Joseph's Kidnapping: Extortion in Canton [Paperback]

Randy Rawls (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2002

A three a.m. phone call launches Private Investigator Arthur Conan Edwards (Ace) of Dallas into Joseph's Kidnapping. Chip Jamison, gentleman rancher in historic Canton, Texas hires Ace to rescue Joseph. He is recovered but a brutally murdered body adds to his dilemma when it's determined that he is the likely suspect. Ace and his cats, Sweeper and Striker, dodge danger at every turn—surveillance, a skunking, locals who believe Joseph guilty, and a man-eating female lawyer bent on suing Chip into poverty—leading to a final confrontation. Ace meets Chip's sister, Wanda who teaches him the history of Canton and Van Zandt County and introduces him to the First Monday Trade Days extravaganza. She also lends romance to Ace's adventure while frustrating him with her hair-trigger temper.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Mystery and Suspense Press (March 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595215149
• ISBN-13: 978-0595215140
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,084,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joseph's Kidnapping Rules, July 24, 2002

By 

Elizabeth Housey (Coral Springs, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joseph's Kidnapping: Extortion in Canton (Paperback)

We're back in another quaint Texas town with my special PI, Ace Edwards. Helping to solve the mystery are my two favorite cats, Sweeper and Striker. The three take us on a roller coaster ride well worth the admission price. Just who is Joseph? You'll have to read the book to find out. And while you're reading you'll be bequiled with humor and characters. Buy Joseph's Kidnapping. You'll be richer for the experience.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More fun than Texas is big, January 15, 2003

By 

Laura B. "laurajbell" (South Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joseph's Kidnapping: Extortion in Canton (Paperback)

When private investigator Ace Edwards is roused by the shrill of his phone in the dead of the night, he's not thrilled to hear the voice of an old college buddy on the other end. But his buddy sounds desperate and Edwards is in no position to turn down a paying job. He's also admittedly a little intrigued, and how could he not be? The buddy wants Edwards to save his ...-- literally.

With that premise, author Randy Rawls spins Edwards on a caper bigger than the Texas landscape on which the story is placed. It's no small adventure, and at times the cowboy P.I. feels a little out of place on the sprawling ranch where he bunks while trying to separate the good guys from the bad guys. But he brings his trusty companions with him -- two cats -- and in short order develops yet another friend, this one with long legs, a husky voice, and amorous intentions as vexing as they are attractive. Her name is Wanda, and between the push-me, pull-me relationship she offers and the increasing complexities of a kidnapping that evolves into murder, Edwards has his hands full.

Not to worry. Even if Edwards doesn't always know what he's doing, his creator surely does. Rawls skillfully paints his characters in affectionate and humorous terms that makes them as comfortable as family. Put another way: You'll want to take them home with you. By the time you've finished the story, you'll also want to eat. In Rawls' world, meals are the size of Montana, which in context of Texas probably makes sense.

As for the college buddy...? Rawls might just fool you with that one. Let him. The point isn't to outwit the private eye. It's to enjoy the ride with him.

"Joseph's Kidnapping" is Rawls' second Ace Edwards mystery. It's a well-crafted story penned by a writer who clearly knows how to tweak the ordinary into something refreshingly new. Buy it, read, then pester Rawls for a third. He could become addictive.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh new mystery voice., July 23, 2002

By 

Robert Gaston (Aubrey, Texas.USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joseph's Kidnapping: Extortion in Canton (Paperback)

If you liked Randy Rawls previous book, you'll love this one.
Joseph's Kidnapping has more unexpected twists and turns than a sack full of snakes. It's a good mystery with enough clues to make you fell you're working side by side with Dallas private investigator, Ace Edwards.
Two inept kidnappers with a single-minded greed have grabbed Joseph and are demanding a ransom from rancher Chip Jamison. Chip calls his old college friend Ace to solve the case.
In the small East Texas town of Canton, Ace is misled, threatened, lied to and loved by a parade of characters including an eccentric rancher, his man-eating sister, a tough female lawyer who hate everything in pants and files lawsuits faster than she talks, quirky servantys and two cats that seem to have the answers.
You can smell and feel the pinewoods in Rawls' words. Like all his books, this is an easy, satisfying read that exposes the hidden lives in small Texas towns. It's filled with humor and fun.
Readers looking for an exciting mystery writer with a twisted sense of humor will love Randy Rawls.