A Dangerous Thing

Carl Burns #3

by Bill Crider

Hartley Gorman College is being attacked by the forces of political correctness, the new dean--a hippie who has just bought two goats--is not going to work out, and Professor Carl Burns suddenly has a whodunit on his hands

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

189 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Taught 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.

Reviews

[Ben Boulden · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining whodunit with a bit of action, likable and eccentric characters, humor, and a comfortable mystery. It is vintage Bill Crider and a bunch of fun to read.

[Karl]

This copy is signed by Bill Crider.

[Jeff Dickison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to have given this 3.5 stars. I first became interested in Bill Crider when a friend suggested a particular book by him, and when I went to by it online I found it was selling between $50-160. I couldn't imagine paying that much for a book, especially for someone I hadn't read. Then I found a seller on e-bay with 8 Crider books for less than $40 including postage. So I bought them. This is the first one I have read. I can't imagine why his books are so expensive. This is a cozy-mystery set at a small college in Texas. It does have a little more humor than most cozies, but it is very common and the mystery isn't very difficult. I still don't know what all the hullabaloo is about. I will read the others. Maybe they will let me see why someone would pay $160.00 for one of his books.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The whodunit aspect is fine. The “political correctness” thread. Did. Not. Age. Well.

[FW · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what I would call a "cozy mystery" - which is to say that no matter how unrealistic it is, it is still a fun read. The banter makes it work for me. It reminds me a bit of Popeye the Sailor Man cartoons.

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Small college an written with the thoughts of other, comes this humorous story. A new dean who sounded like a stuffed shirt, with his correctness, and arty ideas. Then when a professor falls down the stairs, along with the murder. Good written plot, and enjoyed the narration. Given audio for my
Voluntary review and my honest opinion

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Professor Carl Banks mystery.
There is a new Dean for the college and it's causing a bit of a stir. She's bringing political correctness, a new English teacher and a goat...
Things get worse when another Professor is thrown from a second story window.
Banks once again finds himself hip deep in the mystery.
I really enjoyed this one.

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Professor Carl Burns knew the new dean at Hartley Gorman College wasn’t going to work out when she got a goat. There may have been good reasons to get a goat, but that is just not something that is a big winner in the minds of many people. While some of the staff are fixated on the goat and consider the new dean a “unreconstructed hippie” Professor Burns, who is also chairman of the English Department, is much more worried about her other issues. Of course, if Burns had just applied for the job, he most likely would have gotten it. Burns had absolutely no desire to be the academic dean and that means everyone is going to have to deal with Dr. Gwendolyn Partridge.

While she was highly recommended nobody warned those at HGC that she was highly liberal. A conservative private school located near the small south Texas town of Pecan City, Texas was not ready for her kind of leadership. She has ideas that others would consider radical. She has also brought in Professor Eric Holt who, as other employees see it, is getting special treatment he does not warrant. Both Partridge and Holt want to significantly shake up the curriculum and that is not helping matters.

If that wasn’t enough, the death of Thomas Henderson rattles the entire college. It is clear that he died after impacting the ground due to a fall out of his third floor office window. Landing on your head tends to kill you dead. It is also pretty clear he did not voluntarily crash through the window to his death. Considering Burns’ reputation for solving such cases it is not surprising when Burns starts investigating the situation in … A Dangerous Thing.

Rich with complex characters, humor, as well as scenic details and atmosphere, this third read in the Carl Burns mystery series is another excellent cozy style mystery. Originally published in 1994 and recently made available again thanks to the e-book format, the mystery does not follow the current fad of dropping a murder victim in the first paragraph. Instead, it builds the situation as Texas author Bill Crider weaves a number of threads together before getting to the heart of the matter. A mighty good read, … A Dangerous Thing can be read as a standalone if so desired as it just briefly references earlier events in one One Dead Dean and Dying Voices.


… A Dangerous Thing: A Carl Burns Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Crossroad Press
http://store.crossroadpress.com/
January 2013
ASIN: B00AZ0YU6A
E-Book (estimated print length 176 pages)
$3.99


I got the hardback version of this to read and review by way of the Plano Public Library System.


Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

[Debbi Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this installment of the Carl Burns mysteries, which take place at Hartley Gorman College in the very small Texas town of Pecan City, Burns and his fellow professors Mal Tomlin and Early Fox aren’t at all happy about the new Academic Dean, Dr. Gwendolyn Partridge and her sidekick of sorts, Eric Holt, a new faculty member in the English Department (which happens to be where Burns teaches). And that may possibly be the longest sentence I’ve ever written.

Anyhow, Dr. Partridge has all sorts of new-agey ideas and emphasizes political correctness in thought and deed. This, along with Holt’s being her pet favorite prof, as it were, isn’t sitting well with the three main players of the series.

Then, amid all the hubbub the new dean’s attitudes cause, another professor goes tumbling down to the pavement from a third-floor window in Burns’ building. And, of course, he didn’t just trip and fall or this wouldn’t be much of a murder mystery.

Burns is a sardonic and trenchant observer of all things. He’s a most likeable and entertaining amateur sleuth. But I wouldn’t call this book a cozy. It’s more like an academic mystery with an edge.

As an amateur sleuth, Burns tends to knock heads a bit with the local chief of police, Boss (R.M.) Napier. Not just over his sleuthing, because Burns has been known to solve the occasional mystery in a most helpful manner for the cops. However, there is friction between the men, due to their rivalry for the affections of Elaine Tanner, librarian and world-class trophy collector.

This novel pokes great fun at the whole liberal arts college/PC/aging hippie thing, while telling an intelligent and riveting puzzle mystery, with enough sharp edges to keep it from being too sweet and enough heart to make you smile at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and want to read more by Bill Crider.

[Carl Brookins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we have a fine academic mystery that blends political correctness with private agendas in that often strange collection of individuals we know as private liberal arts colleges.

A new academic dean arrives on campus with a new curriculum which threatens to disrupt the college and Professor Carl Burns mostly peaceful life. The routine of the college has left Burns plenty of time to contemplate and woo the new love of his life, Elaine Tanner, college librarian. Never mind that his principal rival is the local Chief of Police.

Things are pretty calm and then a window above Professor Burns' head explodes and an unloved colleague crashes to the sidewalk two stories below, killing the man instantly. Was it murder? An accident? Burns is almost forced to participate in an investigation by the Chief of Police. He's reluctant because he knows that any serious poking under the tender surface of any collegiate community will likely release unwanted mercies not so tender.

Because of Crider's keen eye for the nuances of college life, and his understanding of the humor of it all, A Dangerous Thing is a delight. It abounds with gentle humor, made the more so because of its careful plotting, pacing and the talent of the writer. I recommend this mystery to fans of the cozy, of academic mysteries and to anyone who enjoys good writing.

You may have to search used book collections and a library or two to find this novel. It’s worth it.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the Carl Burns series. Burns is the English chair at a small denominational rural Texas college. As he is approaching one of the college buildings, a colleague plunges from a window and crushes his skull on the pavement. The sheriff, realizing that the college is a closed community to law enforcement, imposes on Burns to investigate the death - as has been the case twice recently. The deceased was a well known womanizer but his wife claims women hit on him and accuses two faculty wives of inappropriate behavior. This as a fun cozy series but a little depth added to the characters would not be amiss.

Carl Burns series - Professor Carl Burns investigates the death of a fellow academic who fell from an office window. The probe takes place against the background of a new dean's campaign for political correctness.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new dean creates not-always welcome changes at Harley Gorman, a small, denominational college, but the real excitement comes when a faculty member is thrown through his window to his death. English professor Carl Burns is reluctantly on the case, until the local police chief turns his suspicious eyes to Burns' two best friends. Usual dry humor. This series is one of my favorites, though Crider didn't write very many of them--Crider's own experiences as a small-town college professor clearly informs these books.

[Susanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the first mystery by Carl Burns I read. I saw it listed on the "Mysteries set in Academia" booklist of the public library and decided to give it a try. I'm afraid it was one of the more disappointing books on that list; the characters were a bit one-dimensional, and neither the plot nor the style were particularly engaging. If you enjoy reading novels set in academe, check out some of the other books on my shelves!

[Tom Leonhardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

having spent 38 years working in higher education, academia, if you will, I really enjoy Crider's take on the same, especially through the eyes of English professor Carl Burns. Crider is literate, interesting, and with a sense of humor. And he provides good mysteries and characters. Wonderful writer. Reading his books beats watching a tv mystery.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of action, but Carl burns is a thinker. It's kind of a quirky book, but enjoyable.