Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) [Hardcover]

Bill Crider (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 3, 2010 | Series: Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery

There’s a big stink in Blacklin County, and everyone seems to think Sheriff Dan Rhodes should do something about it. The smell is coming from the giant chicken farm owned by Lester Hamilton. Rhodes sees this as a matter for the state’s air-quality enforcement agency, not the county sheriff. That all changes, however, when Hamilton is found dead, floating in an old rock pit not far from the town of Clearview. Hamilton had probably been engaged in the act of noodling for catfish, which is not only highly dangerous but illegal in Texas.

Rhodes suspects that Hamilton didn’t die by accident, though. There are plenty of suspects, including an eccentric community college professor and one of his colleagues, who lives near the chicken farm and has to wear a respirator mask to ward off the smell. Also, someone known in the county as Robin Hood is going around shooting arrows into utility poles as a protest. When semi-nude protestors arrive at the chicken farm, things really begin to get out of hand.

Filled with fun, mayhem, and memorable characters, Murder in the Air is a wonderful addition to this very excellent series. Award-winning author Bill Crider shows again that he is one of the most talented and entertaining mystery writers around.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sheriff Dan Rhodes faces two big non–crime-related problems in Crider's winning 18th mystery to feature the Clearview, Tex., lawman (after 2009's Murder in Four Parts). First, a pair of women authors have written a couple of novels starring Sage Barton, "a two-fisted action hero" supposedly based on Rhodes, to the sheriff's embarrassment. Second, Lester Hamilton's foul (or fowl) smelling chicken farm, while legal, provokes endless complaints from Lester's neighbors. When Lester's body turns up near a well-known fishing hole, Rhodes has a real crime on his hands. Meanwhile, he also has to deal with a mad bowman locals call Robin Hood, who's causing mischief by shooting arrows with notes attached, as well as women who protest chicken farming in skimpy feather-covered outfits and the dangers of "noodling," i.e., fishing for large catfish with one's hand for bait. Few will be able to resist Crider's brand of broad humor, eccentric characters, and murder.
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Review

"Crider’s use of subtle humor and Sheriff Dan Rhodes’s unassuming competence make this 17th series entry a laid-back delight."--Library Journal

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; 1 edition (August 3, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312386958
• ISBN-13: 978-0312386955
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #561,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born and brought up in Mexia (that's pronounced Muh-HAY-uh by the natives), Texas, went to college at The University of Texas and North Texas State University, and taught high school and college classes for many years. In 1992 I retired as Chair of the Division of English and Fine Arts at Alvin Community College, in Alvin, Texas. I'm married to the lovely Judy, and we have two grown children, Angela, who's an attorney in San Francisco, and Allen, who's in the music business in Austin. Other than that, I'm a pretty boring guy.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cackling Good Time, September 20, 2010

By 

Benjamin Potter "Loom & Wheel" (Mulberry Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) (Hardcover)

If you are like me, you always look forward to a trip to Blacklin County. One reason is that it reminds you so much of your home in East Texas. Another is that the characters and stories that emanate from the mind of Bill Crider are endearing, funny, and readable. And yet another trip to Clearview, the county's seat, brings another tear to your eye--whether from nostalgia, laughter or allergy, I'm not saying.

Dan Rhodes faces another intriguing case when the county's most despised man surfaces face down in a local fishing hole apparently drowned by accident. The problem is, the case is too easy to be closed this way, and something keeps niggling at Rhodes's brain. As it turns out the local chicken baron (Lester Hamilton, also known as the deceased) has met with fowl play (puns always intended in Blacklin County). The local character/fisherman Hal Gillis who found the body, also becomes one because he knows too much. And now Rhodes has two murders to solve--with the help, of course, of ace deputy Ruth Grady, comic relief Hack and Lawton at the jailhouse, and the Carl Burns imitator CP (Seepy) Benton who actually teaches math at the local college (instead of English as Burns does). And they do it all without an M-16 (go read the book).

Interesting notes on this installment of the Dan Rhodes mysteries is the reference to Nick Carter instead of the 87th Precinct boys at the hands funeral director Clyde Ballinger, and the pubisher's final decision for title of the book which seems less appropriate than the author's own choice, which you'll have to drag out of Bill.

Fans of serial murder mysteries will want to grab a copy of this one fast. And while you're reading you'll want to keep an eye opened for the references to nostalgic pop culture like Zero and Dr Pepper, and the book and movie titles and descriptions thrown in for good measure. Another five reading glasses, Bill. Keep them coming. (Of course if it's up to the publishers, then tell them I said so.)

--Benjamin Potter, September 20, 2010

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent police procedural, August 7, 2010

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) (Hardcover)

The residents of Blacklin County, Texas are outraged over the odious smell coming from Lester Hamilton's humongous chicken farm. The locals demand County Sheriff Dan Rhodes act now or face unemployment. He insists he has no authority as this is a matter of the state's Environmental Protection Agency, which everyone knows works for the protection of big business.

At a time he prefers to hide from two female authors who wrote novels starring heroic Sage Barton rumored to be him, he suddenly has a suspicious death to deal with when Hamilton is found dead near a popular fishing spot. Although the Sheriff believes it was an accident caused by "noodling," for large catfish with his hand as bait, he investigates anyway as he knows a lot of people are angry with the deceased. As Rhodes investigates the death, he deals with Robin Hood shooting arrows with notes attached to them and women scantily dressed in feathers protesting the fowl factory farm.

Filled with plenty of the trademark humor, the latest Crider police procedural (see Murder in Four Parts) is a wonderful zany Texas thriller. The story line is fast-paced and loaded with an eccentric cast who add to the zaniness of the plot. This is a fun detective tale in which there may not have been a crime beyond noodling.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, light hearted read, November 30, 2010

By 

S.P. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Murder in the Air: A Dan Rhodes Mystery (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mystery) (Hardcover)

This is the first and only book I've read in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries. I'd like to read more in this series to become more familiar with the characters. I love reading about Sheriff Rhodes' pets - especially little Yancy. CUTE!