The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake by Terry Shames

January 11, 2016

The Necessary Murder of Nonie Blake marks the return of one of the most engaging lawmen in Texas, Terry Shames’ police chief, Samuel Craddock. The unpretentious, old-fashioned man knows just how to investigate a case in Jarrett Creek, but discovers that even an...

A Thousand Falling Crows by Larry D. Sweazy

January 09, 2016

Larry D. Sweazy’s See Also Murder was one of my favorite books of 2015. Now, he returns with a story that’s even grittier, an atmospheric, richly detailed book out of the violent Depression years. A Thousand Falling Crows features lonely, lost...

Stillwater by Melissa Lenhardt

December 22, 2015

Stillwater, Texas. The town in Melissa Lenhardt’s first Jack McBride mystery is as bleak and dark as it sounds. But, McBride isn’t one of those perfect saints, a lawman who comes into town to clean up the place. McBride’s brooding, angry personality...

Between the Living and the Dead by Bill Crider

August 16, 2015

Looking for the perfect escape? It doesn’t get much better than a new Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery by Bill Crider. There’s investigations of crime in a rural Texas county. Justice triumphs. And, there’s lots of humor including the groaner of a pun in...

Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

May 05, 2015

I loved the unusual characters Charlaine Harris introduced in Midnight Crossroad, the first in her Midnight, Texas series. But, Day Shift is even better. This time, readers really get to know the characters, finding out who most of them really are. The residents...