Avalanche: A Sheriff Bo Tully Mystery

Sheriff Bo Tully #2

by Patrick F. McManus

SHERIFF BO TULLY OF BLIGHT COUNTY, IDAHO, IS BACK. When the call comes in that Mike Wilson, the unlikable owner of West Branch Lodge, has gone missing, Sheriff Tully is delighted. This is an excellent opportunity for Tully, his tracker pal Dave, and his retired sheriff father, Pap, to enjoy a few evenings of hot tubs and single-malt scotch at the luxurious lodge while working the case. However, visions of R & R vanish in a flash on the drive up, when Tully and Pap suddenly realize an avalanche is thundering down the mountain, straight toward them. Tully manages to outrun the crush of snow, but the road behind is blocked, and there's no telling for how long. Tully's stranded at the lodge with a motley group of vacationers and a sassy co-ed, a group of rambunctious fraternity boys, a shadowy group of what looks like ex-cons, the missing owner's wife, a suspiciously good-looking bartender, and worst (or perhaps best) of all, Tully's old flame, who shows up with her dogsled and naughty intentions. Both vacationers and locals start to look like suspects when Tully discovers startling evidence proving that the avalanche was no accident of nature. But why would anybody want him dead? And then the missing persons case turns into a murder case when Mike Wilson's body turns up in the river a couple of days later. But who killed him, and how? Furthermore, when another murder in Blight City is reported that week, the only suspect who makes sense...is the dead guy, Mike Wilson. But how could that have happened? It's up to Tully to figure it all out in this comic romp through the wilds of Blight County, from bestselling author Patrick McManus.

Genres: Mystery, Humor, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Procedural, Crime

308 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Patrick F. McManus is an American outdoor humor writer. A humor columnist for Outdoor Life and other magazines, his columns have been collected in several books.

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far this series have been rather fun and a little quirky cozy mystery. More on the quirky side rather than cozy for me but enjoyable. Easy to read when I'm not feeling for something that heavy

[Eric_W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Bo Tully story I have read and it's even more enjoyable than the first. The interplay between the characters, Bo father and ex-sheriff who made a fortune as a corrupt sheriff, Lurch, his CSI, Daisy, the secretary, and Herb, the under-sheriff, is charming and humorous.

Bo is called to a resort in the mountains to investigate the disappearance of the co-owner. On the way they are barely missed by an avalanche which we soon learn was deliberately aimed at his vehicle. No more spoilers. The series is a lot of fun and I intend to read all of them. Reminiscent of the delightful "liturgical" mysteries by Mark Schweizer that are often laugh-out-loud funny.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mystery and setting so much BUT Tully's interactions with women were so weird and unrealistic that the book gets docked two whole stars.

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

When someone recommends that I read a book, I generally check out the other books they have wrote. In this case I didn't have to, I have read some of the other books that Patrick F. McManus has written. Such wonderful wonders of comic relief like 'The Grasshopper Trap' 'They Shoot Canoes Don't They?' and of course...'Real Ponies Don't go Onik.' with such a line up how bad could one of his serious mysteries be? Well for one thing I would think it would depend a lot on your definition of serious. In comparison to his comedy work, it is serious, compared to serious mystery writes, well not so much. Something along the lines of Bloch's Burglar series. The humor is surprisingly low key, but amazingly well timed. If you want a mystery that is a little light and on the fun side than this is the book for you. I am going to check out some more of his books in the Sheriff Bo Tully series since they are pretty fun and sometimes a little humor is just what the day needs.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, not deeply serious mystery set in Idaho. Sheriff Bo Tully is called to investigate when the owner of a lodge goes missing. He takes his dad along, the former sheriff, and head to the lodge. They barely miss getting killed in an avalanche and he rescues some lodge guests. The avalanche cuts off the lodge from town and he has to deal with being stuck at the lodge for several days. Eventually they find the man dead in the river and his partner turns up dead in town.
Bo has to work out some creative ways to communicate with his department in town and get his CSI helper back and forth. He meets some interesting characters and there is a lot of town in cheek activity. Lots of suspects as the man was not well liked.
Enjoy the quirky characters, the writing is well done, a good mystery, and very entertaining.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a kick out of this western mystery set in Idaho. There's serious stuff going on, but Sheriff Tully has a wry and amusing inner mind that makes me smile. Plus he's surrounded by a curious set of characters, like his gruff & tough father, his tracker pal pretending to be a Native American so he can open a casino, a talented one-man CSI unit he's nicknamed Lurch, & a secretary secretly in love with him. They provide some comic relief & opportunities for Bo to privately, & not so privately, comment. He's searching for the killer of the owner of an upscale lodge where he's been marooned by an avalanche. He's got lots of clues but they don't add up until the end.

[Rosemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 bk 169. McManus writes of the country he knows so well and has done so with a deft hand at humor combined with his knowledge of the many mysteries of the western states and its people. In this book a call to the police station about a missing man results in Bo, his father, and Dave, the tracker being trapped at a sports lodge with a combination of dog sledders, skiers, con artists, and murderers. The missing man turns out to have been murdered and in the trapped environment things are tense. McManus is a teacher in addition to being a writer and I found it interesting in how he turned Bo into a teacher in this book - a teacher in the sense of taking the young people at hand had showing them how they can help solve a murder using the skills they currently have and helping them improve upon them. Well done mystery with more than a touch of humor.

[David Thompson]

One of McManus' mystery stories. He interweaves his humor with a good whodunit. I read and reread it again and again.

[Tommy Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Bo Tully.

[Jeremiah Cunningham · Rating 3 out of 5]

SHERIFF BO TULLY OF BLIGHT COUNTY, IDAHO, IS BACK.When the call comes in that Mike Wilson, the unlikable owner of West Branch Lodge, has gone missing, Sheriff Tully is delighted. This is an excellent opportunity for Tully, his tracker pal Dave, and his retired sheriff father, Pap, to enjoy a few evenings of hot tubs and single-malt scotch at the luxurious lodge while working the case. However, visions of R & R vanish in a flash on the drive up, when Tully and Pap suddenly realize an avalanche is thundering down the mountain, straight toward them.

The second book in the Sheriff Bo Tully series is just as much fun as the first book. If you are looking for serious literary merit or a mystery that provides unexpected plot twists these books are not for you. But if you enjoy a fun-cozy mystery, that reduces your anxiety because the stories follow the formula they are supposed to, then these are excellent books.

The characters, especially Sheriff Bo Tully, are absolutely fantastic in these books. I really enjoyed Pap in the first book, but he doesn't play as significant a role in this second story. But the good-hearted but yet tough nature of Bo continues to develop and continues to be a delightful experience. While I would not say the character is complex, I really appreciate the fact that he is dynamic and despite his rough edges his moral code shines through.

The narration of this second book was improved over the first book which helped to be able to enjoy it.

Overall, these are fun cozy mysteries that make for really fun reading.

[Lisa Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story takes up about year after the first book. Bo still hasn't gotten the lovely young M.E. to fall in love with him, although he was certain she already had. Don't take a girl camping in high country in November. There's your bit of dating advice for the week.

Local man, Mike Wilson, goes missing. Bo picks up Pap (mostly to save DeeDee) and heads up to the Lodge, a ski resort owned and operated by Mike's wife, Blanche Wilson. They almost die on the way there. Avalanche. Dave, owner of Dave's House of Fry and best tracker in three counties, maybe more, beat Bo and Pap to the lodge. The investigation begins, and when the tracks don't add up and it looks like the avalanche wasn't natural, Bo gets that bad feeling that Mike is already dead and he might be next.

Then he gets the call that Mike's business partner was found dead in his office down in town. Now he's investigating two murders while fending off amorous women every which way he turns. It's going to take all his ways and wiles to get out of this one alive.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having grown up reading Patrick McManus's books, this took me right back into that world of northern Idaho. It was a great read for a road trip, light but with the mystery to keep pulling me along. And Clarence -- I love Clarence and couldn't wait for him to keep showing up.

[Jaeger Matthias · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good. i like Patrick McManus because it is so funny!

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main character is Bo Tully, Sheriff of Blight County in Idaho. His father, known as Pap, was a previous sheriff and he is still alive and a very obnoxious man. When the wife of Mike Wilson reports him as missing, at least more missing than usual, Bo develops a plan of action. The Wilson’s own and operate a ski resort lodge and there are several outlying cabins on the lodge property.
Bo and Pap decide to take an excursion to one of the lodges in what is to be a combination investigation/relaxation mission. One the way there, a massive avalanche occurs and only by speeding up, they manage to get upriver of it. However, the river is dammed up and begins to back flood.
When they reach the cabin, they find two college students naked in bed. With no time to lose, Bo grabs the girl named Lindsay and physically carries her up a hill and out of danger. This sets the stage for a series of future encounters where Lindsay continues to hint that their initial encounter was sexual.
There is a tracker that claims to be the only member of a Native American tribe, a forest recluse that refuses nearly all human contact, several women deeply interested in the widowed Tully, a jail full of a family called Scraggs, a deputy that is a forensic genius that everyone calls Lurch, and an ornery dog called Clarence. This is only a partial list of the characters.
What makes this book so entertaining is the dialog among all these characters. There is no foul language, which is an existence proof that an engaging story can be told with quality dialog without resorting to sexual encounters or profanity. Even the one near sexual encounter descends into a comedic disaster. There is also very little gun violence, although there are a few incidences of fisticuffs. If you read this book, you will want to read the others in the series. I looked up the entire list and will be searching for them when I go to the used bookstore tomorrow.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Avalanche”, second in the 'Sheriff Bo Tully' series, sees him investigating the disappearance of Mike Wilson, owner of the holiday resort of West Branch Lodge.
Just as he, his father, Pap, and tracker Indian Dave, reach the resort an avalanche cuts the area off.
He's cut off and comms are mostly down.
There's a motley crew of staff and holidaymakers, not forgetting the definitely not grieving widow (who stands to get $4m in insurance), and all of them are suspects.
And then Wilsons' body is found - it's definitely not accidental!
The plot thickens when a business associate of Wilson is found murdered in Blight City. The evidence clearly points to Wilson, but Bo can't see how the timeline fits - until he does!
It's got a solid plot but it is the sense of humour that makes it stand out from the crowd.
Bo, for example, reacts violently when threatened, but it is mostly reflexive and he often doesn't even remember moving.
All the good looking women are in love with him (he thinks) and he relies on a diet of Danielle Steele novels for romantic advice.
“Avalanche” is great fun.
4 Stars.

[Janet Mahlum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm hooked! I love these books. I'm going to have to track down #3. Neither of the libraries I have access to have it. I did guess the murderers before they were revealed, but not before Bo. But then, he had requested research from his deputies and got information from them which he didn't share with us. Everything in a book is either a red herring or a clue. I kept trying to work out which the arrow was, but couldn't come up with anything. I thought I knew what the bag of trash was he got from cabin 3 but I was mistaken. My d.... squirels chew up pine cones so I thought that's what he got. And because I had the wrong material, I guessed wrong on what he was testing it for. I guessed several of the "incidental" characters were just that, but turns out one was significant in a different way. I never considered the one who turned out to be the late night visitor. That was a surprise. This is a light, easy read and lots of fun. I really like the humor.

[David Hibberd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sheriff Bo Tully is asked to come to the West Branch Lodge to investigate the disappearance of lodge co-owner Mike Wilson. He takes his dad, Pap, with him and the two barely escape being caught in an avalanche. Bo goes from investigating a missing person to solving two murders.
He has many suspects including the missing owner who is also one of the victims. Bo eventually works out how the two murders were committed and who the killers are.
There are a number of interesting reveals dealing with the suspects that make for a great ending.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I kid I read many a Patrick McManus book and remember getting stitches in my side from laughing so hard at the antics of young Pat, Eddie Muldoon, and Rancid Crabtree. I searched a few of the digital libraries I have access to for Pat McManus books hoping to find some of the books I'd read as a kid but struck out. I did find this book and decided to give it a listen. It just wasn't that funny. Sure, there was humor, but more dry satire than the laughing uproariously, holding your side, humor I loved from McManus' earlier books.

[Cj Zawacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patrick McManus is a humorist and columnist for Outdoor Life, and Field & Stream. McManus' book, AVALANCHE, is a mystery of Sheriff Bo Tully investigating the disappearance of lodge owner, Mike Wilson. Taking his dad along and heading out to the lodge, they just missed being hit by an avalanche that may have been set to have pushed their truck off the mountain. Trapped at the lodge with Bo's dad and other friends, the investigation takes many twists as the characters all become the suspects.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

While driving up to West Branch Lodge to investigate a missing persons report on Mike Wilson by his wife, Sheriff Bo Tully and Pap are met by an avalanche, and barely make it to the lodge. Trapped and stranded with the other lodge guests, Bo realizes that his missing persons case has turned into a double murder. Wit and humor, and lots of dog sledding makes for an interesting case to be solved by Sheriff Bo Tully, as only he can do it; the Blight County way.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t so sure about the first Sheriff Bo Tully novel I read, so it’s been several years between them. But I enjoyed this one more than the first.

Probably because I’d changed my expectations. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into the first one and was hoping for a laugh out loud story like “The Grasshopper trap.”

That’s not what Bo Tully is, but if you can appreciate it for what it is it’s not bad, and some of Patrick F McManus’s quirkiness is still able to shine through.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was on vacation, went to the local library and was wondering around and saw this series. I thought the first book looked so familiar but did not remember reading the second book so checked it out and I did like it. I discovered later I had NOT read the first book but had purchased it when I was working, I was a librarian. So I am reading the 1st one and have the 3rd one checked out also. Fun and fast read.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book in a used-book sale at my library. It’s time to get it read so that I can donate it back for someone else to buy.
I was not familiar with the author or this series and it took a while to really get into the rhythm of the book. It is like a cozy mystery, but not that cozy. The story was fine but I disliked Sheriff Tully’s interactions with women and some of the other characters. I probably won’t bother with others in the series. Too many books waiting to be read!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a fiction book set in Idaho for a reading challenge, so I chose this one. Now I will be adding Patrick McManus to my readable authors list in both fiction and nonfiction. Bo Tully and his supporting cast are quite interesting and clever. The book reminded me of Agatha Christie--good mystery, no gore or explicit crud, touches of humor-- so I am a happy reader.

[KennyO · Rating 3 out of 5]

McManus’ Avalanche, the second in the Sheriff Bo Tully series, is “more of the same.” That is to say, it’s a really enjoyable way to spend my relaxing time, whether out on the deck or just decompressing in the den. There’s plenty of info in the 80+ reviews below so I won’t add to the heap with my own ramblings.

Great light mystery with humor throughout.

[James Biser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining story about an Idaho sheriff solving a mystery about a murder at a ski lodge. While the sheriff investigated, it becomes clear that he and the people helping him are in danger, and the detective work becomes a race.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fun

Fast paced, enjoyable, good characters, very well rounded. Wish I knew a Bo.
Patrick made a very good read, if you like fun men with no filter this is for you. Totally entrainment

[BGMattingley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery story

Pat McManus knows how to write a great story whether it be humor or mystery, if you are a fan of mystery I recommend this book, it kept me wondering until the end.

Its a good mystery story.

[Dan Hyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always loved McManus's outdoor books.

This one is a mystery rather than semi-autobiographical. I enjoyed it, but felt like the characters were a bit wooden compared to other mystery writers.