Judy Alter's Reviews > Dead, to Begin With

Bill Crider, with Dan Rhodes' help, once again immerses the reader in the small-town Texas world of Clearview, where the past is still alive, well, and sometimes well hidden. Reluse Jake Marley dies in a supposed accident, leaving the whole toen-and the sheriff--puzzled. Why did Marley come out of his house, after all those years, and suddenly begin to renovate the old opera house. A small group of Marley's former classmates carry a secret with them, but Rodes is hard put to get them to reveal it. As always, it's only partly the story that captured me as a reader--a lot of it is Rhodes' character, wise and subtle, and the town of Clearview. Thanks to Bill Crider for another great read.