MURDER OF A BEAUTY SHOP QUEEN finds Dan Rhodes, sheriff of
Blacklin County at The Beauty Shack in Clearview, Texas to
investigate the death of Lynn Ashton. She was a hairdresser
at the Shack and it seems her late evening appointment
didn't go so well. Complicating the investigation is the
fact that Miss Lynn Ashton was known to "date" a number of
men and not necessarily those who were available. This
leaves Sheriff Dan with some well-known suspects and their
wives to wade through.
Adding to the duties that fall in the sheriff's lap are a
a spate of car batteries and catalytic converters stolen
from the local community college branch and copper pipes
and tubing thefts. A couple of squatters are found in the
abandoned hotel across from the Shack and it's wondered if
they might have killed poor Lynn and stolen her missing
purse. There are also problems with the Blacklin County
Environmental Reclamation Center, where he chases the two
squatters and finds there is more to the place than it
having a fancy name for a junkyard.
Using his deputies, Ruth Grady, the youngest deputy in the
county but the best qualified and Buddy known for his over
eagerness, the sheriff works to solve the murder of Lynn
Ashton. A short time after the first there's a second
murder. Jeff Tyler, who owned an antique store close to the
Shack, is found by the sheriff when he goes to question him
about Lynn. Sheriff Dan believes the two deaths, though the
methods were different, may be connected. It takes
everything and everyone, and a fair amount of Dr. Pepper to
solve the murders but in the end justice prevails.
MURDER OF A BEAUTY SHOP QUEEN is a well written mystery
with lots of good humor and eccentric characters. The badly
declining town has a fair amount of old timers who have
lived there all their lives and know everyone and
everything; politicians who don't wear suits but Hawaiian
shirts and math teacher, Seepy Benton, who also considers
himself a member of the sheriff's department, a singer at
the local barbecue place and dating Deputy Ruth. The most
solid support comes from wife Ivy who understands the
sheriff and still loves him. This book is one of a series
but stands alone and gets you interested in what else the
good sheriff, the department and the people of Blacklin
County has to offer.
Dan Rhodes, sheriff of Blacklin County, Texas, is called to
the Beauty Shack, where the young and pretty Lynn Ashton has
been found dead, bashed over the head with a hairdryer. The
owner said Lynn had gone to the salon late to meet an
unknown client. There was a lot of gossip going on about
Lynn before her death, but no one seems to really know much
about her, or they’re not telling Rhodes.
Lynn was
known to flirt, and it’s possible an angry wife or jilted
lover had something to do with her death. The salon owner
suspects two outsiders who have been staying in an abandoned
building across the street. While he investigates the
murder, Rhodes must also deal with the theft of copper and
car batteries, not to mention a pregnant nanny goat that is
terrorizing the town.
Murder of a Beauty Shop
Queen is a wonderful entry in this always delightful
series by award-winning author Bill Crider.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy