INTO THIN AIR.

Kurt Muller #1

by Thomas Zigal

Sheriff Kurt Muller recalls when his hometown of Aspen in the breathtaking Colorado mountains was home to only a few rugged individuals like himself. But now, the rich and famous have turned his turf into "GLamour Gultch, " and brought a dizzying wave of crime into his life, from drug trafficking and international child theft to a shattering personal tragedy. Delacorte.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

THOMAS ZIGAL is the author of the critically acclaimed Kurt Muller mystery series set in Aspen, Colorado. He is a graduate of the Stanford Writing Program and has published short stories and book reviews in literary magazines and fiction anthologies for the past 30 years. He grew up on the Texas Gulf Coast and in Louisiana and now lives in Austin, Texas.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it was nothing special. The beginning was a struggle but once the plot got going, and I was able to keep the characters straight, it was more enjoyable. An original storyline and interesting ending to wrap it all together. That part was well done. I wish that Sheriff Muller had been portrayed as more competent and level headed at his job despite prior personal indiscretions. That would have made the story better for me.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Sheriff Kurt Muller
SETTING: Aspen, Colorado
SERIES: #1
RATING: 3.0
WHY: Kurt Muller is an ex-hippie turned sheriff of Aspen, Colorado. When an Argentinian activist attending a conference is found killed, he starts digging into what happens. Soon another attendee disappears, and Kurt is being implicated by the obnoxious FBI agent who is working the case. Kurt is a real loose cannon who works outside the lines, which drives his deputy and now acting sheriff, Muffin Brown, bananas. I found the book to be quite ordinary, and both Kurt and the FBI agent to be very annoying. Kurt has custody of his 6-year-old son, Lennon, and I was annoyed by how he was handled as he is foisted off on other people to watch him whenever Kurt is involved in investigating.

[Elisabeth Kidd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheriff Kurt Muller carries around a lot of emotional baggage, and trying to keep the peace in Aspen, Colorado (his home town), only adds to his woes. When a body is found in a creek, his investigation finds drug traffickers, international terrorists, and local power struggles—not to mention clashes with an obnoxious FBI agent. He begins to wonder if he can really handle the job.
On the plus side, although Muller’s ex-wife is a mental case, his young son is the light of his life. His friends are loyal, and the victim’s wife turns out to be a beautiful Argentine who easily sets his mind in pleasanter directions, at least temporarily.
Good characters but perhaps a too violent and over-complicated a plot, or maybe, not being a skier, I just couldn't warm up to the Aspen “culture.” A fictional ski resort might have suited the stories better.
This is s first novel, and one hopes the next will present a simpler plot with the same colorful cast. Meanwhile, I recommend Craig Johnson's Sheriff Walt Longmire series instead as the gold standard is this old-fashioned-lawman-in-the-modern-West subgenre.

[Lynn Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynnie

Good book. A lot of twist and turns. A lot of family and characters, how everyone fit and how it turned out.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Sheriff Kurt Muller has to deal with the dead body fished out of the river in Aspen, the bullet hole behind the corpse's ear makes it clear this was foul play. The man was part of a group with lofty goals, if the rest of them can be believed. But when another member of that group, a woman, goes missing under suspicious circumstances, Sheriff Muller is pretty sure there's more going on that he was told.

The problem is the FBI is involved, too, and they think it would be pretty convenient of Muller was involved in the local drug trade, and that they've caught--or killed--the rest of the bad guys. And someone blames Muller for the FBI shoot-out, so he has multiple people gunning for him--the FBI, the bereaved, and the real killers.

Can he untangle the politics behind these deaths before someone silences him for good?

Muller, raising his son on his own, with an absentee mother, is a likable character. His fierce protectiveness balances out his willingness to sometimes look the other way for the small sins. And unlike an action movie hero, he feels the bruises and dings he get while investigating--but he doesn't let them stop him.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#1 in the Kurt Muller series.

Kurt Muller, ex-hippie sheriff of Aspen, Colorado, finds a body in the Roaring Fork River and plunges into a complex case involving Argentinian terrorists, local politics, his own marital problems, and doubts about his suitability for the job. Resigning, but continuing to investigate, he is forced to confront his past, including his Vietnam vet brother's mysterious suicide.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are great books. They have a great sense of place
The twist on that is the sense of place is not just now but how that valley has been and evolved throughout the character’s life. I also like the relationship between Kurt and Lennon (the father and son), it is real without being sugary.

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've given up on in a long time. The basis of the story is good but the writing is shockingly awful, the dialogue is totally unbelievable too. Have dumped it so that I can read something better.

[Sara Cochran · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first of this series that I have read. I like a mystery with developed characters and a setting that is a character itself. This was an okay example of my preference. I will probably read more by this author.

[Anna Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like a story with lots of twists and turns, subplots and real life then you'll enjoy reading this book. Aspen and surround areas come alive, if you've been there you'll definitely recognize things, in this series.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

ivillage Z group read

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aspen sheriff Kurt Muller, aging hippie, single father has to solve a murder in the chic town in the Rocky Mtns. A regional mystery for me.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book but not enough to read the whole series, I am rather put off by the agenda I feel behind it. Still, it is well written and the protagonist has an interesting personality.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's OK. The father/son stuff is pretty heavy-handed though; I'd cut about 75% of that out.

[Kathleen Harold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, solid, well written murder mystery. Takes place in Aspen, CO; which I loved.

[Carli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roaring Fork Valley native...I enjoyed the book for the description of the area it took place in, but the mystery story is very good! Fast read

[Beth Granger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good novel. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of Aspen, and the characters were well developed. I will probably read more by Tis author.

[Delores Alger · Rating 1 out of 5]

long

[Patricia Mccammon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging

So many questions, who is responsible for the killings? Sheriff Muller tries to make sense of everything that is happening. Was the death of his brother part of it

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will read more of his books.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great vacation read.