Author Bill Crider takes us back to Clearview, Texas and the small town Sheriff Dan Rhodes and the sometimes wacky townsfolk he must protect and serve in DEAD, TO BEGIN WITH.

Sheriff Dan has to deal with an irate housewife who brings a sledgehammer to complain about a "bad" haircut, yard sale fighting and ghost hunters, just ordinary everyday events for this small town lawman. His most pressing problem is the "accidental" death of the wealthy recluse, Jake Marley, who is found dead in the opera house he had bought and was restoring, giving life to a downtown that is seriously in need. Dan has to figure out why anyone would murder this man because it begins to look just like that might be what happened. The man was doing the town some good and didn't seem to have any enemies. As he investigates he finds the past sometimes influences the future, but was something so horrific in the past that someone wanted him dead to keep it all quiet? Or was it something in the present?

DEAD, TO BEGIN WITH, is a line taken from Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" and is apropos as the victim's name was Jake Marley. This is a book that will take you down the path of an investigation with the good sheriff but it is not so steeped in procedural jargon that it doesn't allow some laughter. It is simple and concise as is the man himself. This town has so many eccentric people in it that you never know who is going to pop in and frustrate the sheriff and possibly give the readers a good laugh. Sheriff Dan is stoic throughout it all, clear-headed and sometimes it seems even he can't believe some of the people he must deal with. It is actually rather fun to watch, or should I say read along, as the man works things out until he gets to the truth. The dialogue throughout this book, varies to fit the speaker and brings to life this small town and makes you want to find it and visit awhile.

If you are looking for a small town; crazy people and just a few ordinary people, a good sheriff, a bit of laughter, mysteries to solve and witty dialogue then DEAD TO BEGIN WITH by Bill Crider is what you want to get your hands on.