Best Served Cold

July 14, 2014
Milt Kovak struggles to keep the peace while contending with forces of nature like tornadoes and his wife, Jean, in Cooper’s amiably folksy 13th mystery featuring the Prophesy County, Okla., sheriff (after 2013’s Dark Waters). The inbred, highly unstable Blanton clan provides the occasion for the crime, beginning with Darrell Blanton’s shooting of his wife, Joynell. Arresting Darrell is no problem, until Darrell’s mama, Eunice, retaliates by taking a bachelorette party hostage and demanding her son’s release. Unfortunately, he has died in his jail cell in the interim. Not only is Kovak’s wife among the hostages, but so are his deputies, Nita Skitteridge and Jasmine Hopkins. Moreover, a tornado is striking nearby Bishop, while Jean has to deal with the death of her friend Paula, whose dysfunctional family may have led to her self-destructive lifestyle. This moderately entertaining entry will be more likely appeal to established fans than win new converts. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary Agency.

August 1, 2014

Prophecy County sheriff Milt Kovak expects calls in the middle of the night, but the one bringing him to Blantonville is sure to get messy, although this domestic murder--which features one Darryl Blanton sitting on the front step with his shotgun and dead wife--seems to be cut and dried. Except Darryl's momma is in denial, so much so that she takes everyone at a bridal shower hostage because Milt's wife, Jean, is there. And this momma will start shooting someone every ten minutes if she doesn't get her son back. The problem is the only way she's going to get Darryl back is in a body bag, because he is dead in the holding cell. VERDICT Small-town troubles are never so entertaining as when Milt is on the case. Sharp humor and genial characters make his 13th outing (after Dark Waters) an enjoyable read.

Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2017
Sheriff Milt Kovak is back in another outing that's part procedural, part tongue-in-cheek send-up of small-town policing, part murder mystery. Fans of the likable sheriff are sure to be delighted he's back, since behind Kovak's down-home, self-effacing exterior are the heart and mind of a dedicated lawman. In his latest case, Kovak and his department are being targeted, first with a series of macabre practical jokes, then with more serious attacks. Kovak figures the perpetrator is either someone he and his deputies put behind bars or else a vengeful family member whose loved one was killed or prosecuted by the department. Trouble is, the list of possible suspects is longer than all of the deputies' arms put together. With a combination of persistence, intuition, and hard work, plus a few lucky breaks, Kovak and his deputies eventually solve the case, which is as tragic as it is unsettling. A satisfying and enjoyable read that is appropriate for all mystery collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)