The feral hogs in Clearview, Texas, are causing all kinds of havoc, much to the chagrin of Sheriff Dan Rhodes, but there is no way he can blame the pigs for the two murders that occur. Wild hog hunting is legal, but very dangerous, so it is no surprise when a couple of bodies are discovered after a hunt. The problem is both victims were shot and, well, that isn’t the usual modus operandi for pigs who prefer to just gore and trample their victims to death.
If you are familiar with the ongoing Dan Rhodes series, than you know you are in for a puzzling mystery (always logically solved), an interesting, small-town Texas setting, offbeat characters, and many a smile at the author’s subtle humor. For instance, can anyone resist the back and forth, Abbott and Costello-style repartee of Rhodes’ two deputies, Lawton and Hack? They may frustrate the Sheriff but they delight the reader.
This time around the cast includes a couple of motorcycle thugs (with whom Rhodes has had previous run-ins), a loudmouth radio talk show host, a bounty hunter—oops sorry, a “Fugitive Recovery Agent” as he prefers to be known, and an animal lover and her son who, in an effort to save the hogs use rock salt loaded rifles to discourage hunters. These and all the regulars of Clearview make this book the perfect leisure-time read. Start with any of the 17 other Dan Rhodes books and you’re sure to end up reading them all.
"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."
I am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...
Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.
"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."
Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”
"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."
Fire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.
