"An amazing (and sad) finale to a good mystery series"
That Old Scoundrel Death
By: Bill Crider
Genres: Mystery
Posted: April 30, 2019
Thus begins what will be the sheriff's final murder case. The Dr. Pepper loving, good food sneaking sheriff who talks things over with his level headed wife Ivy, (who has taken to feeding him healthy foods for his own good), and deals with the crazies of a small town is wondering if he should run again.
The characters in this book from the mayor who is upset with being called a nincompoop on a blog on the internet and wants Dan to fix that, to the deputies who seem to want to do things their own way; there is a lot of laughter, head shaking and downright confusion. A fantastic read that delves into family, lies, and cover-ups along with everyday life and the chaos the living can cause for a small town cop.
On a personal note ... the first time I read one of Bill Crider's "Dan Rhodes Mystery" books it was out of curiosity. (His name and my maiden name are the same). Once I read the first one I was hooked. Mr. Crider had a way of taking people home to this small town and keeping the characters real and simple in a way we might wish the world today really was. Sadly, a note in this book by Angela Crider Neary tells readers that this is the final Rhodes book, Bill Crider died on Feb. 12, 2018. So it seems the title THAT OLD SCOUNDREL DEATH has a double meaning for this series. I for one will be looking for the books I missed and missing a fun, relatable series and author ... and drinking a Dr. Pepper in his honor on occasion.
Book Summary
Beloved Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes is back with his final murder case in That Old Scoundrel Death.
When a man is run off the road by a thug with a snake tattooed around his neck, Sheriff Dan Rhodes knows it's his duty to stop and help out. The grateful victim gives his name as Cal Stinson, on his way to the nearby town of Thurston to take a look at the old school building before the city tears it down.
The next day, Cal Stinson turns up again. Only this time, he's dead.
His body is found in the dilapidated school that's about to be razed, and the woman who let Cal onto the premises claims he gave his name as Bruce Wayne. Whoever is he is, he was shot in the back of the head, and a piece of chalk lies inches away from his hand, under a lone line on the chalkboard, his last words unfinished.
Between not-so-bright hoodlums who can't seem to stay on the right side of the law, powerful families in town who are ready to go to battle over whether the old school should come down, and trying futilely to get private detective Seepy Benton to stop making mountains of mole hills, Sheriff Rhodes is beginning to wonder if retirement might be as good as it sounds.
by: Bill Crider
Minotaur Books
February 1, 2019
On Sale: February 19, 2019
Featuring:
288 pages
ISBN: 1250165628
EAN: 9781250165626
Kindle: B07D2BVVT7
Hardcover / e-Book