A Time for Hanging (An Evans novel of the West) [Hardcover]

Bill Crider (Author)

Book Description

Series: An Evans novel of the West | Publication Date: January 1990

Lizzie Randall, the preacher's daughter, is murdered. The men of the west Texas town are set on lynching Paco Morales, a Mexican teenager who happened to be in the vicinity at the time. No proof, but, after all, he is only a Mexican. Reason and/or conscience work on most of the would-be lynchers, so that, in the end justice is served. The list of suspects grows to include almost everyone in the story, thus providing an agreeable tangle of clues.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The author's expertise as a writer of mysteries (the Sheriff Rhoades mysteries) adds greatly to this eminently readable Western. It is competently written in an economic style, fast and sure in accomplishing its goal to provide an attention-riveting whodunit. Lizzie Randall, the preacher's daughter, is murdered. The men of the west Texas town are set on lynching Paco Morales, a Mexican teenager who happened to be in the vicinity at the time. No proof, but, after all, he is only a Mexican. Reason and/or conscience work on most of the would-be lynchers, so that, in the end justice is served. The list of suspects grows to include almost everyone in the story, thus providing an agreeable tangle of clues.
-Sister Avila, Acad. of Holy Angels, Minneapolis
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: M Evans & Co (January 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871315904
• ISBN-13: 978-0871315908
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,593,199 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

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Stirring plot, excellent characterizations, June 1, 2009

By 

Robert Tucker - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Time for Hanging (An Evans novel of the West) (Hardcover)

With a few exceptions, Bill Crider's books have an element of humor mixed with hardened reality, making his stories shimmer with energy and anticipation. In this not highly original plot, a young man happens upon a dead body and gets blamed for the killing. As the antagonists work to deflect the truth and focus all attention on one person, the sheriff of the town reluctantly seeks to uncover the hidden motives and the real culprit.

As the story unfolds, we encounter a crazed preacher, a greedy land-owner, a town drunk, a healer, a gambler, and several impressionable cowboys that seem to alter their views as the wind blows. Each character is clearly defined and brings a high level of personal insecurity to the table. The people are funny, sad, confused, and generally human in their reactions to the events. In many ways the story demonstrates the fear and confusion that resides in each of us, making the reader both empathize and transfer emotion to the concerns of the individual.

On one level, the book reads well and moves along at a fast pace to the very end. As we look deeper, we just might see people we know living in the pages. Unfortunately, the violence escalated to an excess near the end, and almost seemed cavalier in its delivery. Overall, aside from the unoriginal plot and the somewhat expected conclusion, A Time for Hanging is a good read for Western and mystery enthusiasts.