Dead, to Begin with (Sheriff Dan Rhodes Mysteries, 24) - Hardcover

Dead, to Begin With named a Best Book of 2017 by King's River Life magazine

"Readers will cheer Rhodes along as he sorts through a tangle of old secrets and personal relationships en route to the satisfying solution."--Publishers Weekly on Dead, to Begin With

"The twenty-fourth Dan Rhodes mystery reprises the series' best qualities: sharp plotting, an omnipresent sense of humor, and a wry, self-aware protagonist."--Booklist on Dead, to Begin With

"As usual, a satisfying mix of cozyish policing and a pleasantly amusing visit to the American Southwest."--Library Journal

"Anthony Award-winner Crider's 20th mystery featuring sheriff Dan Rhodes...offers the usual enjoyable combination of witty help from dispatcher Hack Jensen, minor crises like a hog loose in Hannah Bigelow's house, the theft of hair extensions from Lonnie Wallace's Beauty Shack, and a major crime or two....Rhodes, often embarrassingly compared to fictional sheriff Sage Barton, successfully emulates that action hero in the clever and satisfying resolution." --Publishers Weekly on Compound Murder

"Kudos to Crider for his 20th entry (after Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen)....As expected, humor and comfort are part of the mix." --Library Journal on Compound Murder

"Since 1986, Crider of Alvin has been turning out novels in his Dan Rhodes series, about a sheriff in fictional Blacklin County who solves folksy mysteries involving barbershop quartets and beauty parlors. This twentieth installment finds Rhodes dealing with the murder of a college instructor, but rest assured, the main character still finds time to ruminate about such Texas glories as his beloved--and now discontinued--Dublin Dr Pepper." --Texas Monthly on Compound Murder

"Enjoyable . . . 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 are continuing sources of fun." --Publishers Weekly on Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen

Sheriff Dan Rhodes is back again in Bill Crider's thrilling Dead, to Begin With.

"Readers will cheer Rhodes along as he sorts through a tangle of old secrets and personal relationships en route to the satisfying solution." Publishers Weekly

In Clearview, Texas, a wealthy recluse has joined the community and is leading the restoration of an old opera house. When he falls to his death, Sheriff Dan Rhodes suspects that he’s been murdered, but there doesn’t seem to be a motive. Who would want to kill someone who’s helping the town and hasn’t been around long enough to make any enemies?

The Sheriff’s suspicion proves to be true, however, and he begins to look for motives buried in the past, meanwhile having to deal with people fighting over baseball cards at a yard sale, writers who want to talk to him about his sex life, and the Clearview Ghost Hunters, headed up by Seepy Benton, who believes that the old theater is haunted. Clearview might be a small town, but there’s no shortage of excitement.