Texas has always staked a large claim on the nation's imagination, and its mystery literature is no exception. Hundreds of crime novels are set within the state, most of which have been published in the last twenty years. From the highest point atop the Guadalupe Mountains in West Texas to the Piney Woods of East Texas, from the High Plains of the Panhandle to the subtropical climate of the lower Rio Grande Valley, mystery writers have covered every aspect of Texas's extraordinarily diverse geography. The first book to emphasize the wealth of Texas's mystery writers and the images they convey of the state's wide range of regions and cultures, Lone Star Sleuths is a noteworthy introduction not only to the literary genre but also to a sense of Texas as a place in fiction. Celebrating a genre that has expanded to include women and an increasing diversity of cultures, the book features selections from the works of such luminaries as Kinky Friedman and Mary Willis Walker, lesser-known stars in the making, and even some outsiders like Nevada Barr and Carolyn Hart who have succumbed to the allure of the state's weather, geography, and colorful history. Lone Star Sleuths captures the sense of place that distinguishes much of the great literature set in Texas, and is a must-read for mystery lovers.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
An overdue showcase for serious, clever, sometimes rambunctious talent who fracture clichés and face up to the state's dirty laundry...The editors' choices largely reflect a real, not formulaic, Texas: its history, hazards, topography and weather...does what a good anthology should - send us running to read more of the works and authors excerpted in its pages. -- Dallas Morning News
well-chosen selections...good, often vivid, writing...can make one see, feel, hear and taste everything from intense heat to shivers of fear... -- San Antonio Express-News
well-chosen selections...good, often vivid, writing...can make one see, feel, hear and taste everything from intense heat to shivers of fear... -- San Antonio Express-News
About the Author
BILL CUNNINGHAM is a San Marcos, Texas, public relations consultant and former Chairman of the Texas State University System Board of Regents.
STEVEN L. DAVIS is the Assistant Curator of the Southwestern Writers Collection Texas State University-San Marcos.
ROLLO K. NEWSOM is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Folklore Emeritus at Texas State University-San Marcos.
STEVEN L. DAVIS is the Assistant Curator of the Southwestern Writers Collection Texas State University-San Marcos.
ROLLO K. NEWSOM is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Folklore Emeritus at Texas State University-San Marcos.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A very useful collection,
By Thivanka Rukshan Perera "Thivanka" (San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction (Southwestern Writers Collection) (Paperback)
This anthology is a must if you are looking to dwell into crime fiction from the Lone Star state; most of the prose excerpts included in this book focus more on the geography and atmosphere of Texas, and is split into several sections to make the reader aware of the diversity of the state: the Panhandle, North Texas, East & West Texas etc. I found this to be very illuminating because--as written in the introduction to this book--like many ignorant people I thought Texas was all scrub and cactus desert; but this anthology makes it clear to the uninitiated that the Lone Star state is in fact a region of diverse ethnicities and cultures, and geographically more than just a vast expanse of desert. As I said earlier, the prose excerpts in this anthology were selected mostly due to their evocative descriptions of the regions than crime procedural alone; several stories stand out, like Ben Rehder's 'Buck Fever', with its colorful characters and humorous plot; Jim Thompson's pulp classic from the 50's 'The Killer Inside Me'; Joe Lansdale's 'Two-Bear Mambo', where the protagonists travel to a remote East Texas town where the Ku Klux Klan is alive and well; and my favorite, 'Agatite' by Clay Reynolds--now, as I was reading this excerpt, I was thinking of Peter Bogdanovich's 1971 classic 'The Last Picture Show' all the time; the prose was so accurate in its description of a dusty, Dust-bowl ravaged North Central Texas town--I felt like I was there on a flat, mesquite-laden prairie amid the swirling dust and isolation. Highly recommended for people looking to get into crime fiction from Texas!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Taste of Texas,
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This review is from: Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction (Southwestern Writers Collection) (Paperback)
Short and just enough to whet one's appetite for the rest of the stories. So, now, I'll have to buy a bunch more books. Really enjoyed the tantalizing taste.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What to do in Texas when you're dead,
This review is from: Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction (Southwestern Writers Collection) (Paperback)
It's 1984 and Martin Fender is about to rejoin his old band in the first chapter of Jesse Sublett's "Rock Critic Murders." Austin is full of hipsters and ill-prepared rock journalists. And we can be sure someone will end up dead soon. Sublett's noirish tale is a standout in a book full of bit-sized tastes of Texas mystery writing that leaves you wanting the full meal. Try a side order of James Crumley's literary grit and a supersized Mary Willis Walker mug of fear. Top it off with a little Joe Lansdale for a twisted East Texs dessert. This collection makes it clear that Texas mystery writers are on the job and there are plenty of dead bodies left for a sequel. --Joe O'Connell, author of Evacuation Plan: a novel from the hospice
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