Reading Group's October Selection - Returning To Texas

October’s discussion group selection is “Big Red Tequila” by Rick Riordan. I have read this book before but have re-read it for our group discussion. I enjoyed it before and liked it the second time around. Now, as is custom for our reading group, I give it a “thumbs up”.



Tres Navarre is returning to Texas with his cat Robert Johnson and he has some memories from back then. Big Red and Tequila is one of those memories. He also remembers the death of his father a little over ten years ago. His father who was a sheriff was murdered in front of him in a drive by shooting. This was one of the reasons he left and he wants the mystery of his murder to be solved. Some things have changed since he left.

He is also returning because of the girlfriend he left years ago. Will things return to the way they were before he left? He has changed and he learns things have changed between them as well. Shortly after he returns, she disappears and so Tres now has two mysteries to solve. Can these two mysteries be linked? You will be surprised.

It is interesting to find out who does not want him to be around and who is there to help him. You also get a little taste of the San Antonio and Austin areas. Should I say more? Was the mob involved in killing his father? Well, sort of. Was the disappearance of Tres' old girlfriend linked to his father's death? Yes - but not necessarily in the way you might think of.

I suggest you find the answers for yourself by reading this book. Rick Riordan did great and he continued this series with several later books.

Sometimes it is just hard to decide how much to say about the book.

A National Parks Mystery

!!!NOTE: I had a hard time writing this blog - not because I did not enjoy the book - because I did. I wanted to write this blog / review in a different way but just could not come up with the proper way. It has also been hard since when it comes to reading a book and writing my review in the blog, I do not start another book until I am finished with the review. FYI: I enjoyed the book (and character) and intend to continue with other books in the series!!!

I have finished reading Nevada Barr’s “Track of The Cat”. It is the first in the Anna Pigeon mystery series. Who is Anna Pigeon? She is a Law Enforcement ranger at a national park of the Guadalupe Mountains in Texas. The author Nevada Barr also worked for the national park services at one time and was stationed in the Guadalupe Mountains. This contributes to her knowledge of the area where this story takes place. I can only assume she also has a first hand knowledge of some of the characters in the story as well. Does her Anna Pigeon character share some characteristics with her?

Among Anna’s duties are protecting the wildlife, making sure people are safe inside the national parks, and when necessary enforcing the rules within the national parks area. She left city life in New York about two years and she prefers the solitude she gets with her job out here.

She has been out looking for signs of cats when she runs across the body of another ranger. It appears the ranger was killed by a cat. Anna realizes there are problems with the clues that point to the ranger being killed by a cat. She also realizes there is a problem with where she found the body. Her suspicious mind considers several possible suspects. Those suspicions grow after she is involved in an accident on the trail and after another ranger is found dead – apparently as a result of his interest in collecting snakes.

After carefully considering all the evidence and following up on clues, she learns the motive behind the deaths and her “accident”. This motive involves the cats she is keeping track of and the money that is paid by hunters to bag these cats in the National Park where she works. She catches the person responsible in the act – a rich rancher. But his justice is not to come in the courts – his justice is to come in the wild – maybe even at the “hands” (paws) of those cats he was making the money off of.

Blanco County - Back in Texas

"Holy Moly" is the sixth and latest book about Texas Game Warden John Marlin. According to one review I read, it may be the last in this series. "Word is that Ben Rehder might drop the curtain on his snarky Blanco County mystery series. If so, the Austinite goes out on a high note with this screwball tale. For those suffering Carl Hiaasen withdrawals (the master of comic crime last put out a novel in 2006), Holy Moly might be the perfect poolside fix come summer."— Texas Monthly. There was no explanation as to why it may be the last but it has been a funny series and our sleuth John Marlin will be missed.

Once again John Marlin has been asked to help in an investigation. This investigation is into the death of a local back hoe operator. Initially it appeared as an on the job equipment accident but it became apparent that it was actually a murder. What is not obvious is the reason or motive behind the death. This leaves a long list of suspects and subplots. In order to keep these all straight, be prepared to sit down and read the book in as few sessions as possible.

Our victim (Farley) is doing some pre-construction work for a mega church. There are not a whole lot of people in Blanco County happy that this mega church is coming to their county. So it is difficult to rule anybody out as suspects without a clear cut motive. Also suspect are the owners of a deer ranch where deer are raised and sold for huge amounts of money. Farley (in the past) had reported some suspicious discrepancies in the number of deer being raised and sold by the owners.

During the investigation additional motives turn up when it is reported that Farley had discovered a rare dinosaur skull on the construction site. This opened up the list of suspects. Now the list includes the church officials who did not want a delay in the building of the church. They do not want this find to become public for two reasons. First, it gives environmentalists who oppose their project a reason to stop it. Second, dinosaurs do not fit in the literal understanding of the six days of creation.

The reported discovery of the dinosaur skull gives motive for other suspects as well (and additional subplots for the story). The professor who reported the finding indicated there were collectors who would pay huge amounts of money for this find (or do anything to get it). And sure enough we have one who is trying to find it.

And if you think these are enough motives (or not), you will just have to read the book. Besides..., there is so much more in this book it would be impossible to know unless you read it for yourself. Who knows? Maybe you will even uncover the reason this might be the last book of the John Marlin series. If you do, let me know.

P.S. John Marlin gets married at the end of the book. Does this have anything to do with the reason this might be the last book in the series?

Murder By The Book

"Murder By The Book" is another mystery by D.R. (Doris) Meredith. This is the fifth with Megan Clark and the mystery book discussion group in the Murder by the Yard series. I have enjoyed each one of them. I have not been able to find anything else by this author. And I have been unable to find any contact information for her either.

This book has the same sleuth in it and there is a similar thread as the other books. Each book has offered something different. The series has been a mixture of telling the story from a third person and from a first person point of view (Ryan). In this book we now have another first person point of view by a mystery person - somebody involved in a depression-era mystery brought to light when a car is discovered in a lake drying up. This is one of the mysteries our sleuth wants to investigate but is finding little support from the other members of the book club. Ryan who typically does not support the investigations Megan undertakes is one of the few who supports this investigation because it does not involve a body - until a skeleton is discovered when a laundry building is being demolished.

But wait. Bodies always seem to appear where Megan discovers them. And this time she is a person of interest by the police - more than usual. Especially after she discovers the third body in this book. Each body seems to be left by a serial killer. The bodies were stabbed 13 times, then posed on it's back, and some marks made on the head. When she finally identifies the markings on the heads as letters in the Phoenician alphabet, this seems to be the final clue pointing to her as the murderer. It also let's her know who the murderer is and she has to run from the police in order to clear up these murders. She knows there was an intent in the murders and she was specifically targeted to be made to look guilty.

She is able to prove who the guilty person was in the three murders. She is also able to uncover who the mystery person is and this person tells the story about the depression-era car and the skeleton.

The only mystery unresolved is whether there will be any more Megan Clark mysteries.

A Henrie O Mystery

This book was referenced in the book Lone Star Sleuths - An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction. Typically I would start with the first book in the series but I started with this one instead. It is by Carolyn Hart and is called Death On The River Walk. Henrie O is the short name for our sleuth Henrietta O'Dwyer Collins. She has come to San Antonio in search of her best friends' granddaughter named Iris. Iris typically contacts her grandmother on a regular basis but has failed to do so several times in a row. Henrie O is a retired reporter. When she discovers Iris has not been to her apartment and it has been searched through, her instincts tell her there is something not right.

She checks out Iris' place of employment and learns that Iris left there abruptly as well. In spite of the explanation given by one of the employees (and Iris' male friend), that Iris went to Padre with some other guy, she does not buy it and files a missing person report. She also speaks to several members of the family who operate the shop where Iris works.

She eventually gets a note to meet somebody on the River Walk and it turns out to be Iris. At this meeting another person shows up to grab Iris but she gets away. It turns out this person wants something Iris and Rick have taken from the shop and he wants it back. Later this person turns up dead at the shop and the package Iris had gets taken away from her in the mayhem created by a fire alarm. While Iris and Rick insists the package contained drugs, Henrie does not believe this to be the truth. She remembers recent news about a robbery at a museum in Mexico and suspects this is related. She is determined to find the reason behind this and to learn the identity of the killer in order to free another person of the suspicion.

Another person is murdered at the shop but it appears simply as an accident - Henrie O knows better. She knows somebody at the shop is hiding something. She sets out to investigate the family members and a select group of special customers who might be interested in the stolen treasures from the museum.

She discovers the stolen treasures in one of the customers' room where she is caught. She talks her way out of the room and discovers the identity of the person at the shop responsible for the theft. However her main concern is getting the person responsible for the murder captured in order to get the wrongly accused brother out of trouble.

She sets in motion a plan to capture the other person. But the person she suspected of the murder is not who she expected.

Later her friend's granddaughter and Rick get married and head off on there honeymoon in Mexico. While they are there, the missing treasures mysteriously show back up in the museum.

Coincidence?

Ben Brice is a central character in this book by Mark Gimenez called “The Abduction”. He is a decorated hero from the Vietnam war but he lives alone and drinks a lot to forget things about the war. He cannot understand why certain events have happened in his life. He remembers his mother telling him God had a plan for his life but fails to see it. The only time he does not drink is when his grand daughter comes to visit with him.

One night after drinking he has another one of his recurring nightmares but there is a twist in the end of it. Instead of seeing the face of the Vietnamese girl begging for help in his past, he sees the face of his grand daughter. This seems to coincide with the abduction of his grand daughter – an abduction for which there is no apparent reason. Is this a kidnap for reward? Her father is on the verge of becoming a billionaire - but no ransom demand is made. Is this prompted by a child molester? “Evidence” seems to point to this and a convicted sex offender is taken into custody. But he professes innocence and kills himself while in jail – and Gracie is still missing. Ben sees this as a mission - to find and get her back – he has visions and still feels connections with her.

A photo of the kidnapper from behind revealed a tattoo that places a connection with Ben’s past in Vietnam. Is this kidnapping an act of revenge against him as he suspects? Or is this a coincidence? Ben does not know but follows the trail. He knows the people he is dealing with and knows it will be a difficult (but not impossible) situation to get his grand daughter back. He and his son (who has not had anything to do with him) go after Gracie.

Nothing is simple about this story / plot. There are so many twists revealed throughout the book that shed more light on what seems like unrelated events. They also reveal some surprises – like a planned assassination of the President of the United States.

I find it hard to really summarize this story – without revealing too much. At first I thought there were too many coincidences to be believable but found the theme was consistent. As Ben learns through this experience (and as his mother had told him), " God has a plan for him and this was how he discovered everything was connected. It was in my opinion a very good book. This is the second book I have read by Mark Gimenez and it was different from the first. I am impressed by his writing skills and plan to read the next book by him.

Mystery in a Rural County

Sheriff Dan Rhodes of Blacklin County (Texas) hands are full again in the 15th book of this series by Bill Crider. The name of this book is “Of All Sad Words”. Some county officials are unhappy about the Citizens Police Academy he lead and some of the “vigilantes” who took it. Then, there is an explosion and fire at a trailer of “suspected” meth dealers that must have been the work of these “vigilantes”. One of these “suspected” meth dealers is also discovered dead.

On top of all of this, the county officials want the sheriff to follow-up on a delayed website for the sheriff’s office – to make sure it gets done.

Finally there are the regular (not necessarily normal) calls he gets to deal with. One widow calls him to remove some possums from her attic. Another man has problems with flying saucers stealing his electricity.

It is interesting to see how the sheriff deals with these and more problems and how he makes use of some of the recent graduates from his Citizens Police Academy.

Also interesting is how the author uses references to a character in another one of his book series – a series he no longer writes. Will he be writing another book in the Dr Sally Goode series? I hope so. Anyway, I enjoyed this Dan Rhodes book as I have the previous ones.

Another Murder By The Yard Selection

Yes. It is another book by D.R. Meredith. The title as you see is "Tome of Death". It is another in the Megan Clark / Murder By The Yard book club series - the fourth. But it is NOT JUST another one of the books.

Each book in this series seems to offer something else. Yes - it is a murder mystery and yes - megan Clark figures out who the murderer is. But isn't that one of the things the sleuth is supposed to do?

In this book the author does something different. The author tells two stories of murder. The first is in the 1860's and the second is in "present day" Amarillo. And these two stories get tied together with the discovery of the present day murder. Well, the present day murder actually occurred five years ago but it is discovered by Megan Clark. When she discovers the bones from this murder, she also uncovers the mummy of the murder victim from the 1860's. Interspersed with the story of Megan Clark's investigation of the present day murder, is the story of another investigation from the 1860's by Spotted Tongue. Spotted Tongue is a Comanche and his second wife was the one who was murdered.

You may recall that Megan is a reference librarian in Amarillo but she has her professional training in paleopathology. She uses this training in examining the mummified body of the 1860's murder victim. The victim was suspected of being a Cherokee, but Megan was able to positively identify the woman as a white lady. She was also able to provide information that leads to the discovery of the identity of the present day murder victim.

The book follows the inestigations made by Megan (present day) and Spotted Tongue (1860's) concurrently. Each one questions potential witnesses and suspects. There were obvious differences in their investigations. In Spotted Tongue's case, the murder was personal since it was his wife who was murdered. Megan was connected with the murder victim other than through the investigation.

It turns out both the murderer in both cases were connected in someway with the victim. That is no big surprise. In both cases the murderer tries to kill our investigator. And in both cases I think our sleuth's had figured out who the murderer was.

And to top it off, Megan Clark and the book club are able to determine a possible identity for our 1860's murder victim through their research.

I am looking forward to the next book in this series. I wonder what surprise the author will offer? But first I have to read my book club selection for June.

A Murder From The Past

"Murder Past Due" is the third book in this series by D.R.Meredith. The mystery reading group (with Megan Clark leading the way) has taken on another project. They want to build up the group and help increase business for the book store owner. To do this they have decided to recreate some of the murders in Amarillo’s history and have a tour of where these occurred. One man has joined the group and wants to use the group’s success in solving murders. His grandson’s wife was murdered 20 years ago. A year later, his grandson suspiciously committed suicide. The murder was never solved and there was some feeling the grandson may have committed the murder but there was no apparent motive.

The family is an upper class family and the murder occurred on the grounds owned by the grandfather. Knowing a little about the circumstances, Megan suspects a member of the family is responsible. In order to solve this 20 year old case, she must gather as much information from this guarded family that she can pry from them. She questions each one in a group and then proceeds to question them individually.

When an attempt is made on her life, she knows she is getting somewhere. She has not put the information together yet but the killer knows it is a matter of time. In order to uncover the mystery, Megan along with members of the mystery reading group and the Gorman family reenact the fateful night when the lady was murdered. Megan has the part of the lady who was murdered and will be the target for another murder. Just as she suspects, the murderer comes after her. She tells him (yes it was a man) why she knew he was the one. Luckily she had a couple of persons waiting to protect her. But the murderer does not get captured but dies on the scene as an apparent hemorrhage in the brain.

Later she tells the group how she figured out who the murderer was. There was an aspect of each of the murders they reenacted that applied to this mystery as well.

I enjoyed this book as much as the other two in the series. The thing unique about this one was the write up about the four other murders they reenacted. By the way, the other four murders were real cases.

The other things I enjoyed about this book were the quotes at the beginning of each chapter. These were quotes from characters / actors in various mystery movies.

I give this a thumb up.

Mystery? Legal Thriller? How should this book be classified or described? I do not know. But I can say it was good!!!

The author -Mark Gimenez- was suggested to me by several people to me including my local librarian and members of my mystery book discussion group. He is a Texas author and The Color of Law was his first book.

There is a murder in the book - the son of a United States Senator/potential presidential candidate. The accused is a prostitute / drug user. A. Scott Fenney is a lawyer for a big firm in Dallas. He is introduced in the book when he is telling jokes and making a speech in front of some other lawyers. He is campaigning to become the state bar president. Little does he know how this speech is going to change his life because a federal judge is at the luncheon where he is making this speech. This federal judge appoints him to be the lawyer for the accused murderer mentioned earlier. Representing the accused is a conflict for the firm he works for. Refusing to jeopardizes the firm's future cases in this judge's court. Continuing this case will bring unwanted publicity for the Senator and that is not good for the firm.

Scott does everything he can think of in order to get out of the predicament he is in - but to no avail. He finally accepts the position he is in and the results are disastrous on his life. He loses his job, his wife, his house, and his cars. And it appears he is going to lose the case as well. All this is hard for somebody who has thrived on making his life a success. Most of the focus of the book is on the time between this appointment as defense and before the trial actually begins. It is during the trial when everything seems almost hopeless that Scott finally realizes the truth about his client and the murder. He had assumed his client was responsible but he was obligated to defend her. He finally realizes she is not responsible and must uncover the truth in order to free his client. Well he succeeds and frees his client but his (and his daughter's) life has been forever changed.

Fiction? Yes. But believable. I will read the other books he has written - The Abduction and The Perk.

Stringing Along

I just finished the second (of five) book in the Megan Clark (or Murder By The Yard book group) series. It is called By "Hook or By Book" and was written by D.R. Meredith. I enjoyed it.

One of the things some people do not like about book series is the repeating of information covered in a previous book. For example, the introductions to the characters are similar to the introductions in a previous book. OF COURSE!!! There are reasons for this. Number one - the reader may have not read any of the previous books in the series so introductions are important. This is certainly the case here as well. And the introductions are consistent - the character does not become a totally different person. However, the author can build on the character description so we get to know the character better. People can change.

It was an interest in discussing mystery books that started the first book in the series. It is a shared interest in string figures that is the occasion for this book. Because of the shared interest, Megan and the Murder By The Yard book group organize a string figure convention. Things start off well. But one murder leads to another and the suspect and connections have to be determined. There is no shortage of suspects - Megan is a suspect again. And Megan of course starts her personal investigation. Needless to say, Megan is again responsible for solving the cases.

Do you remember the reason why Abigail the book store owner liked mysteries over romances from the previous book? To paraphrase - there are hundreds of ways to commit murder. Two ways were the causes of the murders in the previous book. Well ..., two other ways are used here - the hangman (a string figure that can be dangerous) and nicotine poisoning. The way these were done was interesting.

One of the interesting things about this book are the descriptions of how to do different string figures. I was more interested in the story so I brushed past these and did not try any of them. I would think trying these while reading the book would take away from the story. But the instructions are real.

The other thing I thought humorous is how the author introduced another one of the books she wrote in this book. The character who mentioned the book title could remember the book but could not remember who the author was.

Would I recommend this book? You bet!!!!

The Librarian, The Reading Group, and The Bookstore

This is a catchy title – does it sound familiar? Kind of like The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Well.., it is not exactly the title of this book – it is just the title of this posting. I like the actual title of the book – Murder in Volume. This is the first book a new series (to me) by D.R. Meredith. It is new in the sense that I have not read it before. The books in this series are actually out of print and I have been lucky to come by four of the five books in this series. On to the book ….

The sleuth is Megan Clark who is a reference librarian in Amarillo. She actually has a Ph. D in Forensic Pathology. So far she has not been able to get a job where she can use her training.

Do you remember Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson? She is kind of the Sherlock Holmes of this book and is often referred to as this by her friend Ryan Stevens. He even identifies himself as being her Dr Watson. It seems to me that in most of the Sherlock Holmes books the story was told in the first person by Dr Watson. One of the things I like about this book is that it alternates between a third person account to a first person account by Ryan Stevens.

Another thing I like about this book are some priceless quotes made in the book. Here is one made by Agnes the bookstore owner. “Not that I have anything against romances – Lord knows I sell enough of them – but there are more ways to commit murder than there are to have sex, and that makes murder more interesting.” I think this may be one reason I like to read murder mysteries.

There is another interesting thing about how this book was written. At the beginning of each chapter there is a quote made by somebody. This quote relates to something about the chapter. You read the quote and then you read the chapter to see the connection.

I also like the way the characters in this book are described. You get to know a little about them – especially the main characters.

The book opens with a murder that is unexplained and you do not know the connection to the overall book – but there must be one. Megan brings Ryan into a mystery reading group at the bookstore. (Do you see the connection to my title?) After one of the mystery reading groups meetings, one of the members are murdered and Megan becomes one of the suspects. In spite of warnings from the police (and Ryan), she gets into the middle of the investigation. The bookstore owner is attacked for an unknown reason. And books bought by two of the older members of the discussion group end up missing. All of these wind up being related and the key to capturing the guilty person.

That is the gist of the story. I did not want to tell to much in case you get the opportunity to read this book. I know I enjoyed reading it.

A Blanco County Mystery

Blanco County, Texas. This is the fifth book in the series written by Ben Rehder. The name of this book is Gun Shy and the sleuth is John Marlin – a game warden in Blanco, TX. It has been a while since I read the other four books in the series and I can not say for sure if this is the best one in the series but it is definitely one of the best.

Ben Rehder takes a Texas issue – gun control and concealed weapons – and develops the story around it. In addition, he uses several interesting subplots within the story.

Blanco County is going to be the site for a NWA (an organization like the NRA) rally. Looming in the background (and waiting for a confrontation) is an organization opposing the NWA. This group is called SNATCH – the Society of Nonviolent Americans to Control Handguns). A murder poses a threat to the NWA. This murder is committed by the spokesperson for the NWA (Mitch Campbell) while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. An unsuccessful attempt by the spokesperson (Mitch Campbell) and an officer in the NWA (Dale Stubbs) is made to hide the murder. Attempts were made to disguise it as a hunting/poaching accident and John Marlin is brought in to help with the investigation.

The author introduces a love interest for our game warden. She is a deputy and the author uses her in several ways to make the story more interesting. It is funny to see how she teases John Marlin with the television when there is jewelry commercial on it. It is also interesting how the author puts her and our game warden on opposite sides of the gun issue. John Marlin is a longtime supporter of the NWA and his love interest (Nicole) opposes some of the things they support. Later in the story we (and John) learn the reason for her opposition is a result of an earlier experience involving a gun being held to her neck.

Another character from previous books is used in the book to make it more interesting. This character is a redneck called Red O’Brien who has done some poaching in earlier books. He is a somewhat comical character who wants to join the NWA. His application for membership is rejected because of some controversial views he has expressed. In addition, he has aspirations of being a song writer and seeks out the spokesman for the NWA (also a country singer) to get a song he wrote recorded.

Mitch (the spokesman) gives Red and his friend a job on his ranch. Through the course of the investigation, the spokesperson for the NWA becomes a suspect for the murder – and a liability to the NWA. This produces another subplot when an attempt is made to kill him but instead he kills the person sent. Mitch convinces Red and his friend to hide the body for him.

Obviously it was interesting to see how the initial murder and the subsequent murder were solved. It was also interesting how a cold case murder is made relative to this story and how it plays a part in the current story. This cold case gets solved as well.

There were other ways the author made this story interesting. For example, it was funny to hear our game warden recall some hilarious calls he had in the past. In on case, a lady complaining about deer eating her flowers suggests a solution. The solution is to relocate a deer crossing sign so the deer want cross near her property – and flowers.

The author’s use of John Marlin’s best friend (Colby) to get a ring for his love interest was also interesting. The bantering Marlin got from his friend was hilarious. In a way it showed how the competent game warden was not as sure in the area of understanding women.

I would suggest this book (and other books in the series) to anybody who likes light mysteries with humor.

"Heigh-ho, Silver, Away"

I remember hearing the Lone Ranger saying this. The latest book I read brought this back to mind. Echo Burning is written by Lee Child. The sleuth in the book is called Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is an ex-military cop who is a drifter. The impression I got from this first book that I have read about him (actually the fifth in the series) was that he is kind of like the Lone Ranger. He drifts into town, he sees some people in trouble, he helps bring justice, and then he rides off into the "sunset".

Jack Reacher is one of those kind of "guys" I like to read about. He thinks before he does something. Also he tries to get out of a situation without violence if all possible. And after thinking about it, the "violence" he uses is only as a last resort.

Another phrase I would use to describe him would be a real "good guy". This book took place in Texas but he is not one of those Texas sleuths that I like to read about. Will I read more of the books with him in them? YOU BET I WOULD!!! I plan on going back to the first book in the series.

Discovering A Buffet

I love buffets. There is always a variety to select from at a buffet. You can sample several things from the buffet and determine which items you like and which ones you want seconds on. I discovered a book that is like a buffet – a buffet of Texas sleuths. The title of the book is Lone Star Sleuths – An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction.

This book is a buffet in several ways. First it is a buffet by the way it is organized. Instead of having entrees together, vegetable dishes together, desserts together, etc. , it has divisions by the Texas regions the writing takes place in. These groupings include: El Paso and West Texas; Austin and the Hill country; Houston and the Gulf Coast; Dallas, Fort Worth, and the Panhandle; San Antonio and South Texas; Small Town Texas; and (not a region) End of The Road. The selections in each of the sections give you the feeling of the area.

It is also a buffet in the sense it gives you a taste of the style of the represented writers. These are not complete stories. They are only a piece of the story. They give you a taste of the author and you can decide which authors you want to read more from.

The selection also introduces you to the sleuths. You learn a little about them – their backgrounds, their jobs, their personalities. This is another factor that helps you decide which sleuths you want to read more about.

I was familiar with and have read some of these authors/sleuths represented in this book. I have enjoyed reading Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayles (a herb shop owner); Ben Rehder’s John Marlin (a game warden); Rick Riordin’s Tres Navarre (a part time professor); and Bill Crider’s Dan Rhodes (a sheriff in Blacklin County).

I discovered a few more author and sleuths in this collection I want to read more about. Some I have heard about before but have not read before. For example, I have heard about Kinky Friedman before. The book had a small excerpt from one of his books in it and I thought it was a good enough sample that I want to read more from him. I was introduced to some writers (and their sleuths) I have not heard or read from yet that I also intend to read more of. Some of these include: Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon (a park ranger); Jeff Abbott’s Jordan Poteet (a librarian); Paula Boyd’s Joleen Boyd (a newspaper writer); and D.R. Meridith’s Charles Timothy Matthews ( a sheriff).

There are several other of these authors I would like to read more from – given the time. This book has given me an introduction to what I like best – Texas Authors, Texas Sleuths, and mysteries in Texas locations. It is not hard to see my interest in reading Texas literature.

List of Some Favorite Texas Mysteries

As requested, Here is a list of Texas Mystery Authors I have read. TTT indicates the author is in Texas, the sleuth is a Texan, and the books generally take place in Texas. Let me know of any you might be aware of - I am always looking for more.

TTT. Texas Author – Susan Wittig Albert; Texan Sleuth – China Bayles is a former lawyer from Houston, Texas who moves to become a herb shop owner; Texas Location – Pecan Springs. Books Include: Thyme of Death (1992); Witches’ Bane (1993); Hangman’s Root (1994); Rosemary Remembered (1995); Rueful Death (1996); Love Lies Bleeding (1997); Chili Death (1998); Lavender Lies (1999); Mistletoe Man (2000); Bloodroot (2001); Indigo Dying (2003); A Dilly of a Death (2004); Dead Man’s Bones (2005); Bleeding Hearts (2006); Spanish Dagger (2007); and An Unthymely Death (2003).

TTT. Texas Author – Jay Brandon; Texan Sleuth – Mark Blackwell is the District Attorney in San Antonio, TX; Texas Location – San Antonio. Books Include: Fade the Heat (1990) and Loose Among the Lambs (1993).

TTT. Texas Author – Jay Brandon; Texan Sleuth – John Marshall (Lawyer); Texas Location – Green Hills. Local Rules (1995).

TTT. Texas Author – Jay Brandon; Texan Sleuth – John Marshall (Criminal Lawyer); Texas Location – San Antonio, Tx. Books Include: Rules Of Evidence (1992).

TTT. Texas Author – Jay Brandon; Texan Sleuth –Chris Sinclair is a San Antonio District Attorney; Texas Location – San Antonio, TX. Books Include Angel of Death(1998); After-Image (2000); Silver Moon (2004); Grudge Match (2004); and Running With The Dead (2006).

TTT. Texas Author – Bill Crider; Texan Sleuth - Dr Sally Good is the Dept Head at Hughes Community College; Texas Location – Hughes, TX. Books Include: Murder is An Art (1999); A knife In The Back (2002); and A Bond With Death (2004).

TTT. Texas Author – Bill Crider; Texan Sleuth - Carl Burns is a college professor; Texas Location - Pecan City, TX. Books Include: One Dead Dean (1988); Dying Voices (1989); A Dangerous Thing (1994); and Dead Soldiers (2004).

TTT. Texas Author – Bill Crider; Texan Sleuth - Truman Smith is a PI; Texas Location - Galveston, TX. Books Include: Dead On The Island (1991); Gator Kill (1992); When Old Men Die (1994); The Prairie chicken Kill (1996); and Murder Takes A Break (1997).

TTT. Texas Author – Bill Crider; Texan Sleuth - Dan Rhodes is a Sheriff; Texas location - Blacklin County, TX. Books Include: Buster (1991); The Empty Manger (2001); Chocolate Moose (2001); Too Late To Die (1986); Shotgun Saturday night (1987); Cursed To Death (1988); Death On the Move (1989); Evil At the root (1990); Booked For A Hanging (1992); Murder most fowl (1994); Winning Can Be Murder (1996); Death by accident (1998); A Ghost Of A Chance (); A romantic Way To Die (2001); Red, White And Blue Murder (2003); A Mammoth Murder (2005); and Murder Among the Owls (2007).

TTT. Texas Author – Ben Rehder; Texan Sleuth – John Marlin is a game warden; Texas Location - Blanco County, TX. Books Include: Buck Fever (2003); Bone Dry (2004); Flat Crazy (2005); and Guilt Trip (2006).

TTT. Texas Author – Chris Rogers; Texan Sleuth - Dixie Flanagan is a bounty hunter; Texas Location - Houston, TX. Books Include: Bitch Factor (1998); Rage Factor (1999); Chill Factor (2000); and Slice of Life – an online book (2003).

TTT. Texas Author – Barbara Burnett Smith; Texan Sleuth - Cassie Fletcher is a radio personality; Texas Location - Austin, TX. Books Include: Mauve and Murder (2000).

TTT. Texas Author – Barbara Burnett Smith; Texan Sleuth - Jolie Wyatt is an aspiring writer and newscast producer; Texas location - Purple Sage, TX. Books Include: Writers of the Purple Sage (1994); Dust devils of The Purple Sage (1995); Celebration In Purple Sage (1996); Mistletoe From Purple Sage (1997); and Skeletons In Purple Sage (2002).

TTT. Texas Author – Barbara Burnett Smith; Texan Sleuth - Kitzi Camden is a retired politician and public speaker trainer; Texas Location - in Camp Green Clover, TX. Books Include: Bead on Trouble (2005); Beads of Doubt (2007) (completed by Karen MacInerney –another Texas Author).

TT. Texas Author – Karen MacInerney; Texan Sleuth - Natalie Barnes retired from state job in Texas to buy and operate the Gray Whale Inn; Location - Cranberry Island, Maine. Books Include: Murder on The Rocks (2006) and Dead And Berried (2007).

TTT. Texas Author – Leann Sweeney; Texan Sleuth -Abby Rose is a Texas heiress who becomes an adoption PI in the Yellow Rose mystery series; Texas Locations – Houston, Tx. Books Include: Pick Your Poison (2004); A Wedding To die For (2005); Dead Giveaway (2005); and Shoot from the Lip (2007).

TTT. Texas Author – Rick Riordan ; Texan Sleuth - Tres Navarre is a private eye, martial arts master and English Ph.D. in medieval literature; Texas Location - San Antonio, TX. Books Include: Big Red Tequilla (1997); Widower’s Two Step (1998); The last King in Texas (2001); The Devil Went Down to Austin (2002); Cold Springs (2004); South Town (2004); Mission Road (2006); and Rebel Island (Aug 28, 2007).

Herbs, Mysteries, and More

Pecan Springs (Texas … of course) is the location for most of these mysteries. China Bayles is the sleuth. She left a law practice in Houston to move here and open an herb shop. These mysteries were written by Susan Wittig Albert. If you look at the titles in this mystery series, you will see the connection to herbs – hence China Bayles Herbal Mystery Series. However you will find the title has a lot to do with the mystery – it is not just an herb.

I just finished reading the fifteenth (and latest) book in this series – Spanish Dagger. I am not all that familiar with herbs so I would not have known this was an herb. But having read the previous books in the series, I realize it must be a herb. While reading the book (and the previous ones) I quickly learn what the herb is from our herb shop owner (and sleuth) China Bayles and friends. This is one of the things I like about this series-the theme it is developed around – herbs. Not only do I get a mystery but I learn things about herbs, their uses, and recipes using various herbs.

As I said before, the title also has a lot to do with the mystery as well. The first murder was discovered when China and her guest were collecting supplies for papermaking. They were in the midst of Spanish Daggers and other related yucca plants. (I was not aware until I read this book that some parts of cactus make good paper making materials.) But this does not end the connection with Spanish Dagger – a dagger was used in another murder in the book. And finally, Spanish dagger was the name of a drug sting operation. This drug operation had its connections with the two murders. It was China’s investigation of the first murder and then the second murder that leads to the break in the drug sting.

Another thing I like in the China Bayles mystery series is the way the author develops the character as a “human”. These characters are presented as more than just another character in the book (or later in the series). A good example is China Bayles’ bst friend and business partner – Ruby Wilcox. She is usually a driving or guiding force into solving these mysteries because of the nature of her character. She still plays a part in this one as well. However we see the “human” side of Ruby as she deals with problems with her mother out of town and the murder of one of her friends. She becomes a more “believable” character.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series by Susan Wittig Albert. For those interested, she has a website with her husband (and author Bill Albert) at http://www.mysterypartners.com/ . You can find out some more about her other books and blogs here.