Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler by C.M. Wendelboe

First Line: A full moon-- a rustler's moon-- peeks from low-hanging clouds and casts eerie shadows across the grassy pasture.

It's frustrating when two innocent people are strangled to death on consecutive Saturday nights and you can't convince the police in Cheyenne, Wyoming that there is a pattern and it could happen again. Since the lead detective won't pay any attention to them, TV reporter Ana Maria Villarreal and retired homicide detective Arn Anderson decide to conduct their own investigation.

Arn's already got his plate full since he's been hired as a range detective to catch the Midnight Sheepherder who's been rustling livestock from local ranchers, but he just lights both ends of his candle and deals with it. The closer Arn and Ana Maria come to catching the strangler, the more they're met with suspicion, and when they come face to face with a desperate act of violence, they begin to wonder if they're getting close to the solution or close to their own deaths.

This two-pronged mystery begins with the Midnight Sheepherder rustling sheep in the dead of night. The scene is so vivid that I felt I was right there in the pasture with the thief and the thief's canine accomplice. The second mystery needing to be solved is, of course, the identity of the strangler. Both held my interest all the way to the end of this fast-paced book, and if I'd paid attention to one of my rules of armchair detecting, I would've figured out the rustling mystery. Oh well... sometimes I get so caught up in a story that I forget all about those rules of mine.

Arn Anderson and his motley crew of friends provide both humor and excitement to this second Bitter Wind mystery. He gets along well with Police Chief Oblanski but has a much more difficult time developing a rapport with Slade, the lead investigator on the homicide case. (Probably because Slade is one of these guys who knows he's always right.) But back to that motley crew.

Danny Spotted Elk was a homeless man who thought he'd found a home in a derelict house until Arn decided to fix up his deceased mother's home so he himself could live in it. Danny talked himself into staying because he's a first-rate carpenter/plumber/electrician... and not a bad cook either. Arn's saving a bundle on the renovation, getting fed, and finding out that it's much better when there are two smart alecks on the premises instead of just one. Ana Maria's the one who goes out investigating most often with Arn because she gets her TV station to hire him to investigate things. Wonder of wonders, she's a TV reporter with scruples and smarts, not the typical pains in the neck you usually read about in crime fiction, so you don't want to sic the Saturday Night Strangler on her.

Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler has an excellent double-barreled mystery, laugh-out-loud humor, and some hair-raising action scenes added to a very strong cast of characters. C.M. Wendelboe's Bitter Wind novels are a good way to spend an afternoon or two. I'm looking forward to the next one.
 

Hunting the Saturday Night Strangler by C.M. Wendelboe

eISBN: 9780738755243

Midnight Ink © 2018

eBook, 288 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Bitter Wind mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Hunting the Five Point Killer by C.M. Wendelboe

First Line: The middle-aged victim slumped dead in his Barcalounger, one trouser cuff riding up over his snow-white ankle and his zipper splayed open like he expected a happy ending.

It's been ten years since a series of unsolved mysteries rocked Cheyenne, Wyoming, and an ambitious television reporter thinks uncovering the identity of the killer will be her ticket to the big time. She enlists the help of retired detective Arn Anderson, who spent more than thirty years in the Denver Police Department.

When he gets there, Arn doesn't have money to burn, so he moves into the now-derelict family home and starts fixing it up when he's got the time. He's getting nothing but grief from the Cheyenne Police Department, but that's going to change. Because the Five Point Killer doesn't want to be found, and he'll do whatever it takes to remain in the shadows.

I first became aware of C.M. Wendelboe's writing through his Spirit Road trilogy of mysteries set on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. I enjoyed all three books and was sad to see the series end. When I learned of this new Bitter Wind series, I couldn't wait to start reading.

Arn Anderson is yet another example of Wendelboe's gift of creating strong characters. He's been a widower for years and has yet to look at another woman. He's just not ready, and-- who knows?-- he may never be ready. He's persistent and has an eye for the telling detail, which finally has him breathing down the neck of the Five Point Killer. It's a pleasure watching this man put clues together. But it's in Arn's personal relationships where he really shines (and where Wendelboe shows his marvelous sense of humor). Arn tries to act tough and hard-hearted, but he's not. All you have to do is watch him with Danny, the homeless man who had moved into Arn's rundown house for the winter.

As I read, it occurred to me that there was only one person who could be the Five Point Killer, and Wendelboe did everything in his power to shake me loose... but it didn't work. And it didn't matter. I enjoy Wendelboe's writing, his sense of humor, the way he has his story unfold-- and the man certainly knows how to ratchet up the suspense. His writing is reminiscent of Craig Johnson's, which is one reason why I like it so much.

Yes, I do like his writing, but this book could've been better. It did need to be tightened up a bit because there were places where the story dragged, but I'm going to go off the reservation here and talk about a couple of things that Wendelboe had no control over. One: the print in the paperback edition is tiny. I finally gave up and bought a digital copy (which shows you how much I was enjoying the story). Two: the proofreaders really let the man down. "Loped" instead of "lopped." "Bitty" instead of "biddy." "Lose" instead of "loose." And-- most surprising-- "neckless" instead of "necklace." (And, no, that wasn't a complete list.) I'm used to reading advance reader's copies of books that do contain errors but to have a finished edition be this poorly done was a shock.

Is this going to dissuade me from reading the next Bitter Wind mystery? Absolutely not. But one can always hope the editing has vastly improved.

Hunting the Five Point Killer by C.M. Wendelboe

eISBN: 9780738753645

Midnight Ink © 2017

eBook, 434 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Bitter Wind mystery

Rating: B

Source: Purchased from Amazon.