EVIL AT THE ROOT

by Bill Crider ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 18, 1990

Another in the author's aw-shucks series featuring aging, overweight, likable, and canny Texas Sheriff Dan Rhodes (Death on the Move, etc.), whose imminent marriage to patient Ivy Daniel is overshadowed by odd doings at the Sunny Dale Nursing Home. Mr. Bobbit, one of the home's aged residents, has had his false teeth stolen and is accusing vile-tempered fellow resident Maurice Kennedy of the theft. Worse is to follow when Bobbit is found murdered in his bed--and Kennedy disappears. The feud between these two goes back decades, and Rhodes delves into ancient local history, including an unsolved murder, as Bobbit's daughter demands results, deputies search for the still-agile Kennedy, and the wedding day draws near. But when the fugitive surfaces at last, Rhodes has his suspicions of a less obvious culprit confirmed, gets himself almost killed in a showdown with the murderer, yet makes it to the wedding, with a Mexican honeymoon thrown in. A steady padding of banal observations; folksiness overplayed and wearing thin; and a generally lethargic atmosphere take the edge off a tidy plot. The Sheriff's least attractive adventure yet.

Pub Date: June 18, 1990

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: St. Martin's

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1990

Categories: FICTION