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Things In Ditches
 
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Things In Ditches (Hardcover)

by Jimmy Olsen (Author) "THE BIG WHEEL AND THE TWO small wheels of Walleye's homemade tricycle slowed almost to a stop..." (more)
Key Phrases: pole barn, snow machine, Willow River, Charlie Benson, Dutch Cleland (more...)
4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.95
Price: $24.95 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Editorial Reviews

Review
"Reading Olsen reminded me of a book shoved at me at a convention....I didn't put it down until I finished....A little number called The Silence of the Lambs." -- Dave Wood's Book Report

"Lovingly detailed, idiosyncratic, small-town characters appear and disappear, each contributing in some important way to the progress of the story." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press, May 2, 2001

"Things In Ditches....humor tempering serious issue such as deception and guilt, Olsen has....a fast-paced, terrific first novel." -- Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 2, 2001

Product Description
A murder mystery novel. The story of Phillip "Dutch" Cleland, a man with a hidden past and a future about to explode in his face. A seemingly average man whose love for two women drives him to such extremes that deception, even murder and suicide are not longer unthinkable.

When a lovely corpse is discovered near Dutch's home town, the nearby ditches begin to yield a harvest of secrets, none of them comforting for Dutch. Soon he is forced to flee for his life, before his past and the police slip a noose around his neck.

Things In Ditches is peopled with small town characters that are so humorous and eccentric, their oddball antics enliven every paragraph and page. A reader can't help but be reeled in by the strange citizens of Willow River, until soon discovering they're really not so different from all of us and Dutch's story is the oldest story on earth; good and evil, betrayal and laughter. And finally, the power of love and friendship, forging one man's determination to overcome all odds, even death.

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Product Details

  • Hardcover: 312 pages
  • Publisher: North Star Press of St. Cloud (December 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0878391576
  • ISBN-13: 978-0878391578
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,267,890 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars "Fargo" revisited?, October 17, 2001
By Thomas "Reader, Writer, Music Fan" (Bay Area, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Things In Ditches (Paperback)
Perhaps it is the convincingly claustrophobic vision of Minnesota in the winter. Maybe, it has to do with the unselfconsciously quirky characters and their convincingly drawn eccentric reasoning and personalities.

Also, it does not hurt to find a mistery plot as unconcerned about mysteries in the conventional sense as this. In this novel the true mistery lies in trying to follow the minds of its protagonists.

So why is it that the movie "Fargo" keeps insinuating itself as this book grabs a hold of this reader (and I mean that as a supreme praise!)? I read many novels in the hopes of occassionally finding one as terrific as this author's debut work. A truly rewarding read!

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Olsen takes us on a fun trip, January 3, 2001
Jimmy Olsen's novel, Things In Ditches, is a great book. Follow Dutch as he tries to figure out what to do after killing his former lover!

Olsen takes us on an adventure as Dutch tries to deal with the consequences of his actions, while being chased by the law and others. I was on the edge of my seat as I turned the pages wondering how it would turn out in the end! I definitely recommend this one!

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Author's debut makes 'Ditches' come alive, January 20, 2001
By Laura Cook "cookietime" (Nashville, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
Want to feel the chill of a Minnesota blizzard without leaving your cozy abode? Want to see what Midwestern characters do when their quiet lives suddenly become mixed up and out of control? Want plot twists that make it impossible to guess the end?

Then read Things in Ditches as soon as you possibly can.

Jimmy Olsen's debut boasts quality story telling in a tone that is decidely northwoods. And you'll read the last page eager to get your hands on anything and everything this talented writer has to offer.

Dutch, Charlie the cop and Walleye will stick in your mind and make you want to visit Willow River to see how the town survived Minnesota-style murder and mayhem.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The heck with the roses. Stop and see what 's in the ditch!
Jimmy Olson's "Things in Ditches" brings to life a small town cast of everyday folks as they deal with a situation that goes from bad to worse (and that includes the weather). Read more
Published 17 months ago by Robert A. Canzoneri

5.0 out of 5 stars Visions of Wile E. Coyote
There are a lot of very interesting things in ditches around the fictitious town of Willow River, Minnesota ("90 miles from St. Cloud. Read more
Published on July 24, 2002 by TundraVision

4.0 out of 5 stars Love that title!
THINGS IN DITCHES starts with the murder of Vicky Johnson, her body discovered by Walleye Wertz, a mentally-challenged man out collecting cans and other valuables jettisoned by... Read more
Published on April 30, 2002 by Dave Schwinghammer

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