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Sheriff Dan Rhodes #11
A Romantic Way to Die
Dan Rhodes, the sheriff of Blacklin County, Texas, has seen more than his share of strange events during his time in office-most recently he exorcised a ghost from the county jail and he has always tolerated the banter between his elderly jailer and dispatcher. However, not even Hack and Lawton's friendly word play could have prepared him for the group of writers that have descended upon Blacklin County.
When Vernell Lindsey, Clearview's newly published romance novelist, decides to hold a romance writer's convention, residents think this will finally get their town on the map. They are even more excited when they learn that former Clearview resident Terry Don Coslin will headline the event-Terry Don is now the most sought after male cover model for these very novels.
Rhodes doesn't understand why so many people are interested in writing, but this becomes the least of his concerns when a local aspiring novelist is found dead in her room at the college. Was her death the work of a jealous rival? Or did her new book get a bit too close to certain people's real lives? As he investigates, Rhodes begins to learn more about the publishing industry and some sordid facts Terry Don. Is he at all connected to the murder? When another murder occurs, Rhodes receives the unwelcome aid of two aspiring novelists, eager to switch from romance to mysteries. Their theories are a little too far from the truth, but Rhodes does make some headway on his own.
Relying on his trademark common sense and cunning and the help of his deputy sheriff Ruth Grady, Rhodes is able to solve the murders although he still can't figure out why so many people want to write a novel.
When Vernell Lindsey, Clearview's newly published romance novelist, decides to hold a romance writer's convention, residents think this will finally get their town on the map. They are even more excited when they learn that former Clearview resident Terry Don Coslin will headline the event-Terry Don is now the most sought after male cover model for these very novels.
Rhodes doesn't understand why so many people are interested in writing, but this becomes the least of his concerns when a local aspiring novelist is found dead in her room at the college. Was her death the work of a jealous rival? Or did her new book get a bit too close to certain people's real lives? As he investigates, Rhodes begins to learn more about the publishing industry and some sordid facts Terry Don. Is he at all connected to the murder? When another murder occurs, Rhodes receives the unwelcome aid of two aspiring novelists, eager to switch from romance to mysteries. Their theories are a little too far from the truth, but Rhodes does make some headway on his own.
Relying on his trademark common sense and cunning and the help of his deputy sheriff Ruth Grady, Rhodes is able to solve the murders although he still can't figure out why so many people want to write a novel.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published November 20, 2001
5 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Bill Crider
241 books236 followersTaught English at Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Tex., and went on to become the chair of the Division of English and Fine Arts at Alvin Community College in Alvin, Tex.; prolific writer of mystery, science fiction, western, horror, and children's books, not to mention short stories, articles, reviews, and blog posts; perhaps best known for his Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery series.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 3, 2015
We start this installment of Sheriff Dan Rhodes life in a small Texas town when some one breaks into the local funeral home, cuts the finger off of a corpse and tries to smoke it, as the perp had been told that smoking embalming fluid can get one high.
With small side investigations to take up the Dr. Pepper drinking Sheriff he is plunged into the never dull investigation of a death at a romance writing convention taking place in the next town.
Familiar characters do show up to perform their humorous antics and Sheriff Rhodes even finds an unpublished novel where he is cast as a bumbling small town sheriff named Don Street.
"A Romantic Way to Die" raises the scale of implied hanky panky more so than some of the earlier books in the series and even manages to discuss the merits of popular men's underwear.
Nothing heavy here just a lot of fun.
With small side investigations to take up the Dr. Pepper drinking Sheriff he is plunged into the never dull investigation of a death at a romance writing convention taking place in the next town.
Familiar characters do show up to perform their humorous antics and Sheriff Rhodes even finds an unpublished novel where he is cast as a bumbling small town sheriff named Don Street.
"A Romantic Way to Die" raises the scale of implied hanky panky more so than some of the earlier books in the series and even manages to discuss the merits of popular men's underwear.
Nothing heavy here just a lot of fun.
August 5, 2020
To me this was a lesser Dan Rhodes mystery, possibly because of the subject matter. Romance writers interests me about as much as a recipe for pancake batter. Still this series has a good deal of tongue-in-cheek humor. The most interesting are the small town characters with eccentric flaws. Good fun. Recommended to fans of Bill Crider and Sheriff Dan Rhodes.
August 5, 2009
A Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery set in a small rural Texas county. Rhodes finds himself investigating two deaths at a romance writers conference held in his county. He finds himself in the middle of rivalries and jealousies among the writers which helps to muddy his murder investigation.
These mysteries tend to be on the light side with the usual near death scrapes, some humor as Rhodes gives the impression of muddling through things.
These mysteries tend to be on the light side with the usual near death scrapes, some humor as Rhodes gives the impression of muddling through things.
June 6, 2012
Still loving this series!
Sheriff Dan Rhodes's wife assures him that everyone wants to write a book, and from the interest in the writer's conference in his little county, it sure looks that way. But when one of the aspiring writer's dies suddenly, it brings out the nastier side of publishing too. And then there's the other little quirks of rural Texas life - the Peeping Toms, the break ins, the mysterious lights at
the funeral home. Fun story.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes's wife assures him that everyone wants to write a book, and from the interest in the writer's conference in his little county, it sure looks that way. But when one of the aspiring writer's dies suddenly, it brings out the nastier side of publishing too. And then there's the other little quirks of rural Texas life - the Peeping Toms, the break ins, the mysterious lights at
the funeral home. Fun story.
April 16, 2010
How could I have ever be afraid of someone who writes about smoking a finger soaked in embalming fluid? This is a great book to read if you just want to escape from the craziness going on in the real world!
October 22, 2011
I always most put the book back because of the cover - a sexy man holding a sexy girl like on romance novels. The cover had to do with the book being set at a writing covention of romance writers. It's a Sheriff Dan Rhodes mystery. OK but not the best. The best part no language or gore!!
October 1, 2015
I enjoyed this book mostly because it appeared that the author was having fun writing about romance writers. His books are always fast reads, but keep my attention.
January 25, 2016
Listened to the audio version, so I had trouble following the different female characters with similar names, but I love Sheriff Rhodes, so it was worth it.
June 22, 2025
“Rhodes was down but not out. He lay at the bottom of the stairway on the second floor and tried to move. His head hurt even more than it had before, but it wasn’t throbbing this time. It just hurt with a steady ache. His back hurt, and his right shoulder hurt. His knees didn’t feel too good, either. Aside from that, however, he was just dandy.”
Ya know what’s really charming and engaging about these Sheriff Dan adventures?
It’s not JUST that they are blissfully easy to sit with and take in completely over a few days. It’s not JUST that they are bristling with character and personality. And it’s not JUST that Blacklin County is just silly and broad enough feeling of a place to encompass all these characters and situations.
It’s that these have genuine stakes and can be pretty elegantly hooked in terms of action set pieces and cliffhangers. Like, sure, the affability of the detective and the things they are detecting gets you in the door (this one being centered around emerging smut authorship in Blacklin County and the Fabio-esque hometown boy the authors have chosen as their muse). Like that’s all well and fun.
But then Dan (and Ruth!) start unknotting this whole tangle and stuff starts getting REAL and REAL dangerous for the cast and our heroes involved. It’s been a neat discovery as I take in my sophomore Sheriff Dan experience. That was something that made Ghost of a Chance really pop and it’s nicer still to see that that’s a series wide move.
Ya know what’s really charming and engaging about these Sheriff Dan adventures?
It’s not JUST that they are blissfully easy to sit with and take in completely over a few days. It’s not JUST that they are bristling with character and personality. And it’s not JUST that Blacklin County is just silly and broad enough feeling of a place to encompass all these characters and situations.
It’s that these have genuine stakes and can be pretty elegantly hooked in terms of action set pieces and cliffhangers. Like, sure, the affability of the detective and the things they are detecting gets you in the door (this one being centered around emerging smut authorship in Blacklin County and the Fabio-esque hometown boy the authors have chosen as their muse). Like that’s all well and fun.
But then Dan (and Ruth!) start unknotting this whole tangle and stuff starts getting REAL and REAL dangerous for the cast and our heroes involved. It’s been a neat discovery as I take in my sophomore Sheriff Dan experience. That was something that made Ghost of a Chance really pop and it’s nicer still to see that that’s a series wide move.
May 14, 2025
“A Romantic Way To Die”, eleventh in the 'Sheriff Dan Rhodes' series sees the author having a lot of fun based around romance and mystery writers.
It's a subject he knows a lot about, even if Dan himself is mystified by all the hoopla,
There's a murder at a romance writers convention and all the authors are suspects – as is local hunk and cover model Terry Dan Coslin,
The dead woman had written an unpublished novel which many of those attending had read. It was a catty bitchfest in which the characters include those attending the convention. Could it be the reason for her death.
A second murder follows and Dan becomes certain that just about everyone is lying to him, including the incorrigible Claude Appleby (he's become one of the repeat characters over the course of the series).
And then there's mystery of the naked woman, the return of the ghost to the local prison and, of course, the semantic jiggery-pokery of Hank and Lawson.
3 Stars.
It's a subject he knows a lot about, even if Dan himself is mystified by all the hoopla,
There's a murder at a romance writers convention and all the authors are suspects – as is local hunk and cover model Terry Dan Coslin,
The dead woman had written an unpublished novel which many of those attending had read. It was a catty bitchfest in which the characters include those attending the convention. Could it be the reason for her death.
A second murder follows and Dan becomes certain that just about everyone is lying to him, including the incorrigible Claude Appleby (he's become one of the repeat characters over the course of the series).
And then there's mystery of the naked woman, the return of the ghost to the local prison and, of course, the semantic jiggery-pokery of Hank and Lawson.
3 Stars.
March 31, 2025
Bill Crider is an underrated author in my book. His stories have keen insight into people while still having fun with life and the mystery itself. When I open a novel in this series, it feels like I’m going for a visit with old friends.
In this outing, sheriff Dan Rhodes must investigate a death at a writers conference for women writing romance novels. He is up to his eyeballs in Feminine angst tinged with jealousy and pride. He still manages to find out who did it! :-)
In this outing, sheriff Dan Rhodes must investigate a death at a writers conference for women writing romance novels. He is up to his eyeballs in Feminine angst tinged with jealousy and pride. He still manages to find out who did it! :-)
October 10, 2017
Really one of the most fun so far.
August 21, 2022
I have no idea why copies of this book are so hard to find. I suspect it has something to do with the cover, which is nothing like the covers of the rest of Crider's books. People are funny. :)
August 26, 2025
Fun cozy Texas mystery. I loved the oaoerback writer theme.
June 15, 2019
This is the second book I’ve read in this series with Sheriff Dan Rhodes. This story is rather tongue-in-cheek because it is about a romance writers’ convention taking place in Blacklin County. ‘Everyone wants to write a romance novel … or a murder mystery.’
Because there are so many possible culprits, the interactions aren’t as snappy and the characters aren’t as well-defined as the other book I read. Significantly less interaction takes place between Rhodes and his wife, Ivy.
Blacklin County is still the scene of a bevy of eccentric characters. This time out, two characters die and Dan Rhodes comes closer to death than any person would want.
Two former residents of Blacklin County who have made it in photography (a la Fabio) or the literary world (as a published romance author), come back for a book signing and writer’s convention. It doesn't take long for passions and anger to flare. Before long, a fire tries to consume the building where the writers are meeting.
I listened to an audio version of this novel; reader George Guidall made this book come alive.
Because there are so many possible culprits, the interactions aren’t as snappy and the characters aren’t as well-defined as the other book I read. Significantly less interaction takes place between Rhodes and his wife, Ivy.
Blacklin County is still the scene of a bevy of eccentric characters. This time out, two characters die and Dan Rhodes comes closer to death than any person would want.
Two former residents of Blacklin County who have made it in photography (a la Fabio) or the literary world (as a published romance author), come back for a book signing and writer’s convention. It doesn't take long for passions and anger to flare. Before long, a fire tries to consume the building where the writers are meeting.
I listened to an audio version of this novel; reader George Guidall made this book come alive.
August 6, 2012
#11 in the Sheriff Dan Rhodes. Small (as in tiny) town, Texas sheriff Rhodes doesn't think much of forensics; he places his belief in finding out things by wandering around asking questions. Down home humor and witty byplay with his dispatcher and jailor enliven the series.
Dan Rhodes series - When Vernell Lindsey, Clearview's newly published romance novelist, decides to hold a romance writer's convention, residents think this will get their town on the map. Former resident Terry Don Coslin will headline the event-Terry Don is now the most sought after male cover model. Rhodes doesn't understand why so many people are interested in writing, but this becomes the least of his concerns when a local aspiring novelist is found dead in her room at the college. As he investigates, Rhodes begins to learn more about the publishing industry and some sordid facts about Terry Don.
Dan Rhodes series - When Vernell Lindsey, Clearview's newly published romance novelist, decides to hold a romance writer's convention, residents think this will get their town on the map. Former resident Terry Don Coslin will headline the event-Terry Don is now the most sought after male cover model. Rhodes doesn't understand why so many people are interested in writing, but this becomes the least of his concerns when a local aspiring novelist is found dead in her room at the college. As he investigates, Rhodes begins to learn more about the publishing industry and some sordid facts about Terry Don.
April 8, 2016
The problem with setting murder mysteries in a small town is that, if the series goes on long enough, the town is divided into camps: suspects & murderers, corpses, informants & detectives. That's when the author starts 1.) sending the detective to the big city on a busman's holiday -- or -- as is the case here 2.) building a conference center and gathering locals and outsiders for a catered murder.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes plods to the solution to mystery #11, gathering intel from his usual informants, and cheating on his diet.
Sheriff Dan Rhodes plods to the solution to mystery #11, gathering intel from his usual informants, and cheating on his diet.
March 16, 2016
Crider taught for years at our little college here. I realized recently that I'd never read one of his mysteries!
May 30, 2011
must read
August 18, 2015
"A Romantic Way to Die" - written by Bill Crider and published in 2002 by Harlequin Books. A mediocre mystery.
February 28, 2013
I enjoyed reading this book. It will keep you guessing on who the killer is.
April 12, 2017
Sheriff Dan Rhodes is just as baffled by the Romance obsession of many women as I am. Together, with a couple of murders throughout, both Sheriff Dan and I learn the ins and outs of the Romance genre, those who write them, and those who read them.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by the wonderful George Guidall.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by the wonderful George Guidall.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews