The Slickrock Cafe

Bud Shumway #2

by Chinle Miller

The crusty owner of a local rock shop has been killed in Utah’s wildlands, and ex-sheriff Bud Shumway has been asked to return to his hometown to solve the crime. He reluctantly agrees, never suspecting the case involves an old childhood friend and a pair of mysterious Incan skeletons known as the Malachites.Set at the Slickrock Cafe, deep in the sandstone fins and domes of southeast Utah, this mystery will have you laughing, scared to death, and wondering when the mysterious Black Beast will strike again. Add in a motorcycle gang, Bud’s bumbling deputy Howie, a deputy sheriff who writes mysteries, a cantankerous rancher, and a cryptic Peruvian with his llamas, and there’s never a dull moment. In any case, you’ll find out who the Malachites really are, and they’re sure not a tribe in the Old Testament.

Genres: Mystery, Westerns, Ebooks

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 6, 2011

Reviews

[Bruce Mendelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in this series does not disappoint. Ex-Sherriff-Bud Shumway's services are requested to help solve a murder in his old home town. The story keeps one's interest, is fast moving and there are some great descriptions of the scenery in Southeast Utah. Bud is an easy-going, likable character who interacts well with the other characters in the tale. This as an entertaining, quick read with some fun twists and turns. The ending is a bit convoluted. But I think this will keep you entertained on a flight or a dull afternoon.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the sheriff in nearby Radium is found injured, Bud Shumway, who has renounced his police career to manage a melon farm, drives over--the injured man is a friend of his from way back. And he allows himself to be persuaded to take over the investigation, even though he misses his wife Wilma Jean and their dogs. Hum had been out looking into a suspicious death, and is now in a coma unable to answer questions, so Bud is starting from scratch, except for his knowledge of the local people and the terrain, much of what is called slickrock. There's also a mysterious black beast that prowls the area, whose scream chills the blood. A crochety old rancher and his feisty wife figure into the plot, as do a family of rock-hunters (one of whom is the dead man).

[Benjamin A. Peckham,Sr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Second book as good as the first

Bud finds himself asked to be the sheriff in his hometown while the real sheriff is hospitalized by an unknown person who might, also, be responsible for the murder the real sheriff was investigating. Will Bud solve these mysteries, amidst a biker gang and unexplained cougar and llama appearances? And where do melons and skeletons figure in? Read on ...

[Scott Kalas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and entertaining

Fast paced, page turner, not! But wasn’t meant to be. No sex, vulgar language, which I like a lot. The overall storyline wouldn’t make my top notch list, but if you, like I am at times just want something to read, with a bit of mystery, clean and doesn’t focus on the negatives and hate going on in the real world, you should enjoy.

I’l continue reading the series but taking breaks here and there.

[Val · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another funny 😃 but serious 😐 chapter in the life of Bud Shumway, the man who just wants to be a watermelon 🍉 farmer 🚜 but keeps getting pulled back into law enforcement 👮.

Great series with characters that I can say remind me of a few people in my life😉.

[Thomas G. Carlton, M.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

A reasonably fast moving mystery with excellent descriptions of the landscapes in which it takes place. It stretches credulity in ways that make for a more enjoyable read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hum Stocks, the sheriff of Radium has been injured and is in the hospital in a coma. Bud Shumway is now retired from law enforcement, happy to be managing a melon farm. However, when the town asks him to fill in temporarily for Hum, he is faced not only with finding out who attacked the sheriff but also investigating the murder case that Hum was working on. When Bud visits his friend in the hospital, Hum awakens just long enough to mumble a few clues… Malachites…Slickrock Café… the Black Beast. Bud is a refreshing character and the plot is interesting, though slightly implausible, and involves a lot of back country investigating.

[Douglas Andrus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun week end

Love the area of the world that is the setting for this series of stories. Brings back childhood memories. My dad worked as a.pharmacist in Moab in the mid 1950's. Still remember the 25 cent glass of water and $ popcorn at the movie theater. That is the pace I interested in Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure stories. Loved the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies on Saturday

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Slickrock Cafe, Bud Shumway book 2

The characters are well written and interesting. The story is intriguing and holds your interest until the very end. The territory surrounding the story is descriptive and accurate. A good series for anyone interested in mystery and sandstone scenery.

[Jim Purcell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series continues to be quirky and fun to read

Bud just ambles around, through some seriously interesting and beautiful country. A rock here, a footprint there and the next thing you know, he has a solution. Now always legally appropriate but close enough for government work.

[Brenda E · Rating 4 out of 5]

A light hearted mystery and a fun read. I like the descriptions of the area that Bud is in. I can practically see it in my head. There were several surprises in the book though I guessed one before the end.

[Peggy Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

I jyst started this series & I'm hooked. The characters are great and the description of the areas Bud wonders around are fantastic! Makes me want to visit that area if Utah. Can't wait to read more of Bud's adventures

[Barnhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Number Two is Pretty Slick.

I am continuing to enjoy Bud Shumway and his adventures.
Must say Ms Miller has the knack for telling a good story. I am looking forward to more good stuff.

[Sandy Voegtlen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still enjoying this series. Bud is very human and humble. He's the sort of person who would be nice to have as a friend. I am looking forward to book 3.

[Lory Fahle · Rating 5 out of 5]

More fun than the first

This was a very quick read, esp. Since I didn't want to put it down once I started! Can't wait to start the next one.

[Dianne P. Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasant read

No fast paced, hard hitting mystery. Just a simple, easy and comfortable to read mystery with good down home folks. I love a good mystery.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good read

More light humor in a murder mystery. The overall story works. The participants are believable and all the pieces are tied together. Enjoyable

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Kathy Schouten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this second book in the series and Bud is growing on me🍉

[Virginia Adi · Rating 3 out of 5]

just ok.....

[Janet Edmonston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Campy but interesting

If you like geology and the southwest desert, you’ll enjoy the setting of this mystery. Lighthearted and kitschy little story.

[Beverly Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome story!

Great storyline just like the first book! Lots of action and surprises that keep you wondering! Love this series so much!

[Karen Bateman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up in Moab and its a fun read about this area of Utah with a mystery to solve. A nice book to pick up and put down, as needed on vacation, without losing the plot.

[Cynthia Rutledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wondering story teller

The characters are easy to relate to. Although the Sheriff has serious problems to solve he has a good since of humor and colorful friends and villains. You think you have the mystery solved but then the story takes a different turn.. Keeps you guessing until the end. I also love the description of the landscape and surrounding areas. You feel like you are right there. I like the way one story leads into another and the continuation of some of the same characters.

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel in a great series that seems to have been undiscovered yet. I found it to be entertaining and have grown to truly enjoy the mindset of Bud Shumway, a melon farmer, former and sometimes current, Sheriff.

Bud is finishing up the melon season and looking forward to some much earned down time with his wife, Wilma Jean. Wilma Jean has a very active life herself, as owner of a cafe and a bowling lane. So, time together is treasured by the couple.

Then the Malachites called. Well, not directly as they were deceased over six hundred years ago, but indirectly they called through Bud's fellow Sheriff Humboldt 'Hum' Stocks' wife, Peggy Sue! It seems Hum is lying close to death and Peggy Sue is sure he was victim of the murder involving the Malachites. Well, not directly, that is to say, this story has more twists and turns than a rattler!

Ms. Miller is a descriptive author who has you caught up in Bud's inner thinkings as he solves very confusing, but entertaining, crimes. Bud is an able but reluctant solver of murders and other incidental crimes along the way.

I have grown fond of Bud Shumway. I understand why he and Wilma Jean has lifelong friends. Bud is an animal lover and likes the simple life. He is a hard worker and although suffering from Sheriff burnout does the right 'thing' and takes over as interim Sheriff for his pal.

The ending was fun and I'm looking forward to the next novel in the series.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Bud Shumway. He’s so human. But he’s not so human that he doesn’t move when I wish he’d move. You know? And he gets scared, but also keeps his wits enough to recognize when it's all trickery. Bud’s also just a good man. There is a quality to this character that reassures you everything is going to be alright, and makes you kinda want to be just a little bit more like him.
The story is just a fast paced as the first book, “The Ghost Rock Cafe.” I read it all in two days. It was interesting enough to read in one day, but I started it late at night and my eyes insisted on some sleep.
I’m looking forward to the next book in the series now.

[Steven Howes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot of hidden meaning here. However, I found this to be an enjoyable interlude after a few other "heavier" books. I stumbled upon the first book in the author's Bud Shumway series (Ghost Rock Café) several months ago and liked it enough to give book number two a shot. The characters are likeable and, for the most part, believable. What I found most enjoyable about these books is their rather unlikely location - the area around Green River, Utah. The author's descriptions of the landscapes truly makes me want to go on a real-life guided natural history tour of the area.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as good as the first one

This book is every bit as engaging as the first book in the series. An original plot, well developed characters, a locale that is not only fascinating but also an intricate part of the story, and pacing that keeps you engaged from the first page to the last. All around a wonderful mystery. I look forward to reading more from Ms Miller.

[Audrey VerVer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utah mystery still fabulous in second book.

I recommend this book to anyone that loves a good mystery. I do enjoy the plot and the description on the locations. Makes me want to go check out Utah myself.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

quirky, rural setting