Monday, November 3, 2014

Book Review - Half in Love with Arftul Death

The second in my series of five of the most recent books I've read is Half in Love with Arftul Death by Bill Crider.


Here is the synopsis from Amazon:
The local community college and an antique dealer team up to have a workshop for artists. One local man, Burt Collins, isn't fond of the art, and he isn't fond of having the artists in town. Sheriff Dan Rhodes is called to the antique store because Collins has been accused of vandalizing some paintings. When Rhodes arrives, two men are restraining Collins. But before Rhodes can take Collins into custody, a near riot breaks out. Rhodes gets the situation under control with the help of college math instructor and wannabe cop Seepy Benton.

Later that day Rhodes has to help the county animal control officer round up some runaway donkeys, and that evening there's a robbery at a local convenience store. After looking into the robbery, Rhodes goes by to see Collins and talk to him about the vandalism. Collins isn't talking because he's been killed, his head bashed in with a bust of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Rhodes is faced with other problems, too: a naked woman in a roadside park and a gang of meth-cookers. It seems as if a Sheriff's work is never done.

I read a lot of these cozy, easy-on-the-mind mysteries.  As with many of the cozies, this one wasn't particularly stellar.  It wasn't awful, but it wasn't a page-turner either.  As a matter-of-fact, I put it down and picked up the third book in my current blogging series before I finished it.  I would have been content to turn it in at the library before finishing if I had to.  That says a lot.  In the end, I did pick it back up and finish it.  It wasn't laborious reading, it just wasn't compelling.  I didn't feel the need to find out what happened...I wasn't drawn in at all by the characters.  On a one to four scale I would probably give it a one-and-a-half.  This title is the 21st book in the series, so obviously these characters resonate with someone, just not me.

~Cyndi

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