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306 ratings | 164 reviews | avg rating:4.07

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J.J. Rusz

Goodreads Author

Born

in Cleveland, Ohio, The United States

Website

https://www.amazon.com/author/jjrusz

Genre

Mystery, Romance, Humor and Comedy

Influences

Tony Hillerman, R Allen Chappell, P F Chisholm, Margaret Coel, Rich Cu ...more

Member Since

July 2016

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J J RUSZ is the author of The Window Trail (2018), The South Rim Trail (2019), The Lost Mine Trail (2020), and The Mule Ears (2023), the first four books in the Big Bend Country Mystery series, focusing on crime, romance, and a little humor in Far West Texas. The region includes Big Bend National Park and its surrounding communities, including Alpine, Marathon, Fort Davis, Terlingua, Lajitas, and Marfa. Website for the series is at jjrbigbend.com .

J J Rusz is the pen name for John J Ruszkiewicz, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, earned a BA from St. Vincent College in 1972 and a PhD in English from The Ohio State University in 1977. He is the author of a wide range of college textbooks, including Everything's an Argument and How to Write ...more

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Average rating: 4.23 · 168 ratings · 36 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Window Trail (A Big Bend Country Mystery #1) 4.22 avg rating — 97 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The South Rim Trail (A Big Bend Country Mystery Book 2) 4.14 avg rating — 36 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Lost Mine Trail (Big Bend Country #3) 4.61 avg rating — 18 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Mule Ears: A Big Bend Country Mystery 4 4.06 avg rating — 17 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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5 posts
J.J. Rusz's Blog

When murder's not the only mystery . . .

The first draft of The South Rim Trail: A Big Bend Country Mystery 2 is complete. As the sequel to The Window Trail, favorite characters return, including Clayton Shoot, Claire Harp, Billy Lamb, Fiona Tusk, and Sam Vogt. They all face new challenges and choices. New people in their lives as well.

The action this time moves from Big Bend's South Rim to the River Road to the Old Maverick Road, with s Read more of this blog post »

1 like · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on March 17, 2019 13:14 • Tags: big-bend, window-trail

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Series by J.J. Rusz

The Big Bend Country Mysteries (4 books)
by

J.J. Rusz (Goodreads Author)

4.23 avg rating — 168 ratings

J.J. is Currently Reading

J.J. Rusz is currently reading

Grave of the Lawgiver (Sister Fidelma #36)

by Peter Tremayne

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read in August 2025

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Apr 08, 2026 06:02PM

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Ebb Tide (Nathaniel Drinkwater, #14)

by Richard Woodman

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Jul 19, 2025 08:29AM

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All the Light We Cannot See

by Anthony Doerr (Goodreads Author)

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Aug 11, 2023 01:41PM

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J.J. Rusz rated a book liked it Realm of Darkness (Hugh Corbett, #23) by Paul Doherty	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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J.J. Rusz rated a book it was amazing The Brothers McKay (Walt Longmire #22) by Craig Johnson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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J.J. Rusz rated a book really liked it Dog's Kitchen A Canine Amateur Sleuth Mystery: From the Set of a Reality TV Cooking Show (Golden Retriever Mysteries Book 22) by Neil S. Plakcy (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
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Topics Mentioning This Author

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2026 Reading Chal...: Yes, I AM Doing Something 2023 Challenge	9	240	Jan 01, 2024 03:38PM
2026 Reading Chal...: Magical Mystery Tour - 2023	472	458	Jan 05, 2024 04:38PM

J.J.’s Quotes

“Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't.”
― Margaret Thatcher

tags: appearances, power

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When murder's not the only mystery . . .

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