Fast, lively and fun to read. Crider's cast of characters would sustain a good sitcom. Sheriff Rhodes reminds one of Peter Falk's "Columbo" with hs folksy style and low key style of investigating. In this episode, an alligator and a very large snapping turtle add bite, pun intended, to his searches among the various cannabis patches in his Texas county. ( )

A routine stop at the local Pak-A-Sak convenience store interferes with a rare afternoon off for Sheriff Dan Rhodes because he has to stop an armed robbery. With Rayford Loomis in custody and transported by Buddy off to jail, Sheriff Rhodes will follow behind to take the weapon to the evidence room and do the paperwork. Stopping for a Dr Pepper had put him at the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again it could also be seen as being at the right place at the right time as the clerk, Chris Ferris, is seriously fed up with being robbed and things could have gone way worse for everyone.

Chris Ferris isn’t the only one frustrated with crime. Billy Bacon has his home down in the south eastern part of Blacklin County and had stuff stolen before. Apparently it has happened again which is why he called for the sheriff. This time stuff was taken while Billy Bacon was doing his duties as loan officer at the Clearview First Bank. He was at work in town so the thief or thieves struck while his sick wife was at home. He’s sure Able Terrell and his bunch in the nearby compound did it. He is sure they are the ones behind all the crime problems in the area going back months though there is no real evidence that is true.

Able Terrell and the others that live at his compound to keep it to themselves and don’t welcome contact. While they have been involved in a few things over the years, their reputation is far worse among the locals than what they have actually done. Sheriff Rhodes isn’t about to jump to the conclusion so easily offered by a clearly nervous Billy Bacon. Something far more than the latest theft is going on at Bacon’s home.

It doesn’t take long for Rhodes to figure out what Billy is nervous about as there is a body in the new barn. Dressed in camo, Melvin Hunt is dead and has been for several hours at least by the smell and look of things. While Rhodes isn’t sure Billy killed him, it does not help that Billy has tried to hide not only the fact he knew he had a dead man in his barn, but a couple of other things.

The death of Melvin Hunt is just one of several mysteries at work in the Survivors Will Be Shot Again: A Dan Rhodes Mystery by Bill Crider. Billed as the 23rd in the series and scheduled to be released in early August, author Bill Crider delivers once again a solidly good book. Filled with all the regulars, occasional laugh out loud humor, and plenty of mystery, readers are once again treated to Blacklin County in East Texas where criminal type things happen on a semi regular basis.

Many questions are asked, evasive answers are often given, and Rhodes does his best to solve the case. It takes some time because folks tend to lie first and tell the truth way later, but the journey is highly enjoyable and provides several twists that experience mystery readers most likely won’t see coming. While it is always best to read a series in order, one can safely start with Survivors Will Be Shot Again as an introduction to characters that will soon feel like family. Make sure to keep an eye on Seepy Benton.

Survivors Will Be Shot Again: A Dan Rhodes Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Minotaur Books (Macmillan Publishers)
http://us.macmillan.com/minotaurbooks
August 2016
ISBN# 978-1250078520
Hardback (eBook format available)
272 Pages
$25.99

ARC supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2016 ( )