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When you solve the murder of an alligator as well a few other things you get a reputation for getting things done. Truman Smith might prefer to sit at the house on Galveston Island, but Dino comes to drag him into yet another fine mess. Though, at first, it doesn’t appear to be that big a deal. At least not like last time with the hunt for Outside Harry.
When you solve the murder of an alligator as well a few other things you get a reputation for getting things done. Truman Smith might prefer to sit at the house on Galveston Island, but Dino comes to drag him into yet another fine mess. Though, at first, it doesn’t appear to be that big a deal. At least not like last time with the hunt for Outside Harry.
According to Dino, Lance Garrison
wants to see Truman. Because of their past history dating back to High School
and a broken nose he contacted Dino to spread the word. Not only has he made a decent amount of money
for Dino, Lance did all right for himself as he made plenty of money on the
stock market while working for a brokerage firm there. He had a gift, made a
ton of bucks, and came back to build and live in a fancy house with a view of
the bay. If a major storm comes churning through the Gulf the house will be
toast, but in the meantime the views of the sunsets are spectacular.
So too is the sight of Anne who is
sitting a couch in Lance’s house when Dino and Truman arrive. Anne was a
special love in High School long ago. The sight of her rattles Truman to the
core as he still has incredible feelings for her. She is married now and older,
but she still has Truman in ways he can’t fully explain. According to Anne, her
father-in-law asked for Truman specifically and Truman still would like to make
Anne happy if he can.
Out in the Eagle Lake area north of
Houston near a little town called Picketville, Red Hineman (Anne’s father in
law) manages quite few acres for Lance Garrison. Thanks to government program the
land is a natural habit for water fowl and other birds. One of those is the Atwater
Prairie Chicken also known as a grouse. With only 108 or so in the world,
including forty or 50 in captivity, the bird is a very endangered. Now,
somebody has killed one by shooting it. The dead bird was placed in such a way
to make a clear statement. The government sent somebody to investigate, but all
he did was massively annoy Red. Lance is involved in the bird project and
wants Truman to go poke around and see if he can figure out what happened before
the Feds impose penalties and take other actions.
Lance is a jerk always has been and
always will be, but he is willing to pay $500 a day plus expenses. Not only is
it a chance to make Lance pay for his help, it is also a way for Truman to
spend at least a little time with Anne. So Truman agrees and before long is
dealing with a cast of suspects including a possibly crooked sheriff, the local
militia, a radio host sure the government is about to attack any minute, small
town politics, and more in The Prairie Chicken Kill: A Truman Smith Mystery
by Bill Crider.
Fourth in the series that began with
Dead
on the Island this read finds Truman Smith once again in a strange case
as he moves around Southeast Texas. As this was first published in the mid 90s,
it does not follow the current fad of dropping a body during the first three
pages or feature an incredible hook in the opening sentence. Instead of the
current gimmicks all the rage, it features a read that opens with introducing
the characters and their relationship, the premise or initial mystery, and then
builds slowly and steadily from there as events make things more and more
complicated. A little darker in tone
than most of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, Truman drinks his Big Reds and
gradually puts the clues together in a case where nearly everyone is a suspect.
Plenty of twists and turns fill the read making The Prairie Chicken Kill: A
Truman Smith Mystery by Bill Crider another very good read.
The Prairie Chicken Kill: A Truman Smith Mystery
Bill Crider
Walker And Company
July 1996
ISBN# 0-8027-3282-8
Hardback (also available in audio
and e-book formats)
208 Pages
$20.95
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano
Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015
Posts
6 comments:
I've been reading the Dan rhodes books and I love them.
I'll have to try this series.
Bill does a great job with Dan - hope there's a new one out soon.
I'm almost caught up to the end of the series.
thanks.
BETWEEN THE LIVING AND THE DEAD just came out a couple of months ago. I don't think there will be another Rhodes book until late next summer.
My husband just re-read this. In fact, he went through each of the Bill Crider books again and enjoyed them just as much the second time.
Mighty good stuff.
Who in hell in this day and age--especially in this day and age--can resist giving the benefit of any doubt to a guy named Truman? The name alone trumps all doubt. (The defense rests...or is it the prosecution?)
For FFB on 10/23 I will be reviewing the final one of the series MURDER TAKES A BREAK. I am putting the finishing touches on the review now.
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