Of All Sad Words

by: Bill Crider

Published by: St. Martin's Press

Reviewed by Alex McGilvery

Of All Sad Words by Bill Crider is his newest book (#15 in this mystery series) featuring Sheriff Dan Rhodes.

The title comes from a couplet that Sheriff Rhodes recalls from his school days–“Of all the sad words of tongue and pen, The saddest of are these: ‘it might have been’.” The sheriff though thinks that the saddest might be “It seemed like a good idea at the time.” This phrase is particularly relevant to the Citizen’s Sheriff Academy. There are concerns that the academy is breeding vigilantes. The concerns become sharper when a trailer home blows up and a body is found, especially since the trailer belonged to brothers who members of the academy suspected of running a meth lab.

The story moves briskly from that point, introducing the reader to a plethora of quirky small town characters, all of whom have their own idea of what Sheriff Rhodes should be doing. Thus while organizing the investigation into explosion and murder, the sheriff also deals with web sites, UFOs, possums–and a book signing for a new novel which details the life of a “handsome crime-busting sheriff,” based very loosely on Dan Rhodes–not to mention the members of that Citizen’s Sheriff Academy who all seem to have their own interest in the case.

Bill Crider has produced a story that is an even mix of humor and action. There are characters from previous novels, but the book is quite readable without having read the previous Sheriff Dan Rhodes stories. I especially like the way that the people in the novel interact. Dan’s relationship with his wife is a delight.

This will be a series that I go back to find the earlier novels to learn more about these people. While the title is Of All Sad Words, I am not at all sad to have picked it up.

Armchair Interviews says: Sheriff Dan Rhodes can be counted on to bring a good story.

Author’s Web site: http://www.BillCrider.com