Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen

June 11, 2012
In Crider’s enjoyable 19th Dan Rhodes mystery (after 2011’s The Wild Hog Murders), the Clearview, Tex., sheriff with a fondness for barbecue and Dr. Pepper investigates the murder of hair stylist Lynn Ashton, killed by a blow to the head with her hair dryer. Rumors swirl regarding Lynn’s involvement with married men as well as her tendency to indulge in blackmail, but conflicting accounts suggest that understanding Lynn’s true lifestyle won’t be easy. Further complicating the case are shady activities at the town environmental reclamation center, pressure from local politicians and other figures, and the discovery of another body at an antiques store. Rhodes’s encounters with the overly enthusiastic amateur sleuth Seepy Benton and his inability to persuade his colleagues and neighbors that he bears no resemblance to fictional crime-busting sheriff Sage Barton (featured in the memorably titled work Terrorist Terror) are continuing sources of fun. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds.

August 1, 2012

Sheriff Rhodes puzzles over a death by hairdryer in his 19th outing (after The Wild Hog Murders). Count on Crider to entertain readers with his low-key humor and mellow hero.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2012
Clearview, Texas, has one beauty shop, and one of its stylists, Lynn Ashton, is found dead in the shop by the owner. As Sheriff Dan Rhodes begins his investigation, he needs to consider that Lynn was young, pretty, and, well, active. Young, old, skinny, or tubby were of no concern to Lynn, though she did have a fondness for rich. All the stylists had keys to accommodate late customers, so it was possible Lynn was there to meet someone. There has also been some suspicious activity in the abandoned warehouse across the street. Perhaps Lynn saw something she shouldn't have? Rhodes has at least two investigative tracks to follow, the funny business in the warehouse and the more likely theory that Lynn's love life backfired on her. In the meantime, he has to deal with the everyday details of life as a small-town cop: his bickering dispatchers, a deputy who gets his dialogue from Dirty Harry movies, and another deputy who's dating the town's annoying amateur detective. The nineteenth Rhodes mystery is as appealing and charming as its predecessors. Murder, humor, and wry observations on modern lifea winning combination.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)