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5.0 out of 5 stars
Murder in Four Parts, December 26, 2011
Another Crider winner. Sheriff Dan Rhodes has been asked to join The Clearview Barbershop Chorus by Lloyd Berry, the director. As Dan can't carry a tune, he wonders why, but goes on about his business. Right now, that's a seven foot alligator in a ditch! With help from Ruth, a deputy, Seepy Benton, a math professor, (who's giving advice),and Boyd, the animal control officer, they manage to duct tape its snout, tie up its feet, and get it into the animal control van. Boyd says that a zoo said that it would take it, if they really had a gator! Nobody has the slightest idea where it came from. Next on the agenda is a man exercising in his underwear in the lawyers parking lot, who disappears in a flash when the police show up. Then comes word that Berry has been killed in his flower shop! Rhodes, in searching for the murderer, hears a lot of secrets, gets a lot of gossip from various people, gets some answers about small problems, and discovers some possibly illegal hanky-panky going on in the gambling hall in the same small mall as the flower shop. The Dan Rhodes books are a complete pleasure to read and although a series with the same people, are each different in story. I recommend it highly.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Crider's Rhodes Sings, September 16, 2011
Crider is back with Dan Rhodes. And this one sings!
Anyone familiar with Bill Crider knows that he has a wide range of interests. He loves reading, music, and movies. Dan Rhodes stories are filled with all of these. But at the top of Crider's list is alligators. Mike Gonzo's "sewer monsters" turned out to be alligators, Galveston private eye Truman Smith encountered gators in one of his outings, and if you visit Bill's Pop Culture Magazine you won't have to scroll too far before encountering a gator link. Is it any wonder that along with the allusion to barbershop harmony in the title is accompanied by a chicken-eating gator?
This time out the victim is the treasurer of the local barbershop chorus and is found dead in his floral shop in the opening sequences of the book. Rhodes, true to his own form, spends the better part of three days plodding along finding pieces of the puzzle. In this edition you get a glimpse of the culture that is barbershop harmony, Texas gambling establishments, and a new game known as geocaching.
The characters are as entertaining as always, including original friends like Hack and Lawton and Dan's beautiful wife Ivy, and some of the newer arrivals like Seepy Benton and Max Schwartz. When I first started reading Dan Rhodes books some fifteen years ago, I thought--Mayberry! After all these years, and all these stories I see a bit of Sparta, Mississippi mixed in with the good folks of Blacklin County Texas.
Pick up a copy of Murder in Four Parts, you won't regret it. I give Dan Rhodes five reading glasses (to make up for all those pairs he loses in hot pursuit of bad guys).
- Benjamin Potter, March 30, 2009
Personal note: I think you ought to buy this book. You can buy it online or you can do like I did and support your local independent book seller. I got my copy at Houston's Murder by the Book (Bill signs 'em there).
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Murder and mysteries galore!, April 8, 2009
Clearview, Texas might not be a huge metropolis but Sheriff Dan Rhodes certainly has his hands full! First, an invitation to join the Clearview Barbershop Chorus comes out of the blue, particularly since Dan Rhodes can't really sing. Then, a call about an alligator relieves him of investigating the motive behind that request although capturing an alligator can hardly be called restful, especially not with the possibility of the history of the town's chicken wars coming to the forefront again. Not even an alligator can distract Dan Rhodes for long. Lloyd Berry, the director of the chorus, is found murdered. While investigating the victim's past, Dan Rhodes gets a glimpse below the surface of battles within the chorus. Some accuse Berry of stealing funds from the chorus. Rumors about a singing valentine abound, rumors perhaps created by Berry himself. As Sheriff Rhodes investigates the murder, he must also rein in all the small crimes, neighbor wars and small town eccentrics. Throughout his duties, the hint of the upcoming election looms. One wrong step might lead to a lost election.
Bill Crider's MURDER IN FOUR PARTS is a mystery in which setting brings the reader right into the story. The town and its inner dynamics are as much a delight as the murder mystery puzzle. From the first few pages, Sheriff Rhodes' humor and commentary on modern culture give this mystery a unique flavor and depth to his sleuth's character. Some of Sheriff Rhodes' insights into generational internet changes in book culture and life itself add a whole new layer of reading pleasure to this mystery. Separated from the small-town craziness before him, Dan Rhodes is still a vital part of the local community. As sleuth, he is the reader's perfect guide to the world of Clearview, bringing the reader into the very heart of the community and yet just separated enough from all the dynamics unfolding that the reader gets a bird's eye view as well. Wonderful!
MURDER IN FOUR PARTS is full of mystery puzzles, not only in the main murder mystery but all the interpersonal conflicts, secrets, hidden motivations and the strange occurrences happening in Clearview. Interwoven threads keep the reader guessing until the last page. Even when the murderer's identity is unveiled, Bill Crider gives the reader several other puzzles that intrigue in the unraveling. Quite simply, MURDER IN FOUR PARTS is a book for readers who want more mystery in their mysteries. Each clue adds another thread to the town's fabric. Intersections between separate sources to the case at hand or separate mysteries in and of themselves keep the reader wanting to return to the book when outside events prevent a straight-through reading. Although certain clues may not lead to the murderer's identity, Bill Crider excels in the writing of the red herring. Nothing is superfluous or added simply to delay the murderer's identity but rather each clue adds a richness to the whole world within the mystery. Each red herring is a mystery itself that adds character and a delightful peek below the surface of the town. The prose and dialogue has a smooth effortless reading flow that makes a reader feel present in the scenes. Through and through, MURDER IN FOUR PARTS is just a joy to read. If you are a mystery lover, Bill Crider's Dan Rhodes Mysteries are a treat from start to finish.
COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS
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