia Harrington for About.com Mystery Reviews 3/00

"Dearl has a wonderful talent for detail . . . her characters come alive the moment they’re introduced . . . an excellent read." -- Mary Lynn for The RunningRiver Reader 4/00

"Diamondback is full of fascinating rattlesnake lore with some really hair-raising scenes!" -- Elizabeth Daniels Squire, whose most recent mystery is

An enthralling and well-plotted mystery. On every level, Diamondback is a delight . . . my highest recommendation. (5 star, Reviewer's Choice Award) -- Carrie S. Masek for Scribes World Reviews 5/00

Diamondback, with the heat and flavor of West Texas, has an appealing sleuth who solves a murder the cops won't touch... -- Lee Harris, author of the Christine Bennett Mysteries

Taylor Madison is an engaging protagonist, the people of Perdue, Texas, are interesting to get to know... -- Taylor McCafferty, author of the Haskell Blevins Mysteries

About the Author

Elizabeth Dearl is a former Texas police officer who also owned and operated a small bookstore for several years. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous mystery and non-mystery publications, and her story, "The Way to a Man's Heart" recently won the Derringer Award for best short story of 1999.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Avid Press, LLC (May 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929613334
• ISBN-13: 978-1929613335
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,672,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars highly recommended, February 2, 2001

By 

C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diamondback (Paperback)

Combine humor, family secrets and murder, and the resulting DIAMONDBACK by Elizabeth Dearl keeps this fast-paced mystery both entertaining and surprising to the end!

Mystery author Taylor Madison manages to wreck her prized Volkswagen when a rattler sudden appears on the highway and she swerves to avoid it. Her five hundred-mile journey ends in Perdue City, Texas, population 2,948, where she's soon aghast to learn that she's arrived just in time for a rattlesnake festival. Taylor's purpose for coming to Perdue City is to confront her estranged aunt, a woman whose existance Taylor only learned about a week following her mother's death. Taylor had unexpectedly come across a card tucked away in her mother's personal effects, suggesting that her mother had not been open or honest about her past.

When she hikes into town, Taylor's relieved to finally find an open hardware store to get warm. The owner apologizes that there's no taxi in town, but does offer the services of the local sheriff as chauffeur. The sheriff, Miles Crawford, takes a personal interest in her from the first moment he sees Taylor. First he drives her to her aunt's house, where she's quickly ejected from the home. Then he appoints her deputy sheriff to earn money for her car repair, and helps to secure a room over the hardware store while she stays in Perdue City.

The sheriff's kindness ends rather quickly, however, when his housekeeper finds him dead in his recliner. Since no one else was immediately available, Taylor is called to the scene, where she observes several inconsistencies that point, not to an accidental rattlesnake bite, but murder.

Who would have thought rattlesnakes could be funny and entertaining? But in Dearl's hands, the rattlesnakes and the ferret steal the show. With lots of rattlesnake lore, plenty of comic relief, and a generous dose of attitude, I couldn't put DIAMONDBACK down. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome mystery!, September 29, 2001

By 

n22v (NC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Diamondback (Paperback)

I just finished reading Diamondback. What an awesome mystery! I loved it! Couldn't put it down. The characters, the dialogue and the setting are so real I felt I was in Perdue. Excellent and well-constructed plot! I had no idea whodunit until the end. The suspense kept me turning the pages faster and faster. The main character, Taylor Madison is one of the best and strongest female characters I have read in a long time. Very unique and original. And Cal, her new love interest, is such a cutie! I'm glad this is a series because I can't wait to read more about these characters. Oh, and it was so funny in places I was laughing out loud. What a wry sense of humor this author has! I also loved the heroine's pet ferret, all the interesting secondary characters, the creepy snakes...just everything. This author has incredible talent and skill. Count me in as a major fan!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hate snakes, love Diamondback, October 10, 2000

By 

Julie Gettys "music lover" (Clovis, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Diamondback (Paperback)

Janet Evonovich move over. Taylor Madison is a terrific heroine. She's spunky, likable, inventive and knows how to stir the pot. If you hate snakes, like I do, you'll feel like a well-protected voyeur as you slither through this engaging story. The book is very well written, a grabber from page one with a cast of characters you'll enjoy to the very end. I loved Hazel, Taylor's pet ferret. Made me want to run right out and buy one. Then I remembered they're illegal in California. Ah well, I'll just have to wait for the next Taylor Madison book. This is one of those books once you start reading you just want to keep right on going until you reach the end. If you don't have this book, it's a must read for mystery lovers. Put it on the top of your TBR stack and get started. You'll love every page.