Customer Reviews

The Double-Jack Murders (Thorndike Mystery)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm a longtime reader of both Pat McManus's humor stories and other people's mystery novels. So I was pleased to discover McManus is now working in this genre. I greatly enjoyed the first two books. But this one was missing something -- it was a novel that just wasn't very novel.

All the important characters were introduced in prior books. So was the setting. And the characters were pretty much static throughout the book, leaving us with something that just didn't seem to introduce anything new.

On the other hand, the wit was still there, the charm of "Blight County" was still there, and the gentle education of the reader about Idaho mountain history (in this case, gold mining) was still there.

It was an enjoyable book to read, but only on the surface level. There was no deeper character-driven story that came through to me. Perhaps Bo Tully came to some insights about what he is looking for out of life, but perhaps he didn't. And it's not clear anyone else did either.

More than ever, what these books really remind me of are the Spenser series by Parker. The hero is a tough man with a heart of gold and (unique among his friends) an artistic side. (Tully is a noted painter as well as a third-generation sheriff.) He has pulled together a small team of other tough men, and they have something of a respectful relationship with the tough guys on the other side of the law. It's very much like the early Spenser books.

But Spenser, in my opinion, became boring -- something of a caricature of his early self. I'm feeling Tully possibly slipping down that path, which would be a pity. There is a reason I stopped reading the Spenser books.

Pat McManus is a great writer, particularly of outdoor-themed humor. He also created great characters in Sheriff Bo Tully and his supporting cast, including Dave, Pap, and others.

This is the third in a series of Sheriff Bo Tully mysteries and somehow it is a bit darker than the others and has more character development. I enjoyed that very much. It is fortunate that the characters are so interesting in this book because this mystery itself is hardly a mystery at all.

If you enjoy Sheriff Bo Tully, you'll enjoy this book. But if you're looking for a good mystery by a great writer, I'd recommend either of the first two books in this series: The Blight Way and Avalanche.

I love these books! Patrick McManus writes humor very well, but here with Bo Tully and his other characters, he has created a gem. I wish they would do all of the Tully books in audio for traveling. The first one, Blight Way, read by Charles Leggit was fantastic.

I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery series.

IF YOU LIKE A GOOD MYSTERY WITH HINT OF HUMOR,BUT WISH TO AVOID FILTHY LANGUAGE AND EXPLICIT SEX BUY MCMANUS MYSTERY BOOKS.

Patrick McManus has scored another bulls-eye with this third mystery in the Sheriff Bo Tully series. This story is written in the Blight County Way, with humor, high interest, great characters, action, and the Great Outdoors. This book was a good, fun, highly entertaining read!

Another great story from Pat. The story is great but in this edition he seems to rush the book. It is one of his shortest books ever. Still worth reading as are all of Pat's books.

I have yet to read "The Double Jack Murders," but the person that I made this a gift to thoroughly enjoyed yet another McManus wonder yarn! I intend to steal it back from him as soon as possible to get my own dose of Sheriff Bo Tully! I'm sure I, too, will enjoy it.

I have enjoyed McManus' outdoor humor since the late 80's, so I was willing to give his new mystery series a try. While the humor was expected and delivered, I was delightfully surprised by how well the mystery was plotted and played out. It wasn't so much a WhoDunIt as it was unraveling a crime long since passed. I found it a very nicely done outdoor "cosey" style, and a great cold night read. They reminded me superficially of Peter Bowen's DuPre series, especially the first - Coyote Wind, but not as gritty. I purchased the other books in the series, and will re-read them in order. Very well done.

After years of writing laugh out loud funny essays, Patrick McManus has turned his considerable talent to writing mysteries. His hero, Sheriff Bo Tully is a treat, an outdoors man who also is a talented painter. With his Dad, who is an old reprobate, and his friend Dave they solve mysteries in and around the town of Blight. I would recommend reading all of the books. This one resolves a very cold case while Tully is evading someone who is trying to kill him. You will love the whole idea of freezer day (you have to read it to find out what that is all about).

Have read P.F.M. all of my life, own all of his books. His wit and wisdom is a treasure to any country boy. This latest work further proves his genius. The characters he has created like Pop, Indian Dave not to mention Clarence make you want to meet the actual people they are based on. His books will be enjoyed until there are no longer any hunting camps or outdoorsmen who like to have a good read. Can't wait for Huckleberry to come out Nov 2.