Bill Crider’s ability to combine humor with murder investigations and knowledge of various subjects continues to amaze me. In Winning Can Be Murder, the eighth in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, the subject is small-town high school football. As someone who grew up in football crazy Ohio, I recognized that atmosphere immediately. Crider says in late fall you can almost smell football in the air. He’s right.
The Clearview High School in Blacklin County, Texas, needs to win one more game before they head to the district game. Everyone in town is dreaming about the state playoffs. Although Sheriff Rhodes enjoys the games, he always dreads the action that surrounds the games; DUIs, gambling, fights. This time, there’s even a fight on the field, broken up when Lawton, the jailer, interrupts with an ambulance on the field. But, it’s an argument between the head coach and the offensive coach that interests Rhodes. When Brady Meredith, the offensive coach is found dead in his car, shot in the head, Rhodes has a handful of suspects. But, everyone except Rhodes is more worried about the effect on the team than the murder itself. Don’t let the investigation interfere with Clearview’s path in the playoffs.
Rumors say Meredith might have been having an affair. Or maybe he introduced steroids to the team. Or, maybe he was involved in gambling. When motorcyclists return to town, Rhodes would like to think they were involved. But, when the local bookie is killed, also shot in the head, he still has a handful of suspects.
The atmosphere is perfect in Winning Can Be Murder. Crider sets the scene and creates the atmosphere in the first paragraph. It’s fun for fans of high school football, and even more fun for fans of Sheriff Dan Rhodes and his team.
Winning Can Be Murder by Bill Crider. Crossroad Press, 1996.
FTC Full Disclosure – I bought a copy of the ebook.
Yes, Bill did a great job with the small town aspect of these books. You always knew it was not the big city.
This one captured my hometown, Jeff, football crazy.
It seems axiomatic that English professors must complain about the attention the football team gets. Every English professor I ever had possessed a whole litany of complaints about the phenomenon.
Still, a great book, even if I did have to roll my eyes once or twice.
My favorite high school English teacher worked the ticket booth for football games, Glen, and was a scorekeeper at basketball games. He was beloved. Died too young.
Having to work the ticket booth was one of the usual complaints they had. I wonder which of us is the outlier?